The best thing about studying at Bangor is the support from staff members, which is especially helpful as an international student. Interaction in class could be improved though.

The best part about my course is when I get to interact with my lecturer when I have a question concerning the topic we’re covering and get a helpful response.

I love studying at Bangor because it is a beautiful city. You are never far from nature such as the sea and mountains. There is also a rich history in the town to admire, and a great community available to both Welsh and English speakers. It is a place that feels as inclusive as it looks incredible. Everyone in the staff and unions at Bangor are kind and helpful. I have not needed to use their services much, but I understand them to be supportive for the many students who rely on them. There is also a stimulating social scene with plenty of free clubs and societies to join and make new friends in. I do think Bangor needs to take more initiative in keeping clean. Sometimes the facilities such as the toilets are dirty or ill-supplied, and a lot of the buildings are quite old and therefore drafty and falling apart. There is also a littering problem in the city, mostly caused by careless students. Perhaps if the Student Union started an initiative requesting improved maintenance, or someone incentivised a club to clean up the campus and town, that would be helpful.

I appreciate that classes are taught on campus, but are recorded so that they can be accessed online too. It makes it easier for students who struggle to attend live classes due to physical or mental health problems to still learn. I am also grateful that as well as an appointment system, tutors schedule specific office hours that are open for any students to walk in and see them - sometimes there is even the possibility to meet online via Teams instead. You can email your tutors freely as well, and oftentimes get responses even into the middle of the night. Tutors feel available and approachable. The only issue is that lectures and seminars themselves feel basic at times rather than stimulating or challenging, and some tutors are uninspiring and don't make efforts to engage the students. This could be improved on.

The Halls of accommodation at Bangor are neither the best nor the worst - they get the job done. The rooms are quite small with thin walls, but they provide everything you need (i.e. bed, bathroom, desk, wifi). It is also not far from the university, only about a 10-15 minute walk, and one of the supermarkets is close as well, only about a 5-10 minute walk, so it is quite a good location. The Halls site also has plenty of facilities available such as its own post office, newsagents, laundromat, and bar/restaurant, so it reduces the need to leave the village. The kitchen is quite large with plenty of fridge/cupboard space and sinks to share - but every student tends to bring a lot more than they need and fill out those spaces pretty fast, and they also don't tend to take care of their own washing and cleaning up so the kitchens tend to get into disarray quite quickly with no consequences. The staff who clean the common areas like the kitchens also don't do a great job - often they're still dirty after. There is safety on site such as a security booth and assigned key cards to access the buildings; but it doesn't negate the fact that anyone from anywhere can walk on site at any time, and potentially sneak into buildings. It would be better if the Halls had cupboards and fridge shelves assigned to certain rooms in the kitchens, so that students don't steal space from each other. It would also be appreciated if there were weekly "hygiene checks" in the kitchens by the dorm heads, and students who did not clean up after themselves could be held accountable. The staff should also do a better job of cleaning. Additionally, security guards should make rounds on site rather than stay in their booths to ensure that there are no suspicious people lurking around, and perhaps even stand guard at the entrance during certain hours of the evening to watch out for strange people trying to enter the village.