University rating
Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
My first day in the University I wasn't completely sure if I'd fit in. Luckily my friend was in another hall and therefore I went to see her a lot in the first day. The next day freshers week started and I was overwhelmed with all the events that was happening. But soon enough I found my feet and I enjoyed joining in. My hall had a week of activities and events and it really helped me to get to know everyone. I adore my lectures and course and I strongly believe I made the correct choice going to University. There is rarely any faults and I feel like I worried and got nervous before attending for no reason. I feel incredibly safe and I could talk to anyone if I had problems. I would recommend the University to anyone. It has shaped me as a person and it's one of the most happiest time of my life.
Facilities
How good are your university's facilities?
Firstly, the library. It took me a while to work out how to find the exact books that I needed. I sooner asked and now I can find the books no problem. Most of the facilities are online. For example, I can search my book and see if its available in the library. If it's not, then you can easily request it so that your the next person to have it. Its the same with computers as well. In every building there is most likely a computer room. I have yet to discover one that does not work so I have not had any problem with computers or printing yet. The University provides most of the facilities for you and they are willing to give you the best help that that possibly can.
Student support
How good is the support offered by the uni? Think both academic (tutors/feedback) and personal (counselling, etc).
The support I get from my teachers is the best that I could possibly ask for. We are not laughed at or shamed when we ask a question in the middle of the lesson. They try their hardest to make us understand and I truly believe that they put us first. Whenever I feel like I need further information or maybe a talk with my personal tutor, I dont hesitate to drop an email. I know that I can trust the lecturers about any problem that I have. There is a lot of awareness for mental health and therefore it's not hard to find help at all. Help is offered everywhere around the University and it makes us the students feel safe and trusting.
Students' union
What do you think of your Students' Union in terms of student representation and facilities?
The student union has representatives that will organise every event that happens so that you don't have to worry. For example, there are the heads of the Student Union that organise the trips and events and then you have the mentors which will help you along the way. The student newsletter gets posted regularly so that you don't miss out on anything. The members are also incredibly kind and if you want to join something last minute, pop a message and they will try their best. Their easy to find as well as they are on the university website. They are professional and I'm happy that they are representing us as a university.
Local life
Is your university in a good location in terms of distance to accommodation and local amenities?
There are a few locations of the different type of lectures. For example I am on 'Normal Site' where lectures on Sports and Education is being held. My accommodation is about the same amount of a walk to all of the University buildings and therefore am very happy with that. The walk to my lecture is about 20 minutes but I decide to drive. By my lectures, you can see the Menai River and the border of Anglesey. It is very beautiful, especially in the summer. By the bottom of town there is a pier where you can go and overlook the whole of the River and more. Everywhere is walkable and accessible, which makes the area easy to find your feet and settle in. The university is located close to Eryri parks where you could visit Llanberis and Snowdon. On the other side there is Anglesey where there are beautiful beaches and senery which means there is plenty to do here. The location is one of the most beautiful in my opinion and everywhere is welcoming and accessable.
Societies and Sports
How would you rate the variety of societies/sports?
I would rate the variety of societies and sports incredibly high! Before attending the university, I had a look on their website where they had a long list of all societies. Everything looked good and I thought it would be a great opportunity to make some friends and try something new. In freshers week there will be a societies day where you can go around all the stalls and meet some members of the teams. This expanded my need to join even more. I chose 2 societies and I even signed up to do some volunteering work. The volunteering work was starting 3 months in and I thought I'd be forgetful but all the societies ask for your email and notify you if there is an event coming up. Anyone can join anything, for example the womens hockey team has 3 teams but all of them get the chance to play against other universities and travel. In my opinion, the societies allow you the chance to try many things and go to many places. The winter sports team travel to different countries while there is a military society that go away every 2 weeks to camp or travel for the weekend. There is something for everyone here! If you feel like going to meetings and playing tournaments and games get a bit boring after a while, our local nightclub (Academi) hosts society night every Wednesday night. Its full of different societies and sometimes the society that you are in will have a theme night. It's so much fun and its a chance to take a break from Uni work. Everyone can go into the nightclub, not just societies.
Lecturers and teaching quality
What do you like most and least about the way your course(s) are taught?
I like the way my course is taught. When I first visited my site, I went around the lecture rooms and they look like a Primary School classroom when you look at the walls. For me, this is very inspiring and it inspires many ideas for my classroom lesson ideas. The teachers teach in a fun way that makes you think. Close enough to a riddle that you want to solve which means that I am eager to understand the information or the type of teaching that they are teaching us. They treat us like one of them and makes us feel very homely instantly. The Power Point slides are usually short since they make us do activities or tasks to make us understand the learning better. All of my lecture rooms are all in one site and we get a break between every one of them. The lecturers make it as fun as possible. I think my least favourite thing is that I usually have lectures every day of the week and mostly 9-5 or half day. This leaves little space for me to do my work. Society days are on a Wednesday and unfortunately I cannot attend games since I have a lecture for half of the day.
How many contact hours per week do you have?
18
Career prospects
How does your uni make efforts to increase your employability (careers department, work placements, transferable skills)?
I'm on a course that requires you to do work placement. In all honesty it has boosted my confidence. The University picks where you go (it will be local to you or to the university) and they arrange mostly everything and therefore it's no added stress to your university experience. If the placement is 60 miles or more there and back, then the university will contribute to the cost. If you do not drive, the university will choose a placement that is close and therefore walking distance or easy to take a bus. By attending a different school (or 2) every year that I am in university, it increases my knowledge of what my job will be in the future and therefore it prepares me for the future in the best way possible. On the bangor website, you have your own account where you can record your badges and successes along your time in the university. The societies might help with this as well. Also, my lecturers always recommend a course that will help me in the future to make my application look better. For example, I'm now half way through the year and have taken a British Council course and a Language course. The exam or presentation in these courses did not take much of my time at all and I could carry on with my lectures and work as normal. To conclude, the university will do their best to give you all the help you need to secure the best for your future.