Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

The consideration shown by staff to students is incredible. Most of the teaching staff on my course seem to communicate with each other with regards to the timetable, so that they know if, for example, we've just had four hours of lectures before we come to their class. They agree to finish earlier or start later than scheduled so that we can get a break in between class. This exceeds expectations and shows real regard for student welfare, as well as understanding of how people learn and how to get the best from students in class time.

Many of the teaching staff on my course are either former or current clinicians in the field. This means we benefit from personal anecdotes and real-life experience of the profession. It allows us to get a taste for what we'll be doing after graduation and can offer direction as to what branch of the profession we might want to pursue.

I think the patience shown by some of the teaching staff is also worth mentioning. They are happy to take questions right through every class, even if it means they don't cover all the material. As a student, this can be a double-edged sword, because it's frustrating to not get through everything and have material postponed until the next class, but it shows that the teaching staff are invested in ensuring our understanding of the concepts being taught. If anything, sometimes they are too accommodating: in some cases, I believe they could tell students to do some independent learning rather than expect to be told all the answers. We are training to be qualified clinicians and independent reasoning is a transferable skill which is worth learning as soon as possible.

Something that could be improved: a bit more transparency on fees. Many postgraduate courses charge extra for a dissertation fee (in our case, £1100 on top of normal fees). This fee doesn't appear to get added on to undergraduate courses. I have no idea what this charge is for or why it's not included in the fees we pay, which are already hefty. The discussion is a compulsory part of the course, so getting charged extra for it is a kick in the teeth.