Are the universities meeting expectations?

Ms Harris, aged 20, said her three-year English degree at the prestigious university was not challenging enough.

"Overall, my experience of the teaching at Bristol didn't live up to my expectations. Some of the lectures were inaudible and tutorials were boring and uninspiring," Ms Harris said this week.

She left Bristol University in Easter this year, disillusioned with the course.

But some students feel Ms Harris might be missing the point of university, which traditionally provides young people with their first taste of independence and the importance of self-organisation.

Bristol University has defended its course, saying their English students were encouraged to develop their organisation skills and ability to study unsupervised.

And Rosie Luff, daughter of Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff, and a first year English Literature student at University College London, agreed.

"When I read what Liz Harris had said in the paper it made me really cross," she said. "University is not supposed to be like school. You are given guidance and are expected to do the work in your own time.

"Part of the challenge is organising yourself."

Rosie, 19, said the UCL and Bristol degree programmes were very similar - she had eight hours of lectures and seminars scheduled a week, and students were expected to tackle a long reading list of academic studies. She gained entry to UCL after achieving two A grades and a B at Alice Ottley School, Worcester.

The only complaint she had about her experience of university was that it appeared one of her lecturers didn't like teaching Wordsworth. So Rosie herself made her own plans to talk to a tutor who could shed more light on the poet.

Ceri Tallett, 23, of Battenhall, Worcester, completed her English degree at Sheffield in 2002.

Although she said her time at university had been well spent, she, like Ms Harris, had some issues with the quality of teaching.

"All my tutors were excellent but when it came to exams, tutors were unwilling to give us past papers so we could improve. I got the impression we were sometimes a nuisance," she said.

"I understand that lecturers have to spend a lot of time studying, but they should remember they are employed by the university to educate students.

"Students have become consumers paying for their education. Teaching staff should be more aware they have a duty to provide a service."

Ceri's comments chime with the appraisal of Laura Spence, the student at the centre of the row over university admissions four years ago.

Ms Spence has spoken about her experience of the "Liberal Arts" American system. The system provides students with a broader education, as well as depth in their chosen subject - a quality lacking in British courses, she said.

The £37,000 biochemistry course at Harvard had left her "substantially more well rounded, confident and better prepared," to pursue a career in medicine.

When Magdalen College, Oxford refused to offer the state-educated Tynesider a place to study medicine, she applied for a scholarship in the States.

She has urged students to look outside the UK at places to study.

"While at first glance tuition fees may seem astronomically prohibitive, there are many forms of financial aid available."

Meanwhile, British institutions are looking to attract international students.

This month, University College Worcester lecturer Lorraine Gaytten is travelling to Hong Kong for the annual A-level clearing fair.

She says British universities recognise the importance of attracting international students to forge business links and create a more multicultural atmosphere.

"The financial incentive is just one of the reasons universities are looking to attract more foreign students."

University College fees for a full-time international student can be as high as £6,900, compared with the present £1,150, for British students.

Registrar at UCW, John Ryan said measures were in place to constantly improve the quality of education, and ensure channels were open for students to air their grievances.

"Our first priority is to provide a good quality of teaching, and we have a number of mechanisms in place to ensure it is delivered.

"Strategic plans to enhance teaching, and checks to ensure new members of staff are at the appropriate level are employed by the college to maintain standards.

"We also have a learning and teaching centre where our staffs' skills are developed.

"Every year, each lecturer has a colleague sit in on a session and gauge student interest."

The observer provides direct feedback and helpful comments to the examined lecturer, Mr Ryan said.

"There are further checks in place, and students can approach members of staff as well as their personal tutor to resolve teaching problems."

He added: "Sometimes the problem is not with teaching, but the expectations of the student did not match the course.

"At our college, the personal tutor system which we employ would examine all the options with the student. The possibility of transferring to another course is an option that could be discussed."

Did he think Liz Harris' grievances should have remained out of the public eye?

"In our experience these sorts of issues are best resolved at an informal level.

"However, if a student become so exasperated with the situation, the facility to speak out should be available to the student," he said.