PhD in Health and Wellbeing

Plymouth Marjon University

Very inclusive and social atmosphere where everyone is welcome and staff are always helpful. Sports societies are excellent and well run by students

I have really enjoyed my time at Marjon. I have always felt supported, my lecturers have been so helpful, the course is engaging and there’s a nice balance between lectures and independent study. There is a good variety of assignments that are engaging and suited to different preferences of learning. The campus is lovely and spacious - for a small university it is not overcrowded. There are good facilities but it lacks in food options at break times. Overall, Marjon is an amazing university and I have loved my time there.

My experience at University of St Mark & St John (Marjon) has been mixed. The Marjon Sports Centre offers great facilities. The gym is small but well-equipped, although a noticeable amount of equipment is often out of order. The wider sports centre and swimming pool are also good. Most of the main campus feels modern, but some buildings appear cheaply constructed and are already showing signs of damage. Cleanliness across campus is poor — floors are often dirty and rubbish is frequently left on tables. There are many places to study, and the library is excellent. It offers plenty of space, chairs, and desks, and the top floor provides fantastic views, making it a great environment to work in. Staff are generally friendly, and there is a genuine sense of community at Marjon. Many staff take the time to get to know you as a person rather than treating you as just another number. Student support services are caring and well-intentioned but extremely limited. I struggled with my mental health during my university journey, and while the support I received was compassionate, the team can only offer guidance and referrals to specialist services. They are very small, mostly operate by appointment, and have limited drop-in availability. There is no crisis support, no in-house mental health practitioner, and few staff are trained in mental health first aid. The team appears overworked, stressed, and under-resourced. There is support available for students with disabilities, but again it is limited. There are many ideas discussed but little implementation in practice, which is disappointing. Accessibility for people with physical disabilities is poor, and despite student campaigns, there has been little meaningful change during my four years at the university.

I love how much nature there is around, the wild life. I have been to student support and they have been so helpful and lovely people. I’m also in the counselling team for support and they managed to gat me in fast even with the waiting list being regular. My lectures are very supportive with lessons that really allow us to engage. We get to decide what rooms we would like to be in to increase our academic performance. All the facilities are clean and looked after as well

It's a small university which means smaller classroom and more personalised support with assignments. Improvements could be made for social support.