This research is a qualitative exploration of first and second year university students' experiences of feedback, specifically focused on their expectations and feelings. The data (n = 46) were collected from internal and distance-learning students in their first or second year, who are of lower socio-economic status and first in family to attend. The results suggest that students expect feedback to inform future assessments and provide sufficient explanation to help them improve. Moreover, students are also sophisticated in their use of feedback as some become more self-reflective learners using feedback rubrics to compare their assessment with the academic comments. The conclusions of this research are that students appreciate feedback when it is clear and instructive, they value the critical opinion of academics, but there are still issues of power imbalance as students may still be unwilling to contact academics if the feedback requires clarification.