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Our collection of real, honest student reviews of unis and courses is the largest in the UK, and helps you make well-informed decisions about your future. Student reviews also form the basis of our annual Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), which highlight great work carried out by institutions for their students.
The Best and Worst Aspects of My University Experience One of the best aspects of my time at Marjon has been the incredible support and dedication from the lecturers. They are not only experts in their fields but also kind and approachable, always willing to go the extra mile to help students succeed. Whether it’s through detailed feedback, extra office hours, or even just their willingness to listen, they’ve created an environment where learning feels both challenging and rewarding. The campus facilities are another highlight. The swimming pool and gym are state-of-the-art, providing a perfect outlet for staying active and managing stress. The on-campus shop is incredibly convenient for picking up essentials, and the nap room is a unique and thoughtful addition, offering students a space to recharge during a busy day. These amenities make campus life enjoyable and contribute to a well-rounded experience. However, there are several aspects that have been disappointing. One of the most notable issues is the lack of student events and a vibrant atmosphere in the Student Union. For a university community to thrive, it’s important to create opportunities for students to connect and build a sense of belonging, but this is sorely lacking. For students like me, who are on placements Monday to Friday as part of the PGCE program, it’s nearly impossible to join societies or engage in what little social life is available. This makes it difficult to feel part of the university community, and student life can feel isolating as a result. Additionally, accessing help with financial aid and well-being services has been a challenge. While these resources exist, they are not always easy to navigate, and the process can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially during moments of need. Overall, while Marjon shines in its academic support and excellent facilities, the lack of community-building events and the difficulty in accessing support services leave room for significant improvement. For postgraduate students with demanding schedules, these gaps are especially evident, and addressing them would greatly enhance the student experience.
The Best and Worst Aspects of My Course One of the best aspects of my course has been the positive relationships with the lecturers. They are incredibly knowledgeable and supportive, always willing to offer guidance and encouragement. Their enthusiasm for teaching is evident, and they go out of their way to ensure students feel confident in their abilities. Another strength of the course is its structure, which effectively combines theory and practice. Learning new concepts and strategies in class and then applying them during placement has been invaluable in helping me develop the skills I need for my future career. However, there are areas where the course could be improved. One of the most frustrating aspects has been the limited contact with mentors and Quality Assurers (QAs). Over the entire course, we only have two check-in meetings with mentors, one online visit, and one in-person visit from a QA. This lack of consistent oversight and feedback can leave students feeling unsupported, especially during placements where additional guidance would be incredibly beneficial. Overall, while the course provides a solid foundation of theory and hands-on experience and is supported by a fantastic team of lecturers, the limited interaction with mentors and QAs is a significant downside. Increasing these touchpoints would greatly enhance the experience and ensure students feel more fully supported throughout their journey.
The university feels like a community. Your lecturers know you by first name and know your hobbies/interests. The majority of campus know eachother/know of eachother. It is like a village. Everyone is so supportive, both peers, lecturers, and other members of faculty. It is in a beautiful city, with so many places to explore, whilst also not being too big of a city for those who were worried about this when choosing whether or not to go to university. The facilities at Marjon are unmatched, with accredited labs, high standard pitches. I love being able to use the equipment during lectures, which I know isn't possible at other universities that my friends from home go to that are on the same course. The worst part of my university experience has been going from 1 to 2 to 3 modules at once within the space of a month or so. It has been a lot to adjust to, but it is expected and I am getting there, and my lecturers have been very supportive.
My course is very hands on which is amazing! We are not only shown how to use the equipment but are also allowed to use the equipment ourselves. The lecturers and sports lab managers encourage you to have a shot at doing something, even if you get it wrong, and cost of breaking things isn't an issue as it will get sorted.
Dix Halls is a disabled access halls and is located halfway between the sport centre and the main building at Marjon. There are 6 people sharing a flat in Dix, and we were all allocated the flat based on a questionnaire. Within the questionnaire we were asked what our interests/hobbies were, and whether there was anyone in particular we wanted to share a flat with. My flat consists of 4 boys and 2 girls where we all have interests in sport, some in cooking, and other things along those lines. The worst thing about university halls is the occasional arguments within a flat. This is natural, however it can cause temporary tension within the flat, which can be quite overwhelming for a group of teenagers who are likely to be missing home after a period of time, and there is little to no escape from it.
Site is beautiful, small numbers which make it better for me. Little to no room of improvement.
Good hours and contact with lectures
Good
The university itself is fantastic, the support network from lecturers to the team at the student wellbeing is really helpful. Due to the more intimate atmosphere Marjon has to offer it is easy for students to get help and support from lecturers which is something you do not often get at many other institutions. Marjon has brilliant facilities like the gym and a variety of different spaces where you can get work done. All staff and extremely knowledgable and happy to give you the help and support you need with ease ensuring that when completing essays and assigned work more comfortable and provides a peace of mind. If you enjoy participating in sports, Marjon has a plethora of different activities and sports or you to try or participate in competitively. The football programme here is the best its ever been in my opinion, the coaches and staff which run the Sports federation really know what they are doing and again are more than happy to answer any queries you may have. this really adds to the positive aspects to student life here at Marjon. The only downside to the university is the fact that student life in itself has gone downhill. depending on the type of person you are there is very limited options for places to go out in Plymouth for student nights as we have now lost our 'University club' which was Pryzm. No one really enjoys to go out anymore, so if this is somwthing which means a lot to you then this may cause some problems. The student bar is more often empty without any life than ever, unless there is a social event put on by the sports teams here.
There are so many positive aspects with regard to my degree, the content with you learn our the three years is amazing, you get to hear from lecturers who have been in your shoes before talk about their experiences along with discussing valuable topics which are happening in schools. There is also an option t the end of the degree to choose which age group (primary or secondary school) you like to teach which has worked well in my favour as I began the degree with a string desire to teach primary school aged children but have now switched to wanted to progress onto my secondary PE PGCE programme.
Overall, like most university accommodation its no where near perfect and is designed for people living independently for the first time as well as providing a space to conduct parties etc. The maintenance aspect was always a problem with something different going wrong every week, from black mould to plumbing issues to asbestos related issues, the building had it all. but for £105 a week I suppose its fair.
The lecturers are really approachable and the resources available are very good.
Some of the course content has been unstructured, however this was quickly picked up by lecturers when raised
Being in a smaller cohort makes the experience feel so much more personal. It enables more direct support from lecturers as well as the University as a whole. Student life could be improved, having a smaller cohort and being slightly out of the centre means there’s potential to grow.
The course is very full on however the lecturers are always reachable and more than happy to answer any queries/offer extra support at any time.
For the money I paid I had a large room with an en-suite. With 5 people in my flat it was perfect! Maintenance was always quick and the place looked after. Security was taken very seriously. Couldn’t fault the experience
Student support and Marjon are excellent; the staff are all friendly and genuinely care about their students, and the counselling staff (especially Rebekah Lewin) are incredible. I chose to study both my undergraduate course and my master's at Marjon, and over the 5 years I have really noticed how students are much less involved in student events. When I first came, everyone knew everyone, and it was unusual if you weren't involved in lots of the student life events in Barjon or in town. In the more recent years, it seems to be unusual if people are involved! This may just be a change in students as a whole, but the university now feels very disconnected.
I loved the content of the course, and the tutors are very helpful and try their best to be available for students. The only downside is that the sustainable finance module is all online, with pre-recorded lectures. These are supplemented with seminars, which are useful, but I personally would rather have in-person lectures as much as possible.
I stayed in halls in 2020; they were okay. The rooms were a decent size, and had a well-equipped kitchen. They are a bit dated and need a refresh.
Amazing
Brilliant
The small university allows for a better connection between you and the uni. Help is always easy to get and campus is pretty easy to navigate. The campus is not anywhere endear the city centre which is not ideal but that can’t be helped.
Mostly all in class with very few online lectures. 200 placement hours need to be done in 3rd year on top of uni hours.
I wouldn’t say it’s great value for money as you pay a lot of very old accommodation, at least when I was in it it was. There also wasn’t enough freezer or fridge space for 5 people which made it had through the year due to the shops being so far away from uni. Location was fine it was just always very loud but that’s usually the the case in halls.
The best part is that you are known as a student and not just as a number
I like having a mix of practical based learning and lectures
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More facilities for the Humanities/society subjects would be great to see. The cost of living is especially affecting me as a low income student, and better financial support or sm...
I love the community in this uni. The support we are provided with is outstanding and I couldn't imagine myself at any other university.