Our students say
"What impressed me most about Bradford was their warm approach towards mature students and their flexibility with regard to entry qualifications."
Paul Bradford BSc (Hons) Optometry Graduate
The National Student Survey is becoming an increasingly important method for judging University courses. We have consistently been rated very highly by our students since the survey began. In the National Student Survey for 2009, 96% of responding students were satisfied with the quality of the course.
Here's what our students say about us
Faye McDearmid BSc (Hons) in Optometry 2008
"Coming from a large family of successful optometrists, you might expect that optometry was a natural career choice for me. However, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do after school and optometry never occurred to me until the UCAS forms arrived at college, and I still did not know what I wanted to do."
"After visiting the universities of Oxford and Cambridge where I had shown an interest in reading chemistry, I attended one of Bradford's many Open Days with my family. My mum had supervised several Bradford pre-registration students in the past, and I was always impressed by their skills, so as it was pretty close to home I was curious enough to go and have a look. That curiosity was the foundation to beginning a career I now love and really enjoy doing. At the Open Day I not only got a chance to look around the optometry department and the fantastic eye clinic facility, but was also able to talk to the one hundred per cent committed staff and some of the undergraduate students. Additionally I looked at the University facilities including social, sports and nightlife activities as these are important to an 18-year-old student too! The optometry course also has its own society run by the students (BOOSA) where talks are given by representatives from various organisations, from Vision Aid Overseas to the multinational giants and the contact lens companies."
"The course takes students from a wide variety of backgrounds; in my close group of friends alone there were mature students, a single mum, students from private school backgrounds, state school students like myself, international students, and students from the Scottish education system. Everyone is welcomed with equal opportunities and the year groups are all quite close - one very large optometry family. When you are accepted into the Optometry School at Bradford you are immediately being trained for a profession. From the first week you begin learning practical skills which you continue improving throughout your time at the University and into your career."
"The course would not be what it is without the staff; many of the lecturers are top class in their research fields, but are also dedicated to teaching and really get involved with the students. The technicians are always there working behind the scenes, as are the office staff and the Eye Clinic receptionists. The volunteer patients at the Eye Clinic are also a great asset and provide some challenging cases as well as great conversation while in your final-year clinics."
"Bradford possessed everything I could have wanted from a university, a fantastic course, equally great student facilities, a low cost of living, a multicultural city living experience and the cosmopolitan city of Leeds is just a 20-minute train ride away. I have been inspired by my time at Bradford, just as my mum was thirty years previously. I am confident that the department will continue to provide a first-class education to all of its optometry students for at least another thirty years."
David Robeson BSc (Hons) in Optometry 2008
"I originally considered optometry as a potential career when wanting a change from my then career in biomedical science. Having spent much time researching different career options, particularly in the healthcare sector, I decided that optometry looked like a potentially rewarding career both financially and in terms of job satisfaction."
"When visiting the optometry departments that I had applied to, I was most impressed with how welcoming Bradford's Open Day was. The admissions tutors were approachable and helpful, and seemed very positive about my application despite the fact that I did not satisfy the more conventional entry requirements that were stated in the application literature."
"Having recently finished my degree in Bradford, I know that I made the best choice of university. From week one of the first year, practical training begins on the equipment that optometrists will use throughout their career. The majority of the theory is covered in the first two years, leaving the final year to concentrate more on perfecting the student's practical skills ready for the pre-registration training year."
"The teaching throughout the course was first class with some of the lecturers being world-renowned experts in their specific subject areas."
"Although the course can be quite demanding at times, I still found plenty of time to play hockey for the University, and socialise with friends that I made through hockey, the course and elsewhere. With a little application it is very possible to succeed at the course without compromising on the fun times. I will look back on Wednesday sports afternoons, and Friday nights in Bradford in particular, with fond memories for many years to come."
"Starting the course as a 29-year-old mature student, I was not sure how easy it would be to fit in socially, but I was pleasantly surprised with how friendly and open other students were to me. The University too seems to be very welcoming to mature students, and my class year contained far more mature students than I was initially expecting. All of these factors, together with the fact that Bradford is one of the cheapest student areas in the whole of the UK to live in, make Bradford an extremely attractive place to study optometry, and I would recommend the course here without hesitation."
