It is a big change from colege/ sixth form and I'm still struggling with the amount of independent study we have to do. But overall Swansea is a good university my course is very interesting and the lectures are there to help you.

Good, I'm very happy there is a zero waste shop and water refill stations.

My dissertation supervisor is good with feedback and advise however, my tutor is very repetitive and when asked a question goes off on a tangent.

They email the students regularly keeping us up to date on new information.

When you're at uni you need to take the bus into town to go shopping however, the campus has a costcutter if you needed something quickly.

There is a whole range of societies that al have their own socials.

The communication amongst the lecturers that teach a single module together is lacking.

7

In year 3 with have scheduled sessions talking about employability and next steps.

Location-right by the sea About 20 minute walk from uni and close to a bus stop. I think it's overpriced with all the repairs it needs.

There is a good variety of nightlife, sports clubs and societies, and other things to do. For marine biologists there is a great diving club that can provide training for scuba qualifications which you can use in the final year abroad trip. With the location theres so many options for getting outdoors from wild swimming, climbing, to surfing. However the university boasts about being an inclusive and diverse safe space but have now twice ignored the safety concerns for trans students by hosting TERFs to give their talks on campus, completely ignoring their staff, students, and SU that petitioned, protested against these events. Trans students had their social media profiles doxxed by the organisers of these talks and the university higher management did nothing. Swansea isn't the most queer friendly city, its generally safe however there isn't any truly queer spaces (theres a drag bar but its mainly frequented by locals and gay friends of mine have been made to feel very uncomfortable by older women here). There is a good LGBTQ+ society and staff network at the university that liase with the SU and do do really good work, but it's not the same as studying somewhere like London, or Brighton, Cardiff or really any other bigger UK cities. There is a useful disability support team in the faculty of science and engineering atleast but there are still lecturers that can create issues around required adjustments however most staff are very accepting and helpful. Whilst the university promotes itself as having lots of options for study abroad year when it comes to it the options are actually very limited. I know that for bioscience and pyschology the staff that organise this try to be helpful but commincation is vague and late, the information on finacial support is very limited given how expensive these can be, and so is the help regarding securing accomodation. My friend that is currently doing hers in Germany didn't manage to sort accom until two weeks after she arrived and had to stay in a hotel - the university was pretty much useless in helping. Overall the actual lectures and lower level staff like in the SU are generally really nice, informed and want to help students as much as they can. The marine biology department has a lot of great facilities and opportunities to development relevant skills for this field. The location and variety of studnet groups means that theres a great variety of things to do outside of your studies. However university higher management don't meaningfully care about their staff or students and will proiritise money over the quality of education they provide, which means there is on going issues.

For Marine Biology having access to our own research vessel during related modules, field trips to the Gower, and research facilities like the CAESAR lab is amazing. Generally my experiences with staff and lectures have been overwhelmingly positive, they are enthuastic and eager to help students that take an interest. The student rep and module feedback system shows that key staff take student feedback seriously and want to improve our experience. The option to do a year out in applied research and help with research within the university and its partners is a great opportunity to gain really useful skills for going into academia and conservation. For experiences like this and year in industry, work experience, volunteering, internships etc the employability team is an amazing resource who freely offer lots of help finding and being selected for these positions - their 1:1 sessions for CVs and applications are game changing. Contact hours are generally good and lectures make sure to have usable office hours to help with assignments. Generally they reply to emails quickly and helpfully.

Very affordable cost of living in comparison to most places in England eg my second year rent is £390 bills included a month (+£15 a month for wifi). This is on the lower end for here but still most people I know's are lower than friends studying elsewhere. Safety during term time is generally good but make sure you lock your front doors as like most student areas there are opportunist break ins when people leave them unlocked. During university breaks, especially summer, its less safe especially in town due to more people under the influence of drugs on the streets during the evening and night that can unfortunatley be unpredictable. The university do offer a lot of part time jobs in stores and facilties on campus as well as as student ambassafors which pays fairly welll at over £10 an hour. other employers like pubs, cafes, shops can be less reasonable about flexible work and fair pay but with lots of them out their they are good options too. Buses are improving but still inconsistent and unreliable causing lots of issues for students but when they work they are a great way to get around the city. Santander bikes are also a useful transport options with lots of banks for them around the main town area.

I paid £153 a week in first year to stay in Horton on Singleton Campus. I was orginally assigned to Cefn Bryn but requested a transfer to Horton on the day this was orginally assigned and got confirmation of the move two weeks later so I suggest putting in a request ASAP if you don't get assigned accomodation you like. A lot of people that study at Singleton were given accom on Bay and with serius issues with the buses it made it very hard for them to attend lectures and labs etc. There is a severe shortage of afforadable accomodation near singleton campus for first years now that they have close HSV (the afforable student village) and the university is pushing for even first year students to move into private group accomation in town which is not affordable like HSV and not the same experience as being on campus. The cost cutter on campus is expsenive so only really usable for grabbing things last minute if you can't go into town or order online from the two big supermarkets. Cheaper options on campus like Cefn Bryn are more affordable but cramped and sevelry outdated. Security was generlaly good and cleaners did do a good job. Being next to Singleton Park is lovely and I recomend visiting the botanical gardens to relax and picnic.