This Uni is very good for commuting in and out of. It’s location of Cambridge is amazing, with lots of shopping and local community events - especially for course! However, as a student with autism I found accessing help and wellbeing very difficult and not very intuitive when I was struggling at the start of the term. They were fully booked and I could not access anyone for other a month so have since given up. Yet, the Uni building itself is very clean and a comfortable environment to walk around in. Toilets are well kept and clean - and the three dining areas on campus have recently been revamped and give the feeling of staying in a fancy indie cafe. Lots of plants and pretty fairy lights. And, whilst I commute in, a have had a chance to briefly review the on-campus student accommodation through a friend of mine. It’s very clean and quite spacious. Though, he had been put on the lower floor that was designed more for wheelchair bound students. So he may have had the advantage there with space. ARU is a good university. But a big one. You will likely make close friends and form a community within your courses department (in my case, Games Desgin). But it’s hard to find a community beyond that. Especially if you are travelling in and out.

The lectures I have are very nice and kind., and create a fun and enjoyable environment to discus games and the industry. With many helpful tips going forwards with my career (Well, if you like working for a major AAA company who specialises 3D - I must add. This course does not touch on 2D game design or getting you to become an indie.) They are also very easy to get in contact with at pretty much any time of the day. Our course uses a discord sever for lectures and announcements. Way better than teams or zoom ever could be! This means the lectures are always very easy to contact - even on weekends, if you have an issue. Also, as someone with social anxiety, I think the work-life balance is perfect. We have two in-person days, and then 2, one hour lectures online each week. There are no exams. Only coursework to be completed by the end of each term - and some group activities. Which, were admittedly very fun and well organised! However, when it comes to getting actual study support (essay wise) I have not been given the best of advice by them, and have instead had to turn to my DSA support tutor instead. They are very helpful with practical work however, and I suspect that’s their strong suit.

Cambridge is a great place to shop and explore. There is lots of good food to be found here, and some great geeky shops just by the Uni. There is lots of pretty parkland, and the river area is just delightful. Alongside the inner city being filled with lots of fancy shops, bakeries and a amazing hot chocolate place called Knoops, I take my friends too. And a great donut place called Crosstown (which if you are from London, you may be familiar with!) And it’s very easy to commute into - be it from London or across East Angelia (Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and the Rest of Cambridgeshire). The train station area is great and the walk down to the Uni really isn’t too bad! However… the city has some major problems when it comes to beggars and somewhat scammy charities targeting students. Partially for a short, younger looking woman like myself, I constantly get hassled for looking vulnerable. Be advised, don’t where your Uni ID when you put in the town, as it paints a target on your back for these people.

No

It feels like a very safe place to be in with excellent diversity. The main issue that comes to mind is the lack of ways more quiet and introverted people can engage with things like the student union, other students outside their respective courses and recreational student clubs.

The important focus regarding the course content is the comparison between what's expected of us and what's appropriate for our current skill level, such as creating a train information system whilst learning C++ compared to creating a probability based text game while learning C#.

No