We’ve got the inside scoop from Herts Unfiltered, which wrapped up its survey of over 3,400 students between 23th September and 4th November. It’s time to take a deep dive into the good, the bad and everything in between about student life at Herts.
Community Vibes 💖
So, do students feel part of the UH community? Mostly, yes! 91% felt connected and 94% made friends. But for home students or those working 20+ hours a week, it’s a bit lower – 80% of home students and 78% of those with busy schedules felt they truly belonged.
Safety First 🚨
On a brighter note, 96% of students felt safe on campus. That’s pretty reassuring! However, certain groups reported higher levels of feeling unsafe, specifically students of Arab and mixed ethnicity, and disabled students.
Travel Troubles 🚌
For the most part, 79% of students said getting to campus was a breeze. But if you’re from a certain demographic, that might not be the case. For example, 41% of Arab students, 34% of home fee status students and 34% of those travelling more than an hour to get here found it more of a struggle.
Academic Life 📚
88% of students found their academic workload manageable, and 85% used the university’s academic support. But when we look closer, there are some concerns. 27% of Arab students felt the workload was too much, and despite most students using support, only 65% of white students accessed it.
AI to the Rescue 💻
AI’s becoming a big deal, with 44% of students using it for their studies. ChatGPT was the go-to tool for most (79% to be exact). Interestingly, international students (47%) and those aged 40+ (56%) were among the most likely to use AI to help with spelling and grammar.
Support Services 🤝
Most students (76%) knew about financial support, but home students or those working 20+ hours may be missing out. Career guidance was widely known (89%), though 18% of Arab students and 82% of home fee students felt left out. 94% felt UH’s community is supportive, but 18% of Arab students and 37% of non-binary students felt lonely daily. We’ve got work to do to make everyone feel welcomed.
Reflections 💭
84% of you think UH was the right choice, and 93% felt prepared by the info before your course. But unreliable transport, food costs, and parking were struggles. Loneliness was a big issue too, especially for disabled, male, international, and non-binary students. 81% felt lonely at times, with 16% feeling it daily.
How's Your School Feeling? 🤔
Hertfordshire Business School – 95% felt part of the community, but 18% felt lonely daily, and 27% hadn’t met their personal tutor.
School of Creative Arts – 93% felt safe on campus, and most were confident in their assignments.
School of Health & Social Care – 97% felt safe on campus, 76% accessed academic support, but 42% hadn’t attended extracurricular events.
School of Law & Education – 15% of students didn’t know about wellbeing support, and 85% felt lonely, with 14% feeling it daily.
School of Life & Medical Sciences – 61% were worried about finances, the highest across all schools.
School of Physics, Engineering & Computer Science – Had the lowest engagement with personal tutors, with only 63% meeting theirs and 61% emailing them.
It's clear that while Herts is home to a supportive and inclusive community for many, there are still some areas where we can do better. Help us keep pushing for change by sharing your thoughts and feedback about student life at Herts. Complete the short survey here.