University of Lincoln

I absolutely adored my time at the University of Lincoln. From my first visit to the city for an open day I knew that the University was right for me due to its comforting and yet thriving vibe. The University itself is constantly developing which is hugely exciting as a student. Throughout my 3 years there, multiple new buildings were erected meaning current courses had more specialised equipment and the university were able to offer new courses for students. Something that makes Lincoln stand out against other universities is it’s staff. On my course, every lecturer was wholly dedicated to the students and we were encouraged to challenge ourselves and one another. This often led to whole seminar debates and our lecturers not only listened, but valued our opinions and ideas. It was always wonderful to be doing a final performance and to look into the crowd and see lots of the staff. If you are looking to study Drama- Lincoln would be an amazing choice. Getting to see lots of shows at the LPAC for free and then getting to perform on the stage yourself is an incredible feeling. You are also able to tailor your course to what suits you. Since I left I know that they have altered the course slightly and introduced pathways but the course has always been very diverse. When I first joined, I thought I wanted to be an actor and being on stage was my passion. However, throughout my time at uni I learned how much I loved studying plays and writing an academic essay about them alongside directing. The city itself it incredible too. It’s a beautiful mix of old and new and the perfect place for students as it has everything you need (including play one and bierkeller) but is small enough to feel familiar and homely. I left uni with a wealth of experience- not only within my academic field but every aspect of my life. I was able to get a position as an assistant manager at a tutoring centre straight out of university and I believe that is due to the diversity of my course and how much the university supported me to grow as an individual.

As a university campus and city, Lincoln is an intimate place to be. It may be reasonably small, however, there are many clubs, pubs, and cool little places to chill away from your studies. Don't let the size put you off, it is beautiful, full of character, and easy to make your way from accommodation to wherever you want in the city. The course itself was perfect, with a fantastic range of modules, which covered Greek theatre all the way to the cutting edge of contemporary drama. Lincoln offers the perfect balance of practical and written work. The staff at Lincoln really push for you to be the best that you can be, both academically and as a theatre practitioner in the field. They have backed award-winning theatre companies that were created by their students and taken them to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and further for an incredible experience. The staff here are very helpful in giving you time outside of hours to generously give their professional advice and contacts, for both academic research and career prospects during your time here and beyond. My one critique would be that there is a lack of rehearsal space during the exam lead up periods, which needs to be addressed. Anyone that chooses this course and this beautiful place will not be let down and will have made their first strong steps into a bright and successful future.

I came to Lincoln through clearing not having heard much about the university, and came with an open mind. I studied Biology and gained a diverse range of knowledge about the subject. Practicals were well organised and there was a lot of support available throughout the 3 years, especially for coursework and dissertation. There were opportunities to shape your own experience by choosing modules in the second and third year, and there was also the option of participating in overseas trips. I chose to take this opportunity to do some fieldwork in Africa and it remains one of my favourite experiences to date.

I studied at UoL from 2015 to 2018 and it was a fantastic experience. I found my lecturers to be open and friendly, challenging me to develop further and focus my skills to be the best historian I could be. I had a great time here at Lincoln, and I think you will too.

The course itself was okay. Tutors were okay, some were very good and made the experience a much better one. Some great ones were sacked for poor reasons. there were backroom politics which in turn did interfere with many students studies. Some module tutors own private lives interfered with their teaching and so also affected us. My own personal tutor, who also became my module tutor for one of my favourite most successful modules, was quite the embodiment of the course and the university experience as a whole. He had a good mantra that you would get as much out of the university experience as you put in, and it rang true. If you did not throw yourself into your studies it would show, if you felt disconnected with your work, particularly the practical work, it would definitely show. You needed to put the effort in, as you were marked on your effort, and what you gave to your group. your ability to explain you work and why you did things was important to your success, you really had to understand what you are doing. This overall gave you a better understanding so it was benefiting you, and made your experience feel more rewarding, and like you were actually learning and honing a new skill, some additional knowledge or suddenly having aspirations for a new craft or career path. The other people on the course came in bunches. There were the high school girls that are somehow still on the playground making others feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. As it was a drama course you also had the Drama school luvvies who thought that they were at RADA or something in that nature. It's admirable but also became quite obnoxious with the egotism of some members of the course. It was important to maintain a good relationship with your peers as you would be marked on practical work which included your rehearsals and how you developed as a unit and how your piece develops. Having good reliable people in groups had great strengths and you were able to benefit a lot from that. The SU was awful. They were more interested in business ventures than the benefits of the students. SU prices not subsidised like at other Universities, a terrible record in terms of free speech and their inter-union relations with the students they represent. It is well known and is well documented. The city has a tense relationship with the university and its students. The local MP does not try and assist the students with the negative effects of the SU. The University continues to grow its estate and claim more areas of the city, much to the upset of the local residents. The university itself also has been poor in its approach to the student's academic development. They are more focused on the students of the future than the students they are already meant to be serving. Our fees increased in price as a result of a new building to commence 5 years after the completion of our course. The need to grow as a developing academic establishment is great, but at the students cost, Overall the university has great shortcomings but the experience you have is the one you make, and it was made so much better by my society friends, who kept me sane most of the time and focused right to the end.