OVERALL UNIVERSITY RATING
Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
If you love the outdoors and all it has to offer, Bangor University is for you. With spectacular mountains and a neighbouring national...
University rating
Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
If you love the outdoors and all it has to offer, Bangor University is for you. With spectacular mountains and a neighbouring national park to explore, as well as a whole host of completely free societies and clubs to sign up to, I can say I've never been bored at Bangor. As well as this, as a disabled student on a course which relies on many outdoor field elements, I've always felt incredibly supported throughout my three years. As an improvement, some lecturers could do with a little more training in online support - understandably at the beginning of the pandemic, most were unused to an online environment, however after nearly two years of it you'd assume they'd get used to it. Also, a few buildings (such as some of the accommodations) are old and need renovating, but aren't unusable. Overall, a very good university and one I'm glad to have attended!
Facilities
How good are your university's facilities?
Location
Institution Location
Student support
How good is the support offered by the uni? Think both academic (tutors/feedback) and personal (counselling, etc).
Campus look and feel
Institution Campus look and feel
Student life
Institution Student life
Students' union
What do you think of your Students' Union in terms of student representation and facilities?
Course rating
Course rating
On the geological oceanography course, I had expected more direct, hard geology, however this is definitely not the case. If you prefer things such as sediments then this is the right course for you, however for petrology, mining, crystallography, etc, you're better off looking elsewhere. Furthermore, whilst the majority of lecturers are a delight to have and obviously love teaching just as much as they do their own research, a few are quite obviously only there for the tenure and nothing more. This is a slight shame, but doesn't dampen the course too much. Multiple careers fairs and talks are held over the length of the course, and they've all been really well organised! The only downside is that the majority of speakers/representatives from companies are of the same demographic (white, older, male), which isn't entirely very inspiring. Finally, work placement opportunities/internships are offered within the university three times a year, and they are all paid, however the variety can be a little lacking.
Course content
Course content
Work placements and internships
Work placements and internships
Lecturers and teaching quality
What do you like most and least about the way your course(s) are taught?
Career prospects
How does your uni make efforts to increase your employability (careers department, work placements, transferable skills)?
Tutor contact time
Tutor contact time
Subject facilities
Subject facilities
University location
University location
Cost of living in Bangor is one of the lowest in the UK, with average weekly house rent at about £90 - £100; there's also plenty of low-budget supermarkets nearby, such as a Lidl and Aldi. Safety is about what is expected for a small city, with the university pushing for further safety measures throughout, and public transport is generally very good, especially between university facilities (e.g. between Bangor and Menai Bridge). Part-time work opportunities are harder to come by, with a large amount of students all looking for jobs and a very small market; I only know one person with a part-time job currently.
Cost of living
Cost of living
Public transport
Public transport
Part-time work opportunities
Part-time work opportunities
Graduate employment opportunities
Graduate employment opportunities
University halls
What do you think about the safety, condition, location and cost of your accommodation?
Bangor student accommodation is one of the cheapest in the UK. I stayed in a newer building, with an en suite in my room and a kitchen shared with 7 other people, and rent was only £130 a week. The process to apply for halls is easy and lain out fairly well, and the main 'fresher' site (Ffriddoed Village) is at the top of a decent hill, only about a 15 minute walk from the majority of uni buildings.
Room allocation
Room allocation
Internet/wifi
Internet/wifi
Value for money
Value for money
Property management
Property management
Have you stayed in your Universty's hall?
Yes