The varying characteristics of a college are likely to influence your decision making when selecting which one to study in the UK.
The varying characteristics of a college are likely to influence your decision making when selecting which one to study in the UK.
Typically,
college amenities and services will be one of the most important factors.
So what type of facilities should you expect when comparing colleges?
Library:
An essential part of any Higher Education college is its library.
You would hope to find the academic library of your chosen college to have an ample supply of information in a range of media, such as printed text, CD, DVD and video, which is appropriate to your course.
College libraries will offer students access to a variety of resources including, desk space in a quiet location for independent study or group projects , a cataloguing system to locate information, internet and wireless access.
In addition, it is necessary to have a sufficient number of functioning photocopiers and access to a variety of periodicals and journals in your subject.
A first-class college library will have all the essential texts and materials that you need for your course as well as long opening hours.
In contrast to undergraduate students, postgraduate students who study in UK colleges, typically benefit from advanced library access of online resources for research.
For instance, some postgraduate students will use the SCONUL Access Scheme which enables specialised online academic resources to be accessed from further academic library archives.
IT Services:
Any decent UK college will have a well resourced IT department with up to date computers, printers and staff on hand for enquiries.
The computer room will be somewhere you are likely to spend a great deal of time carrying out your writing and submitting assignments, as well as staying in touch with friends and family at home.
Ideally there will always be computers available for use at any time, and the computer rooms will be located close to your classes so that you can study in free periods between lessons.
The computers should be up to date with relevant software, fast secure internet and access to printing.
Individual access to computers is often supplied to new students at the beginning of the term in the form of a private username and password which can be credited with print units.
As well as library and online resources, students at UK colleges will generally be able use a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
The VLE is an additional learning resource for students providing access to detailed course information, research links and a class portal for submitting and feed back on assignments.
It is certainly advisable to research and compare the facilities of your short-listed colleges to maximise your experience of study in UK Higher Education.
