1. Quotes

2. Aston University “Small but perfectly formed is how Aston sees itself and how students and employers feel towards it. A low dropout rate coupled with the highest graduate employment rate of any UK University speaks volumes.” Sunday Times “I was surprised at how international Aston University is, there is a lot of cultural diversity here, which made me feel really comfortable when I first arrived.” Ava-Gail Lewis, MSc Engineering Management

3. Teaching Expertise “Aston’s innovative sandwich degree courses in business, technology, science and languages make its graduates some of the most marketable in the country.” The Times: 2/2/06

4. The Campus “The fact that Aston is a green campus University situated literally in the heart of Birmingham, the UK's second city was one of the biggest attractions for me. Living on campus, you are never more than five Minutes away from a lecture and have all the benefits of city life being within 10 minutes walk of some of Britain’s best shops and nightlife.” James Wilkinson, 1st Year, Translation Studies, from Hertfordshire “The benefit of living on campus in University residences is that it’s close to shops, nightlife etc. and Birmingham caters for everyone. I feel safe both on campus and in the centre of town.” Melissa, 3rd Year, from Norfolk

5. Life in Birmingham “Birmingham is a fantastic and vibrant place to live and study. The city centre is new and modern, and fully reflects the diverse cultures that are present in the city.” Claire Nicholls, 4th Year IBML French and German, from Hull “Birmingham City Centre really is a great place, packed with shops, restaurants and bars. It is a great place to make new friends and spend some important years of your life.” Gemma Kyte, Final Year.

6. Student Facilities “The facilities on campus are just right. The social life here is brilliant – and the Guild societies are well organised and friendly.” Oliver Duncan, Second Year Student, Lincolnshire “There are plenty of IT rooms around campus so it’s always possible to use a computer. The Library is large and it’s easy to take out a book using my Campus Card, even outside the service counter's opening hours.” Chantal Hales, French and Business

7. Graduate Employers & Careers Service “The bottom line is that Aston seems to produce Graduates more likely to demonstrate the required competencies that we demand - true all-rounders.” Clare Timothy, Unilever “The information at the Careers Service is exactly what you need when looking into jobs. It’s really helped me: I now know what to do when making applications and where I can apply” Jasbir Rai, Computing for Business

8. Placement Students “For my placement year I worked for the Metropolitan Police Service based at New Scotland Yard, London. While on placement, my duties and responsibilities varied depending on the project I was working on. I have experienced a year in a working environment with one of the largest police services in the UK. This has made me more employable than students of a similar age who have not undertaken a placement as they may not have the experience that I now possess” Dave Hornby, Business and Sociology (Combined Honours)

9. Widening Participation “The University seeks to widen participation whilst maintaining high entry standards, to perform well against its WP performance indicators and fulfil its Access Agreement, to ensure a high quality learning experience for all of its students, and to maintain its excellent employment record.” (Widening Participation Strategy 2004-2007)

10. Outreach – Teacher’s quotes “A year 5 class of ours came to the Titan Sports Olympics day on Wednesday at Aston University and had a superb time. Staff and children came back very excited and appreciative. If you are able, please pass on our thanks to all involved. It was a great day by all accounts. Is there any possibility of a similar event being run on the campus for all our key stage two classes next summer?” “The teachers and kids are very happy, the whole programme has been excellent - more please!”

11. Outreach – Student’s quotes “Student Tutoring is the one of the most fulfilling experiences I have had whilst at University and has helped me in interviews in being able to conduct myself professionally and explain my reasons for applying through the communication skills that have developed as a result. This is the second year I have taken part and will definitely be back again in my final year. This is something I think all students should do.” “The best thing about Student Tutoring is that it gives you the chance to actually make a difference, to give the student you are working with real Information about life at university and also use your knowledge of the subject to actually prove to yourself you have actually learned new skills while at Uni.”