25 Oct Why WiFi is so important to university students…
WiFi plays a key role in the lives of university students. Research published by facilities management company, Sodexo, found that 79% of UK students considered WiFi to be the most important service in their university environment. Indeed, in a survey taken by 7Signal, 38% of students said that the quality of campus WiFi was a deciding factor when choosing which university to attend. But why is this the case?
WiFi supports independent studies
It’s undeniable that the Internet is an excellent education resource for students. Jisc’s student digital experience tracker surveys 8,000 students and their data reveals that 97% of higher education students find information online on a weekly basis during their course. This is especially the case for students who take courses that require a lot of independent research, such as English and History. Whereas in past years, students would have had to trawl through library books to find the relevant information for their essays, now they can simply type what they are looking for into Google search and immediately receive thousands of results.
WiFi gives easy access to online classroom tools
Many lecturers use online teaching tools that support interactive learning and student collaboration. These tools help to foster valuable employment skills in today’s society, such as communication and creativity. They also help to improve student attendance, making the class environment more fun and engaging.
Many lecturers also advocate the use of online tools to their students outside the classroom. For example, certain websites allow students to upload their coursework electronically, saving paper.
University libraries are becoming more and more popular
Data from The Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) shows that for every full-time student studying at a university, there are around 55 visits to the library each year, and as student numbers increase, university libraries are seeing more people come through the doors than ever before. Students often prefer the social working environment that the library offers to the solitary working environment of their rooms.
Social Media
Social Media is a vital tool in a student’s life. Students don’t only use Social Media to scroll mindlessly down pages and pages of memes during lectures – it is also used as a way of staying connected to their friends and family at home! They can use Facebook messenger to chat or they can give their old friends a window into their new lives by uploading pictures! Alternatively, Social Media can act as an important tool for helping students to settle into university life. They can add new friends on social networks and join groups to keep updated on social activities.