236 reviews for Royal Agricultural University

Lectures and accomodation, social life

Brilliant student experience socially and the campus is a great social space. SU have their hands tied normally with social events with the uni.

Mostly Good lectures, however some lecturers read off the slides already set out in the pre lecture work and sometimes due to foreign lecturers it’s really difficult to understand the content that is already extremely difficult. Some SU events are poorly planned and it’s difficult to see where the money spent eg. on Autumn ball goes when it is on uni campus with no free or discounted drinks/food - making students pay £40+ is expensive especially on a budget, subsequently the Tithe bar is also far too expensive for a student bar when you compare to the drinks prices at other universities

The best thing about the rau is the accomodation. All the rooms are large and comfortable, clean and in great condition. The only bad experience I have had at the rau is some lectures not being as in depth as I expected as most of the work is done in our own time as pre lecture material, instead of learning in lectures.

London prices but in the Cotswolds

The best part is it's such a small campus and student body you don't feel lost or unengaeged and the lectures are able to know you. There's not much to do on campus and we're some what isolated from town, reinstating a shuttle bus could be great.

The RAU is a great place to study at. The campus is situated in a lovely part of the Cotswolds with Cirencester within walking distance. The facilities are good, and are being upgraded currently. The staff are all very helpful including generally with the Academic Support Tutors and subject specifically with the lecturers who are always willing to answer any questions you have. In terms of improvements, the RAU could improve car parking as whenever there is an event on parking is difficult.

I am studying online so I have only visited the campus once during the EWN Conference. The facilities were great and everyone seemed very friendly and helpful. Online learning is a huge chunk of my PhD so it is interesting to see how this is handled at the university. All my meetings with supervisors are online - this is not always fine for getting meetings scheduled where everyone can attend. Student life - there appears to be no facility for online students to meet and participate in discussions or socials. Many of the events are physical events at the university, which can leave online / distance learners feeling a little left out. Perhaps an event that distance learners can attend once or twice a year could be offered? Like the EWEN conference that I attended. This was great for networking and meeting other students. Regular sessions with others doing postgraduate courses online would also help.

The university is in such a beautiful area in the Cotswolds. The university itself is breathtaking and definitely ideal for someone who wants to get away from the city. The student union is very inclusive and active, my old university that i transferred from there was no student union that was introduced to me. The facilities and lab is great and for being able to stable my horse here has allowed me to bring a piece of home with me. The university could be improved by improving the housing situation on campus. The rooms are usually in a poor condition (moved in with mold, flaking wall paper and carpet stains), there’s also been serveral issues with heating. I know these things are expected when living at university, but it is one of the highest rent costs out of all my friends universities and they often ignore emails so i feel like my voice isn’t being heard.

Very rural and tranquil compared to urban universities, this means however that night life is more restricted.