Student review [#54939] for Business and Management
at Middlesex University - MDX

Before you read on, I highly advise you to use all review sites aside from whatuni. I am posting this review partly to warn you against using this site. I used this site previously before I started university.

However, I received an email from my university this year (2nd year) that whatuni was holding a giveaway and to leave a review of the university on the website. Obviously, students will likely leave positive reviews in an attempt to win the giveaway. This is very deceptive as reviews should always be authentic and not influenced by the prospect of an incentive.
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Here is a summary of the positives and negatives. Scroll further for the indepth positives and negatives.

Positives-

Good university communications on events occuring weekly. Useful tutors that have offered abundant support (some modules). Beneficial employability workshops that occur weekly. Internship and placement opportunities. Good society I am a part of (MDXISOC). Generous bursaries and I actually got a Macbook pro for free from the university. Dedicated MDXworks employability services students can access for Interview, CV, Application support ect.

MDX SU offered popcorn and drinks in different stalls during the student elections, Opportunities to take place in paid focus groups. Cost of living help. Free textbooks and MDX moves.

Negatives-

Online unihelp service poor at answering queries, inappropriate nude drawings in college building hallways, slow computers, difficult to make effective change as student voice leader, certain university events do not cater for Muslim students (halal food options), MDXSU- very slow reimbursement times and multiple event cancellations & let downs by MDXSU

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Positives:

Continuous communications from MDX about upcoming events and resources available at MDX to support students such as LET, free laptop loans, academic advisors

Module evaluation surveys during the term

Beneficial employability workshops which occur weekly as part of students timetable (for my pathway or others but unfortunately for not all pathways)

Certain lecturers give useful employability tips as well as delivering the topic content

Attractive Internship and placements offered

Dedicated MDXworks employability service students can access for Interview, CV, Application support ect.

Seminar tutors are supportive of students

MDX SU offered popcorn and drinks in different stalls during the student elections

I had a challenging module in Year 2 of my course & there were weekly optional lab drop-in sessions that were extremely helpful and was a means by which I got a high grade in the module.

In another module, I received an abundant amount of useful support on one module from the module leader.

Opportunities to take place in paid focus groups

Cost of living help

Opportunities to get bursaries e.g. money, laptops etc. I got a macbook pro which was generously given by the university.

Ability to earn food vouchers to spend at campus outlets through earning points on the MDX moves- earn points from number of stops

Free essential textbooks

I can’t speak about other societies aside from the MDX ISOC. The MDX ISOC has good events and a great community whatsapp group for sisters.

Online access option for at least one of my modules as well as on campus option (useful when students unable to attend)

Recorded lectures for some modules

Flexible hybrid options (online & in person) for almost all sessions during train strikes

Negatives:

There is a Unihelp service at MDX where you can get university related queries solved. There are multiple ways to access this service- In person, via live chat, and via an online query. I decided to submit an online query regarding a module option registration but it kept giving an automated response that did not answer my query.

Inappropriate nude drawings in the college building hallways. I have complained recently to a staff member and i’ll have to wait till the next academic year if these were removed.

Slow computers in a number of the library rooms and lab rooms

There are mature students who attend the University and as of present, MDX are planning on shutting down the MDX nursery. There have been petitions set up but I thought this will be important information to point out. Considering the thousands the university receives in tuition fees I personally find this action inexcusable.

No email informing students of grade releases on the module pages. Just like for GSCEs and A-Levels, I expected an email or announcement from the university of grade releases. I just finished my 2nd year and no such announcement was made both in my 2nd year and 1st year. Students (including myself) were left confused about when grades would be released and were emailing staff. Staff were giving different dates of when grades would be released. Grades were eventually released on the module pages silently with no email announcement so students who do not visit the Unihub site during the break are left fully unaware of their grades.

I am a student voice leader at my university for my subject pathway. This post is advertised frequently by the university in order to appear inclusive of students. However, in reality, once feedback is given to staff, they will either ignore you (email), become cold towards you or in programme meetings, will become defensive of their stance and almost attack you for daring to speak out about an issue. Through persistence and consistent emailing, I got less than 5 of the numerous suggestions/issues raised resolved. Very unfortunate. However, I still manage to support students through sending useful emails where I share resources.

The university has campuses in Dubai and Mauritius as well as in London. However, on the Unihub site, there are assignment submission links and slides for students in the Dubai and Mauritius campus (although locked for only their cohort). This makes it slightly confusing and bothersome when I am looking for the slides and submission links specifically for London students. I raised this issue and that this information should be removed so each campus has its own files recently but I will have to see if changes have been made.

Staff at university retail outlets such as greggs do not seem to be trained in knowing if food is halal. They do not appear friendly most of the time from my experience so I do not feel comfortable asking if their steak patties or other meat options are halal.

University held events do not accommodate for halal food in my experience. I visited a women’s only employability day event and there were sweets but the host could not verify if they were halal.

Negatives relating to the MDX Student union-

MDX SU-

– My personal advice would be to never spend money to help out at MDX society events. I spent some money on an MDX ISOC event and as per SU policy, if you provide receipts you will be given a full reimbursement for your purchases. The event took place in September and I only received my reimbursement in May and this was after emailing multiple Student union staff

– The MDX SU held a ramadan iftar event that was mixed (between genders). In their efforts to cater to muslims, the MDX SU either ignored or forgot about the fact that in Islam free mixing between the genders is not allowed. So I missed out on the event. The MDX ISOC is good though since events are appropriately segregated.

– There’s been multiple event cancellations/let downs by the MDXSU (separate from the uni).

1) There was a cook a look online event where you could collect the ingredients for meals being created with different categories (vegan, vegetarian ect). I was interested in attending this event so I went to the SU area in the university and I was told that the ingredients were not here yet due to a delivery issue and that I could collect it another time. This was such late notice and I was off-campus the next day so I decided to leave it and missed out on the event.

2) There were a host of different Ramadan themed events being advertised by the MDX SU on their website. One of these was a pop-up stall where students could collect a bag of snacks for Iftar (Breaking off the fast). I came to the area where this food giveaway was supposed to take place at the stated time and there was no such stall in place.