The University of Sheffield Sparkle!

We surprisingly arrived early for our day at the University of Sheffield (this was impressive for our large group!). I’ve framed the day with questions below to guide your reading. To give you a sneak peek, you should know that many NAFAns’ university tour on day 13 was especially engaging and student-centered.

How would you describe the Sheffield sparkle?

The University of Sheffield featured many appealing aspects for our students. Considering my love of nature, it’s worth mentioning it is the greenest city in the UK for the 6th year running, is referred to as the “Outdoor City,” and 1/3 of Sheffield is in the Peak District National Park. While it is only a 2-hour train ride to London, it is a more affordable city considering the cost of living is 25% less than London and 10% below the national average. The University of Sheffield prides itself on being in the top 10 in the UK for career support. In this area, they were especially unique by offering work placements and working dissertations. I’ll explain more as you read, but some other factors that contributed to the Sheffield sparkle are its facilities, Faculty of Engineering, and Librarianship programs.

What did you think of the campus?

The University of Sheffield staff divided us into groups to walk across campus, which created two mini tours. I was in Lou Loftus’ group, and she did an excellent job of highlighting campus life. We passed by pocket parks, the tram stop, the Henderson Relish original factory, the Arts Tower, Firth Court, Weston Park, and the Wave on our tour across campus. It was clear how embedded the university is in the city of Sheffield on this tour, and how easy it is for students to travel from campus to the city center.

Our group was especially excited about the Arts Tower, featuring the tallest paternoster lift in the world. Next time we are at the University of Sheffield, we hope to go for a ride!

How did the faculty feature the student experience?

NAFAns first stepped into the shoes of Civil Engineering students at the university. The Faculty of Engineering led an engaging Creative Construction Challenge. We built a structure solely out of cardboard, tape, and paper fasteners to hold a load hanger and at least 20 newtons. Many described this as their favorite activity of the tour, and our competitive sides certainly came out. While the results are contested, there are two groups who deserve a worthy mention for their solid structures. Tony, Lara, Dallas, and Ben’s structure supported 90 newtons. And Mary, Briana, Marisa, and Drew’s group held 75 newtons. If you think your students would find this active style exciting too, then they should consider the fully funded Siddall Sheffield Scholarship for Engineering.

We also saw from the perspective of Librarianship students, through a Micro-Teach on organization using Legos (see photos above). The Library and Information Management program is #1 in the world for the 6th year running. There is also a distance learning option through MA Library and Information Services Management, so if your students want to study at the University of Sheffield but stay home in the U.S., that is an option.

How did the students describe their experience?

Our student panel featured Drew studying physics, Taylor studying Librarianship, and Jennifer a Fulbrighter studying Health Economics and Decision Modeling. They shared their appreciation of the “give it a go” mentality, with the various volunteering, communities, and society (club) options. It was clear they appreciated the student union amenities. The Student Union has been ranked #1 in the UK since 2007 (using various ranking systems). They felt they are developing key skills for the workforce, and as we heard from all the students across our tour, they emphasized the self-guided and independent nature of their studies.

What did NAFAn’s like about the university?

I spoke to many members of our group who really liked the University of Sheffield and found the tour one of their favorites (myself included!). That could be because the International Recruitment team created a thoughtfully organized tour. But it is also because the students’ opinions seem valued there and there is a focus on experiential learning for employability purposes. For example, the students did not want one-use bottles sold on campus, so we all brought water bottles with us. The students also worked to change the university colors to consider color blindness. Overall, we felt the University of Sheffield has created a welcoming and engaging environment surrounded by parks for students to thrive.

We hopped on the coach at the end of our tour to Nottingham. During our two-hour bus ride, Lisa Sadler, the UK Fulbright Commission Director of Awards, held a Q&A on their award process. We were ferociously taking notes. The top tip I learned from our Q&A is to visit the UK Fulbright Commission website. There is lots of information laid out there.

With a few heartfelt early goodbyes on the bus, we arrived at our last Premier Inn of the tour in Nottingham (the home of Robin Hood!) and many of us went for a pint and bite at the Ye Olde’ Trip to Jerusalem, the oldest Inn in England. Day 13 was filled with Sheffield Sparkle and especially helpful information about the Fulbright process from the amazing UK Fulbright Commission team!

Dara Carney-Nedelman (she/her)
Assistant Director, Nationally Competitive and Experiential Learning Scholarships
Appalachian State University