Are you due to start with us this year and wondering what life at University Centre Reaseheath will be like? We asked two of our current students to share their experience of studying with us and explain how they adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Jessica Griffith – Animal Science undergraduate

I really enjoyed my second year at University Centre Reaseheath – the support from my tutors and Higher Education Support Team was really good, always quick and they were available to answer my questions.

Although it has been a challenging year due to the pandemic, I felt safe having the Covid test site here: I volunteered to work at the test centre to offer the service to other students and help them through the process which was really rewarding.

The safeguarding and residential teams here are fab, they also helped to make us feel safe and dealt with anything that came up quickly and appropriately. I also felt safe having such a large, open and safe space to be around on campus with plenty of areas to walk and relax outside!

Lisa Trodden – Zoo Management undergraduate

I have just finished my second year of Zoo Management which has been a great but very tough year with all the challenges we have been faced with – the main one of course needs no introduction, COVID! Although lectures were moved online, lecturers made sure to encourage and engage all students through different learning strategies, such as kahoots and videos which was great!

With the COVID-19 restrictions, it was difficult to have any form of ‘student life’ throughout this time, however, the SA continued to put on events online such as quizzes or DJ nights and although these were different, they were still interactive and something fun to do in the evenings! The SA also continued to carry out projects on important topics such as help the homeless and anti-bullying which worked very well – I think these topics are important for students to engage in and learn about.

The periods of which we were on-site and back to a form of ‘normality’ this year were very well organised and ensured the safety of all students – we have one-way systems through buildings, we all wear masks when inside, there are lots of hand sanitising stations around campus and regular lateral testing kits are given to students! This allowed us to return to campus in a safe manner and continue with our studies face-to-face. Throughout this period, I felt safe whilst on campus and when studying, and I continued to have a good student life whilst at University Centre Reaseheath! I will be returning for my third-year next year so I look forward to meeting some of you!