Microcredentials, sometimes also known as microdegrees, are small qualifications that tend to be short courses, offering their students a chance to upskill certain areas of their knowledge, progress their career plans, or change career completely.

Although most microcredential courses are offered online, some providers may offer on-campus or in-person classes. Microcredentials normally last up to 12 weeks, and can be studied around your other commitments.

On completion of your microcredential you will usually receive some form of certification which might be accredited by various different bodies, and recognised by some employers.

Should I do a microcredential?

Microcredentials can be very useful for progressing certain areas of you knowledge or ability. They can allow you to improve a very specific skill, which may help your career or personal development. If you are interested in going for a promotion, or even changing career, a microcredential can give you a head start in that. As well as this, if you are interested in undertaking an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in an area you have no experience in, a microcredential can give you the opportunity to boost you knowledge.

Because microcredentials are normally short term and delivered online, they are flexible and can be completed around your other studies, work or family commitments. You might also be able to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in a course at a popular university abroad, without the cost of studying abroad.

Will a microcredential help my career prospects?

Most employers will recognise a microcredential. The vast majority of companies will see that you have taken the time to further develop your skills, which will be helpful to you and to your employer/company. Taking a microcredential is also a good way to demonstrate that you are able and willing to keep your knowledge and skills up to date, which is desirable to employers in such a fast-moving and developing world.

Although microcredentials are widely recognised and regarded as an asset, it is important that you ensure that your course will be taken into consideration by any employer or university, so that you are spending your time and money wisely. You can do this by making sure that you are undertaking microcredentials offered by legitimate providers, and take a look at reviews to see what previous students have to say about the course.

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What are work placements?

As employers expect graduates to be more prepared for the world of work, it is important that students make every effort to gain valuable work experience before they complete their degree.

You might find that work placements are a compulsory part of your degree that is required to pass a module, or they may simply be recommended by your university to prepare you for the workplace.

The main differences between a work placement and an internship are that a work placement is normally compulsory or contributes towards your degree qualification, and that a work placement is taken during term time, where an internship tends to be taken during the summer holidays. Work placements can sometimes last a lot longer than an internship, with some taking up a whole year of your degree.

What purpose do they serve?

Work placements can play a very important role in your degree. If they are compulsory, then you will have to complete one in order to pass a module or year, and to eventually graduate. As well as this, they can give you and very helpful insight into what working in the field you are studying would be like in the future. During your workplace experience you can get a proper understanding of whether you enjoy working in your field or not, and you may also get a chance to work out if there is a specialism or different area you may wish to work in.

The fact that work placements are taken during term time and replace your classes means that you will most likely be following a normal working schedule, which can help you to prepare for your future in a professional environment. Depending on your degree and lesson timetable, a full work schedule can seem daunting and intense, so it is a good opportunity to get an idea of what it is like to wake up and go to work everyday.

Should I do one?

If a work placement is compulsory for your course then yes, you should complete it. If you don’t do a work placement when it is required, you may not pass a module or year of your course, which can have a negative impact on your ability to finish a year or graduate.

If a work placement is not compulsory but is recommended, then it is still advisable that you take part in one. It is likely that your university will facilitate work placements, and potentially help you get in touch with potential employers. Although UK universities don’t use the ‘extra credit’ system, gaining work experience will still allow you to get a headstart on your peers.

If a work placement is not relevant to your course, or you don’t have time to take part in a work placement, you should consider an internship if you have free time during the summer. If you would also like to earn some money alongside your degree, you could also see if there are any part-time work opportunities in your field.

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What are student satisfaction surveys?

The main student satisfaction survey run in the UK is the National Student Survey (NSS). The NSS is run by Ipsos MORI (which is a market research company based in London) and is commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS). It commissioned on behalf of the UK funding bodies – the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for Economy Northern Ireland (DfENI).

The NSS has been conducted each year since 2005, and has been helping students and universities to make improvements and informed decisions. In the UK, it is compulsory for most higher education institutions, including universities and further education colleges, to take part in the NSS.

As well as this official and widely recognised survey, universities may run their own surveys, which can also be interesting to participate in and study the results of.

Why should I look at the results?

Taking the results of the NSS into consideration when you are starting your university journey can be helpful. The results of the most recent survey can be indicative of the community at different universities, and might help you to make a decision about where you would (or wouldn’t) like to study.

Whilst it is important to see what universities say about their offerings, it can be more insightful to see what actual students think about the university and their course in particular. It can also be interesting to look at results year on year. If you can see that results are improving, this could be an indication that the university is paying attention the feedback they are receiving from students. On the other hand, if you can see that results are staying the same or getting worse, this could be because the university isn’t acting on what their students are telling them.

Another thing that the results can give you is an insight into specific elements that may be important to you. Some examples of areas that the NSS covers are:

• Academic support
• Mental wellbeing services
• Teaching on a specific course
• Learning resources
• Organisation and management

If you are particularly interested in a certain area, looking at the results around that area can give you an idea of whether the university prioritises that element. As well as these areas, universities can offer up to six banks of additional questions, and can also include up to two additional specific questions. By looking at what sort of questions they are asking you can get an idea of what the university is interested in getting feedback on, and therefore might be aiming to improve or change.

Why should I participate in student surveys?

There are several reasons that you should consider taking part in the NSS. Taking part in the survey can help students, universities and prospective students. By providing your feedback, you could help to shape the future of your university and course.

When a prospective student looks at the results for universities they are interested in, they will be able to see what current students really think of their university and course. This insight might help them to decide that they do (or do not) want to study at a specific university. As well as this, your feedback will help your university to understand what the students think about the areas they are questioned about, and in turn make improvements based on data and opinions.

By providing your feedback you are also allowing a university to be held accountable for the education and services they provide. If a university if underperforming in certain areas, such as a lack of mental wellbeing support or learning resources, students and teachers will be able to see this in the results, and the university will feel more inclined to make improvements. This can also be a positive thing, because if a university is performing well and there is a high student satisfaction rate, they should be celebrated for this, and prospective students should be able to see that they could be happy at that university.

The results of an NSS survey will also mean that UK higher education regulatory and quality assurance bodies can gain an insight into what students actually think of both the general state of higher education, and the offerings of specific universities. This means that the relevant education bodies can have a holistic view of the situation in higher education, and make any adjustments necessary in order to improve the experience of students nationwide.

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Choosing where to study can be a difficult decision for many prospective students. For many students, they want to stay in their home country and study at a domestic university. But what if you want to set your horizons wider and would like to study abroad? Studying abroad is not the default for UK students, which means that schools, colleges and sixth forms are not necessarily set up to help their students when it comes to deciding on an international university and going through the application process. Despite this, a little research and speaking to the right people will make the process much more simple and efficient.

Why should I study abroad?

Studying abroad can be an incredible experience for many students. It presents an amazing opportunity to experience a new culture and make friends who have different perspectives to you. This can not only make you a more open minded person and better student, but also improve your employment prospects in the future.

Living and studying in a different country can also lead to you pick up a new language, which can be incredibly useful in the future, and will look fantastic on your CV. Learning a new language is much easier when you are immersed in the culture and surrounded by people who speak the language.

Making friends in a different country is also great as it allows you to have a network that goes across borders, giving you a larger world view. This will also accelerate your personal development and contribute to you becoming a well rounded person.

Where should I study abroad?

Choosing where you would like to study abroad is a very important decision, and is one that you should dedicate a good amount of time to. There are certain factors that you might want to consider throughout your decision making process. These include, but are not limited to:

Tuition fees and living costs

One of the most important factors to consider for most people is how much they can afford to spend on studying abroad. You need to understand the costs of applying to international universities, obtaining a visa (if applicable), tuition fees as an international student, and living expenses in a foreign country.

If you think that the cost of studying abroad is going to be restrictive for you, but you are really passionate about studying at an international university, you should consider searching for scholarships and grants that will make it possible, and search around for universities that offer a course you are interested in and a scholarship. You might also want to consider getting a part-time job, if this is doable, to create a study abroad pot of money.

Course offerings

Another element you need to consider is which countries and universities offer the sort of courses you are interested in studying. Some countries have specialist universities dedicated to certain fields and disciplines, and those universities might be able to offer their students a more focused education. It is also important to understand the higher education system in the country you are interested in. Some countries have systems that work slightly differently to the UK, such as USA universities offering major and minor courses.

Language barriers

An equally important factor to consider is the language barrier that might occur in certain countries. If you only speak one language, for example English, then it is important to ensure that the university you study at offers courses taught in English.

If you have another language available to you, or are planning to study a course that encompasses a different language, such as a modern languages degree, then you might have to take a test to prove that your language skills are at a high enough level.

Student visas

Something else you need to take into account is the fact that you may need to gain a student visa to study abroad. Most countries outside of the UK will require you to obtain a visa in order to enter the country, and some may also require you to gain a residence permit and health insurance.

You not only need to consider the costs of these things, you also need to make sure that you apply for the relevant documents in plenty of time, and ensure that you have all of the documentation needed ahead of travelling to your university.

How to decide on where to study abroad?

When it comes to deciding on where you might want to study abroad, there are many factors you might wish to consider. These factors can be completely different for each person, as each person is looking for a different study abroad experience.

An option that may be open to some prospective students is visiting places in person or attending university fairs. Both of these options can allow you to speak to teachers or students in person and get a true feeling for the university in question. While university fairs are more likely to host domestic universities, some international universities will have a presence at certain fairs.

Thanks to the events of the last few years, universities have had to consider how they communicate with students, which will make it easier as an international student to explore universities abroad. There are options such as online open days, virtual tours of campuses and accommodation, and chances to meet with other prospective students and teachers online. Whilst visiting in person will always give you a much clearer idea of if you feel at home in a new place, visiting the places virtually is a great option if travel is not possible.

Another way to help your decision making without having to travel is to check out the global university ranking websites. The most well known rankings site is the QS Universities, which ranks universities from all around the world across several different criteria. These can be used to help you narrow down your options if you are interested in how well some universities rank. Whilst this can be a useful metric, you should make sure that you are also considering other factors when choosing where you want to study. Lifestyle and culture of countries can be integral to how much you enjoy a new environment, and can have a big impact on your university experience.

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