KCL students speak out against ‘ridiculous’ lack of class time

We all cough up £9000 a year to sit in a lecture hall and master the art of sleeping with our eyes open. But some disgruntled King’s students are not happy with the huge difference in teaching hours across departments.

Over at Guys, Neuroscience students get 14 contact hours a week, Anatomy students are treated to between 12 and 16, and Biomeds have up to 20 hours of class time. Unlucky Medics are plagued with a whopping 36 hours a week.

But on the Strand, 2 or 3 hours a day is standard. At the most extreme, one final International Politics student, who didn’t want to be named, told The Tab that he has a ridiculously low 4 hours of contact time a week.

That works out at around £110 per hour, and is a colossal 32 hours less teaching time than a medic. Unsurprisingly, at the time of interview he was preparing to visit a friend in Newcastle for the week, rather than getting down to some of the arts and social sciences’ infamous ‘independent study’ time.

Standard week day

And he is not the only student on the Strand struggling with motivation.

Caitlin Evans, a second year philosopher, explained, “Just eight hours of contact time a week can be effective when the seminar classes are small,”

“It forces me to do the reading. But when seminar classes are too large, as they often are, it’s easy to get lost and fall behind.”

Sara Kamouni, also a second year in the Department of Political Economy, agrees.

“I find it really difficult to get into a productive routine – with such little class time, it’s so easy to slip into being really lazy,” she said.

Jo O’Sullivan, a fifth year medic, is similarly in favour of her busy timetable.

She told The Tab: It’s great to have so many opportunities to learn from great doctors, and see them in practice. And personally I find that the busier I am, the more I plan my days, and therefore I get more done.”

But with so many weekly contact hours, balancing class with library work can be tough.

Jo added: “Most medics finish each term feeling completely exhausted.

Even so, the university are adamant that students’ concerns are misplaced.

Speaking to The Tab, KCL representative Charlotte Pool said: “Contact hours at King’s include teaching, tutorials, seminars and online support, and vary for each degree programme and mode of study. The quality and standards of our degree programmes are monitored by a number of external agencies, including external examiners and the Quality Assurance Agency.”

“There is no indication that current levels of contact time are insufficient.”

But despite this, students are stilled concerned that extortionate tuition fees are being wasted by the university. Unsurprisingly, those with plenty of class time believe they get a good deal. But, there is an overwhelming sense that those with few contact hours are being swindled.

“Where on earth £9000 a year goes when I have 8 hours a week, often delayed feedback, classrooms which often don’t have appropriate, basic resources… I have never understood,’ Caitlin Evans said.

 Emily Ashbrook agreed, adding, “I think, when the majority of your course can be found online in free PDFs, sometimes it does get a little bit ridiculous.”

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