University of Madeira - UMa
speciality: Business and Strategy

My experience at the University of Madeira was very disappointing, especially regarding assessment and the way some teachers evaluate students’ work.

In my opinion, not all teachers grade in a fair, transparent, or consistent way. In some cases, the evaluation does not seem to follow a clear formal basis, but rather personal preference. This is especially frustrating in areas such as Arts, Marketing, and Tourism, where practical experience, creativity, and real professional knowledge should be properly recognised.

There are students who already have real experience, who work in the field, manage teams, produce relevant work, participate in contests, or build public recognition for what they do. Even so, their work can still be dismissed or graded poorly by teachers who, from my perspective, do not always show the same level of practical achievement or connection to the professional reality of the area they are teaching.

A university teacher should be able to evaluate with humility, fairness, and respect. Students should not feel that their work is being judged based on personal taste instead of clear criteria. Constructive criticism is important, but it should be grounded, professional, and useful.

Unfortunately, I often felt that respect and humility were expected mainly from the students, while not always being shown in return. I also found the students’ association to be very disappointing and not representative of what students actually need.

Overall, this was an awful experience for me. Future students should be aware that, depending on the course and the teachers they get, assessment may feel subjective, frustrating, and unfair.