Sustainability degrees in All England

I am a mature distance learning student, completing my MA in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. The online platform is easy to use and the digital library is expansive. All staff have been easy to contact when I need any support, including IT, Finance, Admin, my personal tutor and teaching staff. I have been assigned a mentor to help me stay connected with university life and the Philosophy department. The modules are contemporary, as are the course materials. The student cohort is diverse and we all connect to the course flexibly, from different time zones. I receive a weekly events newsletter which has plenty of options for attending online webinars and socials.

The place is great, and the staff really care and are very helpful. The university however lied about the course being properly funded and it was cut within three months of getting here. I am still on my course but the staff has been hollowed out- flexible combined honours. They cut a load of the language staff over the summer too

Beautiful campus, lots of hands on experience, lecturers that are happy to answer questions and provide additional support The social nights can feel quite rowdy if you arent involved, but the SU does offer quieter evening events as well Access to all shopping essentials on campus, with three cafes that all serve great coffee. For larger shops, the best way to get to town is the shuttlebus, which is becoming more frequent over time, and is only £2 per day

The University has lots of resources and study spaces. I love the fact that I can borrow a laptop for 24hours. There is a lot of student support in terms of CV writing and also academic support via mentors.

The student union at our University is amazing and very helpful, the social life is great too and both the SU and University have several events on throughout the week meaning there is something to do everyday. The accomodation on campus is lovely too and there are so many different options to suit different preferences, everybody I have met has loved their accomodation regardless of where they’re staying. I would say that some parts of campus are fairly rundown, a lot of main buildings are big square concrete buildings and so after time they discolour and look a bit worse for wear, some newer buildings like the Business School are absolutely gorgeous but I do find the majority of spaces could do with some refreshing. Additionally, the Albert Sloman library claims to be open 24 hours but that’s only true for I believe 4 out of 7 days which can make last minute work slightly difficult at times. The thing I would like to see improved the most at my University is the selection of cafes and restaurants. I find this to be the worst aspect of the uni because most of these places serve food that is either very unhealthy (I.e. fast fried food, pastries, pizzas etc) and honestly not all that appetising. When I compare it some of the campus food and drink facilities of other universities, they all seem to be very modern, on trend, healthy etc. and I think that Essex lacks that in some areas.

Best aspects of the uni experience are definitely the people I have had the chance to meet along the way! And uni halls was definitely an interesting and out there experience. Meeting up with course mates has been great as well and the general banter of uni. Worst aspects for me personally are nights out! That is me though, since I release for many people it can be one of their favourite things, but me personally I feel the atmosphere of being in an area where people are out of it and theres loud music blaring through your ears while people are shoving through is not exactly my cup of tea!