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Buckinghamshire New University is a great place to study with its supportive lecturers, friendly staff, and inclusive learning environment. The atmosphere on campus encourages both personal and academic growth, and the university truly values student well-being. One area that could be improved is by helping students form cultural communities for example Asian or other international groups and encouraging them to plan events together. This would create a stronger sense of belongingness, help students connect across cultures, and reduce feelings of homesickness among international students.

The University of Essex is extremely international with students from 140 different countries. As an international students this makes me have a sense of community as there are a lot of students going through the same situations as me. The university also has a students union on the Top 10 in the UK. The students union is extremely active organising several events on the same day from arts and crafts, Thursday food markets, movie nights and much more. There is also the sport teams and gym on campus that students can join but to be honest as someone that does not like fiscal activity this are some facilities that I do not use often. The students union also advertises part time jobs for students which is very helpful as you can work around your studies and still make some extra cash and get some work experience. The library section for PG students is open 24/7 which is very handy when you are pulling an all-nighter. Students can also rent for free an individual study pod or a group study room. The reading for the modules are mostly online and free to access on the library website. There are computers all around the university that students can access at any time of the day to study or do some Python coding assignments in my case. I am part of the EBS department and all the academics are very helpful, you can always email with questions and they are quite quick in responding. The lectures are small which means you can have debates in class and also gives the teacher the opportunity to get to meet all the students an be able to help them with their specific needs. The teachers also have specific academic office hours on a weekly bases that students can attend if they which to discuss something in private or even if they want to continue discussing topics from lectures in depth. There are a number of talks organised by the departments where students can listen from industry professionals and get the chance to get to know more on how they should approach job applications to get into the industry. The university has the Languages for all programme where students can learn a new language for free, in my case I am learning Mandarin. So far I am still very green and I still not understand much but it it a fabulous language and it is quiet fun to draw the characters. There is a lot of societies students can join and get to meet new people. I myself am part of the Economics Society and the Women in Finance Society. So far we had events to meet up all the members but I know we are going to have an event with an external speaker to talk about training and also there is going to be a winter ball from the economics society, and lost more events that I am still not aware off. The university has a lot of green spaces, two lakes and it is amazing to go for a walk when there is no rain. We also have a 4 star hotel on campus where students can get discounts on their services. The university is only 30 minutes in the fast train form the central London which is very good to go out for a shopping day. Now the not so good part, I have to say the careers team that helps students with their CV gives very general advice and each student wants to apply to different industries and so we need specific advice and I do not think there are equipped for that. The Well-being Team even thought they can help lease with the departments if students need help, they are still not helpful as for example you have right to only two therapy sessions and sometimes I found that they do not respond to emails quickly and during my undergrad that I did at Essex as well I had one therapy session from the university at the campus and no one was there to receive me. Overall I think the university is very great, they have a great student community and for most topics they are ranked very high. I recommend attending an Open Day to check the campus and talk with students to see if Essex is for you.

Edinburgh Napier University is a fantastic place to study because it offers a vibrant and supportive community, with a focus on real-world learning. The courses are designed to give you practical skills, and the university has strong links with industries, which means great opportunities for internships and jobs. Plus, being in Edinburgh, you're surrounded by a city full of culture, history, and stunning landscapes, making it the perfect backdrop for your studies and personal growth. Whether you're into tech, business, or the creative arts, Napier provides an environment where you can thrive. All of which make it perfect for me to study here for uni!

Leeds Arts Univerity is small in size, meaning there are few noteworthy Student Unions in comparison to UoL, but does feel welcoming and safe. The university's student support is freindly and helpful from what I experienced; LAU is a very inclusive organisation and does strive to support students with a variety of services available. The campus is a little dull looking, with few spaces looking vibrant in contrast to the many white/grey hallways. I was able to use the Film/Photography course's cameras as a Music student, however the university's facilities seem somewhat limited as a whole, with spaces and equipment scarce close to submission time.

The university lacks greenery, despite being next to it's own park there's rarely greenery near campus. The university had prospects of a roof garden yet it's barren and dying and in an inopportune location to access. There's much more room for opportunity for a garden outside of the vegan "Vert café" on the sixth floor which is more likely to get volunteers from a community who focuses highly on greenery. The art building, despite being an art building, startling lacks art and colour. Aside from scarce photos the building feels very stagnant. The allowance of more murals (see the sixth floor's Game of Thrones mural for reference) would brighten the building up, as well as larger art on the outside as proposed in the newly released render of the new park layout. As a student who lacks roof access I cannot comment on whether the uni has renewable solutions for energy such as solar panels (though some are visible in BD for testing) but the inclusion of more renewables would be a very welcome sight.