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What do new students think of UCL? The results are in

17 January 2018

More than 7,700 students took part in the 2017 New to UCL survey, meaning UCL finished on a response rate of 37%, up from 25% in 2016.

What do new students think of UCL? The results are in The results gives a broadly positive picture of the experience of new students.

Overall, 87% of new students feel welcome and part of the UCL community, and 93% are satisfied with their overall arrival experience here.

The responses show that UCL's reputation and location are the top reasons why students choose to study here, although the cost of living in London and tuition fees are cited as the main reasons why students might have decided not to take up their place at UCL.

Departmental welcomes

95% of new students who responded agreed that staff in their department had made them feel welcome, although only 73% agreed that module selection was straightforward.

Awareness of support services has improved, with 72% of new students aware of how to access wellbeing, mental health or psychological support services if they need to, compared to 60% in 2016. While 71% of new students know how to access disability support services, an 11% increase from 2016.

New to UCL was designed by the Office of the Vice-Provost Education after extensive consultation across UCL. Over 21,000 students were surveyed in November and December 2017, with 38% of undergraduates, 36% of postgraduate taught students and 46% of postgraduate research students responding to the survey.

Make your voice heard

The winner of the New to UCL survey £500 cash prize draw was Krystina Skirczka, from the UCL Institute of Education who is studying an MA Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights

Rachel Heatley, Acting Head of Student Engagement said, "We are delighted to see so many new students sharing their views - the survey gives new students a platform to share their arrival experience at UCL, what went well and what needs improvement. The Student Engagement team is now doing further analysis of the data and we will share the results across the university later this term, so we can continue to make UCL education even better."

The winner of the New to UCL survey £500 cash prize draw was Kristyna Skriczka, from the UCL Institute of Education who is studying an MA in Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights. The 250 winners of £10 Amazon vouchers have been sent an email to notify them how to claim their voucher.

Taking part in a survey is only one of the ways to make your voice heard and help to drive change at UCL.  If you are interested in finding out more about the ways to make the most of your UCL experience, why not go along to the You Shape UCL Fair on Tuesday 30 Jan from 12-3pm in the South Cloisters?

You can explore the opportunities on offer, as well as find out how you can develop new skills and make a difference at UCL. There will be lots of useful information, fun activities, and free refreshments and merchandise on offer.

Student Engagement team, Office of the Vice-Provost (Education and Student Affairs)