My Bangor memorable experience commenced right from the application for admission stage. The responses to my enquiries were almost instantaneous and that formed my first impression of the school. Throughout the admission processes, the admission team was always responding all my queries and concerns as an international student. Let me state that if not for the assistance from the admission team, I would not have attended Bangor University. At some point, it appeared I was not going to meet up with the deadlines, the team made everything possible for me. Other support systems from the international students team are top-notch- the weekly seminars on visa issues, employability and graduate schemes, study challenges, mental health support system and other various concerns of students are expressly attended to. On accommodation, I decided not to stay in any of the campus hostels because of my family but the feedback from friends who lived there was good. The students' hostels are secure, clean and habitable for students. All these make studying pleasurable for students and the fact that they are in good locations and good proximity to the colleges is another advantage. The general atmosphere in the university is welcoming, reassuring and homely. Everybody seems concerned about my welfare. The interpersonal relationship exhibited by fellow students makes me feel welcome and approved of while the hospitality, understanding and willingness to help by lecturers are all parts of what make my study easier for me. On academic activities, the quality of staff is phenomenal and learning processes appear seamless and interesting. The use of modern technological gadgets to aid teaching and learning helps my studies greatly. The discussion and seminar approach by lecturers enhanced my confidence and good team work with my course mates. On employability, the nexus between town and gown is well established as potential employers are invited to relate with students and advise them on various job opportunities, internships and graduate trainings. This gesture assures me that the University has my interest at heart. On the whole, the general atmosphere in the University indeed support learning.

The worst aspect of my course is the career prospect for non-natives like me. Many employers who want teachers of English , especially in the UK, specifically prefer the natives who are monolingual to non-native bilinguals or multilinguals. So after expending time and resources on the course, the prospect of teaching is almost non-existent. Apart from teaching, there are limited opportunities for those who study the course in the united Kingdom except if one travels outside the UK . On the other hand, the course is taught with emphasis on developing communicative competencies rather than rules of grammar. The blended style of both online and in-class methods are excellent. The lecturers always attend their lessons and as when due. They also arrange for one-one meetings with students to understand if there is any peculiar challenges they might have. The team meetings bring us together and foster technology driven learning .

No

I love studying at Bangor because it is a beautiful city. You are never far from nature such as the sea and mountains. There is also a rich history in the town to admire, and a great community available to both Welsh and English speakers. It is a place that feels as inclusive as it looks incredible. Everyone in the staff and unions at Bangor are kind and helpful. I have not needed to use their services much, but I understand them to be supportive for the many students who rely on them. There is also a stimulating social scene with plenty of free clubs and societies to join and make new friends in. I do think Bangor needs to take more initiative in keeping clean. Sometimes the facilities such as the toilets are dirty or ill-supplied, and a lot of the buildings are quite old and therefore drafty and falling apart. There is also a littering problem in the city, mostly caused by careless students. Perhaps if the Student Union started an initiative requesting improved maintenance, or someone incentivised a club to clean up the campus and town, that would be helpful.

I appreciate that classes are taught on campus, but are recorded so that they can be accessed online too. It makes it easier for students who struggle to attend live classes due to physical or mental health problems to still learn. I am also grateful that as well as an appointment system, tutors schedule specific office hours that are open for any students to walk in and see them - sometimes there is even the possibility to meet online via Teams instead. You can email your tutors freely as well, and oftentimes get responses even into the middle of the night. Tutors feel available and approachable. The only issue is that lectures and seminars themselves feel basic at times rather than stimulating or challenging, and some tutors are uninspiring and don't make efforts to engage the students. This could be improved on.

The Halls of accommodation at Bangor are neither the best nor the worst - they get the job done. The rooms are quite small with thin walls, but they provide everything you need (i.e. bed, bathroom, desk, wifi). It is also not far from the university, only about a 10-15 minute walk, and one of the supermarkets is close as well, only about a 5-10 minute walk, so it is quite a good location. The Halls site also has plenty of facilities available such as its own post office, newsagents, laundromat, and bar/restaurant, so it reduces the need to leave the village. The kitchen is quite large with plenty of fridge/cupboard space and sinks to share - but every student tends to bring a lot more than they need and fill out those spaces pretty fast, and they also don't tend to take care of their own washing and cleaning up so the kitchens tend to get into disarray quite quickly with no consequences. The staff who clean the common areas like the kitchens also don't do a great job - often they're still dirty after. There is safety on site such as a security booth and assigned key cards to access the buildings; but it doesn't negate the fact that anyone from anywhere can walk on site at any time, and potentially sneak into buildings. It would be better if the Halls had cupboards and fridge shelves assigned to certain rooms in the kitchens, so that students don't steal space from each other. It would also be appreciated if there were weekly "hygiene checks" in the kitchens by the dorm heads, and students who did not clean up after themselves could be held accountable. The staff should also do a better job of cleaning. Additionally, security guards should make rounds on site rather than stay in their booths to ensure that there are no suspicious people lurking around, and perhaps even stand guard at the entrance during certain hours of the evening to watch out for strange people trying to enter the village.