In the spotlight: student experience

ICE was delighted to welcome Dr Holly Tilbrook as interim Assistant Director of Student Experience at the end of 2020. Having studied a number of courses at the Institute since 2015, Holly brings a wealth of insight into student life at ICE. Here, Holly tells us how she’s determined ICE will continue to be an open and supportive place to learn, whether that’s online or in the classroom.

Learning for life

I knew about ICE since I was a child – my uncle used to study here. When I started working for the University of Cambridge, one of my roles in education policy gave me a close relationship with the Institute. I’d come to Madingley Hall about once a month and liked what I saw.

But I really got a student’s perspective when I began studying here myself. My first course was a short course in creative writing, and that turned out to be the first of many: I completed an undergraduate certificate and diploma in creative writing too. My father had recently passed away, and I wanted to tell his story to my very young children in a way that did it justice. I loved the courses. Later, when I was thinking about my professional development, I came back to study coaching.

Studying is a great confidence booster and builds so many valuable skills. I was nervous at first – it’d been a long time since anyone had asked me to write an essay! But it helped me understand what it’s like to be a part-time student, juggling the many responsibilities of life, like childcare and work, while finding time to study. I’ve always been surrounded by lifelong learning, though, so I know that you don’t give up discovery when you’re 16 or 21.

Fairness and friendship, online and offline

One of my priorities is to ensure the best possible experience for all our students. The last year has presented new challenges and opportunities as more people than ever join us to study from kitchens, bedrooms and dining tables around the world. ICE is well-known for its peer-learning community, so it’s important that we continue to create that sense of cohort for students spread far and wide. Fortunately, we have a long-established virtual learning environment to build upon. 

In our digital world, not everyone can always be online at the same time. So I’m keen to enable similarly valuable experiences for those who join sessions live as well as those who access learning at different times. We need materials to be as enriching whenever they’re accessed.

Providing a positive experience isn’t solely about academic support – we have a role to play in building confidence and resilience too. We’ve enhanced our study skills programmes and run events like lunchtime talks to stimulate thinking. Wellbeing workshops have also been held each term. Our students are part of an educational community that goes beyond the course and brings people from different backgrounds together. 

Listening and learning

Of course, creating the best environment for students also means being good listeners. We love hearing from our students, so we have several feedback channels in place for them to get involved, including our student representatives who pass on ideas. It’s important we have that dialogue and listen to students’ voices to achieve the best experience for all.

To anyone considering returning to study after a long break and feeling a little nervous at the prospect, my advice is to remind yourself of your motivation for wanting to study in the first place. What is it that you want to achieve? Is it to take the next step in your career, to follow a long-forgotten passion or to discover that spark that helps you grow as a person? One of the beauties of ICE is that it provides so many different opportunities to learn to so many different people, and we are here to support your student journey. As humans, we’re never too old and never too under- or over-qualified to learn something new.

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This article was originally published in our Long-Vacation - Michaelmas 2021 issue of Inside ICE.