The University of Portsmouth has become a second home to me. After 5 years of studying, The city and campus feels more like home to me than my 'home-home'. Staff are friendly, personable, experienced and respected in their fields, and willing to help. The more you put into being a proactive and studious student, the more you tend to get out of the experience. The city itself is the perfect blend of big city living and seaside comforts. The nightlife is always bustling and there are always new people to meet and get to know. The more you get to know Portsmouth, the more facilities, venues, and activities you find. If you look hard enough, you'll never run out of new and unexpected places to find tucked away under your nose! I will say that during Covid, I found that the support could be particularly lacking especially if you were particularly mentally affected by the situation or struggled to focus with the more virtual circumstances with little to no attempt to reach out from the University. Again, I do feel that the more proactive you are as a student, the more you get out of the experience and visa versa. Since the Covid pandemic, the University has started to expand and grow further with the installation of a new gym and facilities and plans for newbuilds in years to come. The building my course was largely taught in is theoretically supposed to be updated in the next few years, but this may not be for some time. Ultimately, I would absolutely recommend the University of Portsmouth to anyone of any age or background, especially if they have a real drive to succeed as a student. The University may have its flaws in a few places, but so do all. I would suggest that enrolling at The University of Portsmouth is one of the best choices a prospective student could make!

It is definitely better studying physically as opposed to virtually, so if you want to get the most out of your studies as well as the student experience, I would highly recommend attending in person if at all possible. The subject content was largely engaging and informative and looking back, the vast majority subjects I didn't enjoy as much were most definitely down to personal taste as opposed to a genuine problem with the subject. Different lecturers will teach in different ways and so it is important to prepare for a variety of teaching styles, some which will be more or less formal than others. You may come away with more notes from some lectures than others. For instance, some will large involve copying board or projector notes, whilst others may be more verbal or physically/practically taught. I personally found that the majority of the lecturers were very good with disseminating knowledge and created a friendly environment in which to learn. Expect a good laugh from time to time! I found that in the few instances we had lecturers that students seemed to struggle with, the lecturer usually only taught a couple of classes or moved on pretty quickly after complaints were raised, so it definitely seems that the University knows when a class is or isn't compatible with a lecturer and visa versa and ensures that the students are satisfied. It is very dependent on the lecturer, but it is definitely worth nothing that some may be far easier to contact or meet with regularly than others. Especially if the lecturer is particularly preoccupied with other assignments and work commitments. Student emails may in some cases go unanswered for several months! The University is clearly not in favour of this and if alerted to the situation, will ensure that contact is made. Unless the student makes the University aware however, an issue like this may persist.

By far, the worst factor would have to be the pricing. It was expensive when I started, got more expensive before I left, and now with the cost of living crisis, I can only imagine what it must be like to keep up with the bills. I moved out of halls simply because I could no longer afford it. The staff are lovely and the facilities fantastic, however it is the students that let it down by damaging furniture and walls or breaking lifts on drunken nights out. That said, I have had some lovely and really friendly roommates and neighbors since living there that it has been a pleasure to know. As with anywhere, I think your experience is affected by the people you meet and like anywhere you may get on with the people there or not.

The University of Portsmouth is a well-regarded institution with strong teaching quality and a supportive learning environment. Its coastal location offers a calm setting for study, and the cost of living is more affordable compared to many UK cities. it provides solid academic programmes, helpful staff, and good opportunities for student development.

My course was delivered through a mix of in-class and online sessions. Each online class lasted about an hour, and in class sessions allowed hands-on guidance. Since it was research-based, most of the work was independent, but lecturers were always available to provide support and advice when needed

Portsmouth is a great city for students. It’s safe, affordable, and easy to get around. There are plenty of cafes, shops, and student-friendly activities, plus the seaside and parks make it a relaxing place to study and live.