Thousands of you shared bold, honest insights about life at Herts with Herts Unfiltered and your feedback is already pushing change forward. Here’s a quick update on what you’ve told us and what we’re doing with it.
What You Told Us
Starting Out At Herts
- • You said that settling in works best when you’ve got people around you, clear course inductions and support that’s easy to find. Many of you said you weren’t sure how to access key services like wellbeing, careers or financial help. We heard that loneliness and cost-of-living pressures hit students pretty hard in the first few weeks of term.
Being on Campus
- • Most of you are on campus about three days a week. You’ve told us that being here really helps with motivation, learning and connecting with other students.
- • However, travel costs, bus issues & affordability pressures are getting in the way for many of you, with some schools feeling it worse than others.
Academic Confidence
- • Support from teaching staff & coursemates matters more than ever, and thankfully lots of you feel confident in your studies. But not everyone! Those that reported feeling lonely are generally feeling less confident, with students facing money worries on top of their deadlines really feeling the pressure. We also heard that access to digital tools & services is uneven across schools.
Our Recommendations
Based on what you have told us, we are pushing for improvements that make a meaningful difference, including:
Campuses That Support Student Success
- • A review of timetables, the overall pace of the study week & campus spaces
- • Better support for students facing financial or personal difficulties, including the introduction of payment plans
- • More part-time job opportunities
- • Key bus routes to be made free for students
- • More affordable food options
- • Better value for money in halls
Fairer Academic Experience
- • Clearer inductions
- • Better communication about timetables & required equipment
- • Improved digital access where it's currently falling short
- • Better access to Personal Tutors to support your education
Stronger Communities
- • More peer support
- • More collaborative learning opportunities
- • More social activities & academic community events
- • More social spaces on campus, including reopening the EleHouse
We'll keep you updated as this work moves forward. Next semester we'll be taking a closer look at the issues you've told us matter the most, including affordability & hardship support. Thank you again for helping us to help you! Your voice is making a real difference at Herts. If you want to share more, you can reach us here.