At the beginning of the year (October) we listened to first year students in Moulsecoomb Place halls and asked them how they were finding their university experience so far, what they loved about it, what they were concerned about and if they had any ideas to improve or enhance their experiences.

Top loves: • Friendly house mates • Easy to get to town • Mix of different groups of people • Close to uni • Get to interact with other students and from different courses • Good organisation of accommodation, staff easy to talk to

Top concerns: • Washing machines don’t wash clothes properly- one boy had to wash his clothes 4 times and it costs £4 for dryer which doesn’t even dry clothes properly • Shared bathroom can be issue- not cleaned properly • Old and tired facilities • Masters students with undergraduate students: antisocial behaviour and uncleanliness • No catering at weekends: students have to buy food for two days • Long time to reply to complaints of things to fix • No common room facility to meet other students in halls • No SU bar or space that is open late in the evenings for students to socialise

Top ideas: • Event each year for new students to socialise • Later opening of the bar • Event for mature master’s students – many felt lonely or upset by the undergrads

From these listenings we created a social event where students could meet each other and get to know people on their campus. The event involved a listening stall and information about our support as a union and events both on and off campus. The event was a success and we were able to gather thoughts and ideas from around 25 students.