Student Reviews
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The overall ranking is decided by students from this institution rating them in a 2026 Whatuni review. This forms the basis of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs for short).
2171 Student reviews
18-24 years
First gen student
The best aspect of university is the people you get to meet and make friends with, for example I have joined a society where I met new people and we are friends now even with one of the people from the society we became gym buddies so we go to gym nearly every day and I get to see her every day. She’s also been at the university a bit longer than me so she gives me great tips and advices when I am struggling with something related to uni and not only. The worst aspect is my way to university that I have to walk as I have to go trough a big zig zag which every time leaves me out of breath, but other than that overall it’s mainly good aspects.
It’s very spacious offering different spaces and equipment to train with, with near enough to 24/7 access to the facility’s on site. The staff are great and engaging the only worst aspect which really isn’t that bad is how nice they can be as opposed to being straight to the t with certain feedback, that said there is still a load to learn from them so it isn’t really a loss. In the last 5 months my growth has been exponential and I have the uni and east 15 acting school to thank for that
18-24 years
First gen student
The best aspect is the people I meet and the opportunities I’m being provided with. For the worst aspect I would have to say the big hill I have to climb to get to any of the university buildings I am already 53 kilograms and don’t rly need the hill climbing.
The practical way we are taught on the course is fantastic, the vocational nature of it and learning by doing is really engaging to me. The facilities we have available to us are honestly pretty amazing, there’s little we don’t have access to and it sets us up nicely for a career in theatre since we come out of the course with a really diverse skill set. Student support (for my course) is very good, I feel there’s always at least one tutor I can go to for any issues and I feel like my voice is heard. However, Debden as a location is a bit meh, there’s no nightlife and very little to do on your days off, I often find myself travelling into London for that. Our SU is small too so there’s very few events or societies but that’s just the nature of our small campus.
Good amount of quiet study spaces. Large range of food outlets. £2 meal iniative has really helped during the cost of living crisis. Computer science labs always seem to be booked, busy or locked. They also feel a bit dated compared to the STEM building computer labs.
Amazing student life and location , very close to central London and the campus itself is gorgeous. Have gained so much confidence as a performer and as a person in general. My teachers and directors are 100% supportive of my studies. Some things that could be improved is the organisation of the institution , a lot of things get set randomly and last minute which can be stressful, however it is always do-able. Also my course studies away from main campus and in this facility there is no food because the vending machines never work. So a more attentive approach to the facilities in Roding house would be appreciated.
hard to get advice and response from lecturers.
It’s got good facilities and it’s very well kept however the parking is terrible and expensive & you really don’t get great support being a student at all, especially from my course.
The setup and the non academic staff are always very helpful.
Best would be the amount of clubs/societies than be joined. Worst would be the distance from campus to town.
The only worst experience is having to locate rooms, the buildings are like a maze and it's very hard to find rooms
The campus is gorgeous and has lots of spaces to work in or catch up with friends. The student union really care about and caters to the needs of all students. Though it would be better if there was more targeted action taken towards mental health support. Overall, an amazing university to be at!
Best would be student support and facilities worst is accomodation
The best aspect is definitely the su they offer so much and there’s so many perks and fun event to partake in and they genuinely support everyone The worst part for me is probably the buses to and from town but that’s not the unis fault but without a car travel can be a bit annoying
25-34 years
Comparing with other students, the teaching and lecturers is quite elaborate, intensive and interactive. The University prepares you for the future with the extracurricular activities with policy inclusive syllabus. On the contrary, I think the discrimination against international students is much and little support for them also.
35-44 years
First gen student
The lecturer are well proactive
18-24 years
The best part to me are the people as well as the views such as at the lake, my least favourite parts would be that they are a bit lacking in inclusiveness specifically for trans people as I have been deadnamed multiple times through emails.
Best: meeting and making new friends. Worst: support looks good on paper but is often not in reality.
I've met some great people and the teachers are incredibly helpful. I think that every teacher had explained how to contact them outside of lecture hours if we have any questions and have clearly explained where they can be found for face to face interactions. In terms of the bad aspect of the Uni, the Southend campus is just a small part of the greater Uni and it does feel as if there would be more available if we were part of the main campus.


Best- facilities e.g library Worst- sometimes not being given the PowerPoints before/during a lecture
Wish the lab sessions were on listen again
Love the location, wish the wifi was better and allowed us to connect printers