I’ve been here for only a week but I think it’s great. Many events are held each week

Great

The course is very gruelling but you would expect as much from a language degree. I don’t doubt that I’ll teach a high level by the time I graduate. The lecturers are all very passionate individuals and it’s really nice to be able to learn from them. They’re also incredibly helpful, give very precise feedback and most homework is optional to give you a good chance to practice but without the pressure if you’re unable to at some point. All of the facilities on campus are great, nice cafes and rest areas, a very big library and even a Japanese roof garden. Sometimes the loos are a little hard to find though and the lifts could be bigger, there can be quite the queue at times. It’s in the heart of central London so no complaints for location, my accommodation is a 10 minute walk away and there is a tube station very close for those who live further out. There are also plenty of parks, shops and places to eat in the area. For student support, there is a whole network of student representatives to help you find the support you need. The disabilities team is very good and the student wellbeing team communicates in a very timely manner and can be very helpful. The academic advisors also seem very helpful in supporting you academically, though I can’t say for certain as I am only in my first year. The campus itself is very nice from the outside, the buildings look a little too modern for my tastes but the walkway between them with the banners is very pretty in my opinion and it’s quite nice to look at. There’s also a farmers market on campus every Thursday which is a joy to walk through. Inside the buildings it also looks quite modern, but every building has its own little areas that are quite nice to spend time in, like the lower ground cafe area in Paul Webly Building. As for student life, I am a little biased. There are a lot of different societies so plenty of variety. Most socials are organised during my lectures, however, so I haven’t been able to participate much. Sports is often in the late afternoon/evenings but I’m not much for athletics. I’d say the quality of student life depends on your timetable since there’s a society for everyone, it just comes down to scheduling conflicts. The Students Union is quite good though, they organised a lot of events during freshers week and I believe they still organise some now, though less frequently. Their officers seem very dedicated to their jobs, though they could take student feedback more often/more outright.

I do a language course so tutorials are very important. The course is fully in person which is great, with 8 hours of language classes a week. In the first year, I also have 2 lectures a term with a tutorial each, making 12 contact hours total. The teachers and lecturers are all very enthusiastic and dedicated to their jobs so it’s a pleasure to learn from them. They’re also very helpful and give very detailed feedback and upload all of their course materials online. The course has plenty of optional modules after the first year as well as open modules so you can really tailor the degree to suit your needs and cover any area of the subject that you want, like translation, folklore, history, cinema or even something completely different like law or a second language. There is a dedicated careers team to help you find internships and work placements, as well as to find a job after your studies. They have links all over the world so you could end up anywhere you’d like. Overall, whilst it is a lot of work, I don’t doubt that I’ll receive a well rounded education that will greatly serve me in the future.

The university is in London which is a great place for students. Cost of living is quite high because of accommodation but if you budget food cost should be manageable. There are plenty of cheap places to go out to eat as well and lots of cheap entertainment. It’s not the safest city but the area the university is in is quite safe and quiet, other than the occasional phone theft. There is lots of public transport, the tube, buses, trains and rentable bikes. I haven’t really looked for part time work as the university has opportunities, but I can’t imagine positions are scarce. There are also plenty of employment opportunities after graduation since it is London and many companies are based here. It’s also very diverse, most of the people at my uni are south asian or middle eastern and the people living in my area are mostly east asian or french.

The location couldn’t be better, it’s very close to the university (10 minute walk) and to King’s Cross Station. It’s located in Bloomsbury, so everything you could possibly need is within walking distance and there is plenty of things to do there without even needing to take the tube. It’s a very safe hall as well with 24/7 security at the desk, a card swipe to enter the building after 11 pm, another card swipe that is always required to get past the security, then if you’re in a townhouse like myself another card swipe to enter the house, then a final card swipe to enter your room. The cards are unmarked as well so stealing your card does not give them access to your room as it does not give hall name, room type or room number. Rooms are allocated on a first come first serve basis where you give a list of ranked choices and they choose a room for you based on that. If you stayed in the hall the year before, you also get priority reregistration and the option to choose one of your flatmates. The internet is really good but sometimes malfunctions which is difficult as signal and data do not reach the rooms. Most of the time though there is nothing to worry about. There is also ethernet access. It is quite expensive, I pay roughly £280 a week. For the location and the quality of the rooms (spacious with a desk, window and double bed) I’d say it’s quite good considering it’s in central London and you won’t find anything private in the area for a lower price. The hall does host a lot of free events as well and a weekly free coffee morning with cakes on Sundays so that makes it feel more worth its price. The property does seem to be managed pretty well, it’s always clean (except the kitchens) and they seem well organised. The only difficulty is the maintenance team who sometimes take a while to fix the issues.