Set in the picturesque landscape of the Welsh countryside, Lampeter Campus is a perfect place to study if you are looking for a small, community driven institute. Class sizes are roughly between 10 and 20 students, meaning that you do not get lost in a sea of 200 people in large lecture theatres and have the opportunity to ask question and join in discussions with the lecturer and your peers. Lampeter also operates in a Block Teaching/Intensive Learning System, whereby you study one module for 4 weeks straight, meeting for lectures on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and completing all of the assignments within that period, then you have a prep/reading week, before moving onto the next module. This means you are not having to juggle different topics (and sometimes disciplines!) and can really get into the nitty gritty of a subject. The Block System also allows lecturers to run trips/field work sessions within term-time as they are not having to worry about conflicting with other modules, which creates a greater variety of opportunities for students to take part in. Likewise, as Lampeter is a humanities campus, all students have a similar interest which each other, which really emphasises that community feeling and leads to some interesting and unique student run groups. If you are wanting to go out and get hammered every night, then Lampeter isn't the place for you, but it is the perfect place if you are wanting that smaller, community driven experience which many of us look for when choosing a university. The unofficial motto of the Campus is "You are a name, not a number", and this is so true, as all your lecturers will know you by name and you will recognise everyone on campus, if not by name then by at least face. Improvement: Keeping subjects/courses that make the campus unique to study at, such as BA Medieval Studies. It is always good to streamline courses, but surely the course name on your degree certificate at the end of your studies doesn't always dictate what you studied during your degree. For instance, students reading BA History or BA Medieval Studies could do near enough the exact same modules during their studies, yet come out with two different degrees on their certificate. Surely it would make more sense to maintain these different names as being able to study something very focused is a big reason why a lot of students chose Lampeter. Just food for thought though.

At Lampeter, you will have 12 hours of lectures for undergrad, with Level 5 and Level 6 students having lectures between 10 and 1 with Level 4 students having them between 2 and 5. Due to meeting for lectures 4 times a week, you have a lot of contact with the lecturers and are able to ask them any questions, etc., if you have them. Lecturers are also available for contact via email. Lampeter is also lucky enough to have its own Archaeology Labs and Archive, the latter of which houses some impressive manuscripts and documents to the university's history (which dates back to 1822 when Lampeter was first founded!). The campus also has a lot of history surrounding it, with a Norman Motte and Bailey Castle being situated on site, and at least 3 Iron Age Hill Forts within walking distance of the campus.

Although maybe not the most spectacular halls of residence, Lampeter accommodation costs under £4k a year, compared to £7k+ at other universities. All the accommodation on Campus is within walking distance of the lecture halls and Old Building, and probably the best thing about Lampeter accommodation is that you can remain in halls for the entirety of your degree (of my 5 years studying, 4 of them were spent in halls on campus). At most other places, Level 4 students are guaranteed accommodation but Level 5 and 6 have to find their own outside the university.

As a distance learner responses from lecturers have always been prompt and they have vast expertise. I have loved every second of the course and even managed to finish earlier than expected due to the excellent teaching and mentoring they have provided me with.

The course was part-time and offered flexibly for up to 4 years, so I was able to work full-time alongside my MA degree. I managed to finish earlier than expected due to the excellent lecturers encouraging me to push myself and further my understanding.

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