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I like how Cardiff Uni’s campus is so close together and easily accessible. The Students Union is modern, sells affordable food and drink, and has lots of fun events on. Cardiff Uni has the prestigious status of being a Russell Group uni without being boring or old-fashioned. My main criticism, however, is how difficult it is to get student support from the different administrative offices on campus. For instance, the Disability Service takes a long time to respond, and the Vice-Chancellor’s office tend to make poor decisions about new uni policies without consulting students first.

I really enjoyed my course, even through the pandemic years. The quality of content did not significantly diminish when everything was being taught online, and all of the lecturers are very responsive and helpful. The module selection is varied and interesting, and exams are usually all online. The only downside is that some lecturers will refuse to record lectures/make changes to make their lectures more accessible to students (with disabilities/mental health issues etc.) out of pure spite and ego (i.e thinking they know better, not wanting to share their ‘intellectual property’) which can be upsetting and exclusionary.

Cathays in Cardiff is unfortunately not free of crime. Lots of cars get broken into, and sometimes things get stolen from back gardens. This has never personally happened to me, but I’ve seen my fair share of broken car windows on the way to lectures. The housing options are okay. There are lots of options, but ensuring the quality of a house can be tricky. They are fairly affordable though - usually no more than £400 per person per month. Everything is very close together in Cathays which is nice. You don’t really need a car as the city itself is walkable. There are pubs, shops, restaurants and cafes everywhere, and it’s very social.

I was placed in Taly Court House 3 in my first year of uni. I had a fairly spacious single room and an en-suite bathroom. The kitchen was also spacious, and had a seating area for socialising. However, I found that it was decorated in quite a ‘clinical’ way and never really felt homely. The accommodation is near lots of amenities such as a Tesco, Lidl, Post Office and the main student area of Cathays. It’s a bit of a walk from the city centre though. There were frequent problems with the Eduroam wifi, but this is the same across the whole campus and not specific to the accommodation. The reception staff are helpful and collecting post is easy and secure. I was placed on the ground floor, which meant that my privacy was compromised as a public walkway was right next to my window. However, it was very quiet and I didn’t ever find anything disruptive about living at Taly Court.