Support during your studies
Study Resources
The University Library
The University’s central learning resource is based in the Pilkington Library which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Library aims to provide a complete range of services to support and enhance student learning, including:
- 8,000m2 of space with around 700,000 volumes, videos and microfilm
- over 200 databases and 21,000 electronic journals
- 900 study spaces, wireless networking and 140 PCs
- staffed enquiry points and an email enquiry service
- courses in study skills and information handling
- online reading lists
- 24/7 opening during revision and exam periods
- self-service units for borrowing and returning library books
The Library has over 80 staff to help you. We place great emphasis on providing a complete information and enquiry service, not only answering your questions but also teaching you how to make the best possible use of the wide range of resources available.
As well as many individual quiet study areas, Open3 provides a flexible study space with PCs, tables, chairs and whiteboards - ideal for group works. The carrels and group study rooms are pre-bookable, and the building also has a popular coffee bar and stationery shop.
IT Services
The University provides a wide range of IT services for students, including software tools, online learning and teaching facilities, Internet and email access, all of which are accessible off campus.
IT Services offer guidance and training for our services as well as IT skills from word processing for essay writing to creating graphs and charts. Online training materials are also available, so you can learn at your own pace.
Our facilities include open-access computer suites across campus which:
- are usually open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- contain workstations for e-mail and web-based services
- support a range of software including the Microsoft Office and Adobe Premium suites
- have industry-standard applications, and learning/teaching software
Our flagship lab facility is built on 24” iMac hardware, allowing you to use Windows, MacOS, or Linux. Specialist IT facilities within teaching departments provide additional industry-standard hardware and software.
Your first port of call is likely to be the PC Clinic, located on the ground floor of the Haslegrave building, where you can receive free checks and advice on your personal computer and find out about our services. Additionally our IT Service Desk is available via phone and e-mail.
Our wireless network, eduroam, is compatible with many universities around the world, and is complemented by our high capacity network, providing access from over 10,000 locations on campus, including study bedrooms in all University halls of residence.
The Hall Network Service, HallNet, also provides students who have their own computers access to the University network and the Internet.
Careers and Employability Centre
The Careers and Employability Centre (CEC) provides a wide range of services for all postgraduates. Our resources, tailored to help you to expand your skills and prepare for your next careers-related move, include:
- advisers with experience in working with postgraduates, offering a range of workshops on topics such as career planning and management, writing effective CVs and preparing for a variety of interviews in both academia and in the public and commercial sectors
- bespoke employer events for postgraduate students
- individual career consultations
- ready access to quick advice appointments
- an annual career management skills programme, with extensive employer input which provides the opportunity for students to enhance their job seeking techniques and leads to the award of an employer-endorsed certificate
- a dedicated website for postgraduates
- a vacancy database with over 2,000 vacancies targeted at Loughborough students and graduates
- annual recruitment fairs, which are among the largest in the East Midlands
- an extensive programme of employer presentations in both the autumn and spring terms
- access to the CEC’s alumni career contacts database
Our graduates are very highly regarded by employers, and the High Fliers’ Graduate Market 2012 review listed us as the 14th most targeted university by employers.
Further details on where our graduates are employed can be found on our website.
Mathematics Learning Support Centre
We have two Mathematics Learning Support Centres on campus. They form part of the Mathematics Support Service that won the Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Support for Students in 2011.
The Centres are quiet, relaxed study spaces which offer non-critical help and support, from experienced mathematics and statistics lecturers, to students who are struggling, as well as those who simply want to improve their mathematical knowledge and skills.
Students can take advantage of:
- two superb resource centres with private and group study areas
- mathematics drop-in sessions, available 30 hours per week
- statistics drop-in sessions, available 10 hours per week
- extensive print and computer-based resources
- Eureka Centre for Mathematical Confidence
- workshops on calculator use and employers’ numeracy tests
- free statistics advisory service by appointment