April 7th, 2009
Student bloggers open transparency to Imperial
Students from a wide variety of subjects and cultures have enabled Imperial College London to break down the barriers of insular university life to the wider public and prospective students, in form of a series of regularly updated blogs hosted on the site.
From masters students to international and home students and more degrees you can shake a stick at, the ten student bloggers were recruited during freshers’ week at the start of this academic year. I spoke to Amy Thompson, Digital Media Manager for Imperial College over who benefits from student blogging:
“Not only do our student bloggers enable prospective students to experience student life, London and all through the eyes of the student, it allows anyone to get in touch.
As well as that, it helps the college get feedback on what the bloggers are talking about.”
The students who write on the Imperial College blogs, according to Thompson, are a “good group of students who enjoy it thoroughly”. She made it clear that the messages are getting through with a vast number of international students getting in touch, and the overall experience to be “very beneficial” to the university, the bloggers and prospective students.
Having students which blog and “endorsed” by the university is something we should be seeing more widespread. The university I attend, the University of Kent, is at the forefront of student leadership and representation, with the student union being one of the best places to work in the UK.
So why don’t universities help improve their status and employ the help of their own students to blog? Or are students too much of a liability to blog for their university? Comment and let me know.
Zack Whittaker, the youngest in the ZDNet network, is a British student at the University of Kent, Canterbury, where he studies BA (Hons) Criminology and Social Policy. His insight into the next-generation is unique and first-hand, sharing his knowledge of the here and now but more so what's next and how to get there.
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