Students who started their studies at Xamk last autumn are satisfied with their studies according to the results of the arrival survey conducted in November and December of 2023. According to the feedback, cooperation within the study groups and with staff is one of Xamk’s strengths. Students also consider the study opportunities offered by Xamk to be attractive, and student tutoring has helped them start their studies well.
Studies have started well
Of Bachelor’s degree students, 79% responded “very well” or “somewhat well” to the statement “I feel that my studies have started well”, and for Master’s degree students, the figure was even higher at 88%.
Many students reported that studies have progressed well. The feedback included appreciation for the clear orientation and instructions, as well as for the excellent teachers and the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Initially, the students had many questions, which, however, got cleared up over time. Students expressed a desire for improved communication regarding the start of their studies and the planned orientation weeks. Some were concerned about the number of tasks and challenges in scheduling generally. Master’s degree students felt their thesis work started a bit quickly, and there was a desire for more support and clarity in the study structures and work-related cooperation.
Studies are progressing well, and cooperation with study groups and staff is smooth
Master’s degree students, in particular, feel that they have sufficient study skills for their studies. Of the respondents, 91% responded ”very well” or ”somewhat well” to the statement “My study skills are sufficient for higher education studies”. Correspondingly, the figure was 73% for Bachelor’s degree students.
Students are generally satisfied with Xamk’s study guidance, but some feel the need for more support, especially regarding Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Students feel the cooperation with student groups and staff is going very well.
Cooperation with the staff has been smooth for bachelor’s degree students, as 88% of them responded “very well” or “somewhat well”, and the same is true for master’s degree students, of which 91 % responded “very well” or “somewhat well”. Cooperation within the study groups has been very smooth for Bachelor’s degree students, as 84% of them responded “very well” or “somewhat well”, and the same is true for Master’s degree students, of which 91% responded “very well” or “somewhat well”.
The willingness to recommend (NPS) Master’s degree programmes is excellent
Particularly, Master’s degree students consider their degree programme to be of high quality and would recommend the degree programme to others. In over half of Xamk’s Master’s degree programmes, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) was 53-71, indicating an excellent recommendation.
According to feedback, students especially value high-quality, flexible, and practical teaching, a strong connection to working life and the functionality of online studies. Students have positive experiences of applying their studies in practice, the teachers are inspiring, and it is possible to customise your own study path. Online study while working is possible, and education is versatile.
Student tutoring received positive feedback and was helpful at the beginning of their studies
One-third of Bachelor’s degree students utilised tutoring. Regarding the statement “Student tutoring has helped me,” 85% of respondents strongly agreed or somewhat agreed. Overall, students are highly satisfied with tutoring and hope that it continues. Tutors were praised for their helpfulness and understanding. Many students felt they received the necessary assistance at the start of their studies. Suggestions for improvement included enhancing communication clarity and maintaining continuous tutor engagement.
Xamk offers interesting study opportunities and high-quality teaching
In brand-related questions, Xamk received praise for providing interesting study opportunities, but the campus cities were not considered particularly appealing.
The statement “Xamk offers attractive study opportunities” received “very well” or “somewhat well” responses from 85% of Bachelor’s degree students and 82% of Master’s degree students.
Another statement that received a good rating from Master’s degree students was “Xamk offers a high standard of teaching,” with 80% of the respondents feeling this statement reflects their opinion “very well” or “somewhat well”.
The statement that received the lowest rating in the entire survey was “The campus city is appealing”. The median response to this statement was 3. This statement has the most variation in degree programmes.
According to students, Xamk is best described as versatile, inspiring, good, high quality, nice, functional and modern.
Arrival survey in brief
The arrival survey was open from November to December for students who started their studies in autumn. A total of 1,530 students responded to the survey; the response rate was 51 per cent.
The survey was renewed for Spring 2023, and this autumn was the second time it has been carried out.
The survey collects information about
- starting of studies;
- study guidance and progress;
- student tutoring;
- communication forums related to studies;
- likelihood to recommend;
- Xamk’s brand.
All degree students and open study path students respond to the arrival survey during their first semester. The survey is conducted anonymously.
The response options were: 5 = very well, 4 = somewhat well, 3 = neither poorly nor well, 2 = somewhat poorly, 1 = very poorly, as well as “I cannot say”, which was not included when calculating the mean responses.