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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).
5.04.04.63494 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviewsThe students union is amazing, plenty of student spaces with lots to offer, and the location is great! There is a variety of quiet spaces and spaces with more going on too depending on how you like studying.
Campus is right next to the city, so if u enjoy going out and doing stuff then u dont have far to travel. All of my lecturers are super nice, and the med school offers loads of support for mental health and learning and maths and all that
The Best Aspects: Clinical Excellence from Day One: One of the standout features of Cardiff’s Optometry program is the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences building. Being in my second year, I’ve spent significant time in the specialized clinics. The facilities are top-tier, and having the clinic on-site means we get a level of practical exposure that feels very "real-world" compared to just reading textbooks. The "Cathays" Student Life: Cardiff is arguably one of the best student cities in the UK. Living in Cathays puts everything within walking distance. The balance between a rigorous medical-based degree and a vibrant social life—with the Student Union consistently ranked as one of the best—makes the stress of second year much more manageable. Specialized Faculty: The lecturers are often leading researchers in vision science. In Year 2, when the modules like "Clinical Optometry" and "Pharmacology" get tough, having tutors who are actually practicing clinicians provides invaluable context. The Worst Aspects: The Second-Year "Jump": The workload increase from Year 1 to Year 2 is massive. It’s not just more content; it’s the pressure of perfecting clinical techniques (like slit lamp procedures and refraction) to a professional standard while keeping up with heavy contact hours. It can feel like you’re in the lab from 9 to 5 every day. Building Location: While the Optometry building is amazing, it is slightly tucked away near the Maindy area, separate from the main Cathays Park campus. Sometimes you feel a bit isolated from the "main" uni buzz because you spend almost your entire life in that one building. Exam Pressure: Because Optometry is a regulated profession, the competency requirements are strict. There’s very little room for error in practical assessments, which makes the January and Summer exam periods incredibly high-stress. Summary Rating: Course Content: 5/5 Facilities: 5/5 Social Life: 4/5 Work-Life Balance: 2/5 (The Optometry struggle is real!)
The course is lots of fun and the lectures and clinic is engaging. the phantom head lab is an insane resource to use and has made learning easy. it could be improved by there being more places to eat or get food near the dental side of the campus and for the reading weeks to not be cancelled.
The facilities are great. The student union is so diverse and offers so many different ways to enjoy the city and its surroundings. The worst part is that I feel some modules I took were too superficial
The facilities are brilliant and makes learning easy. It’s situated in a beautiful city and everything is convenient to access.
Modern labs and nice lecture theatres, mostly great quality of lectures and length is good (each lecture is 50 minutes)
25-34 years
Lecturers can be very helpful and very interesting, but the scope of research and interest is limited. University facilities vary from campus to campus but can be outdated due to lack of funding, student union and facilities are great.
Best - amazing student life/amazing tech and practical experience and software/good uni city everything is very accessible Worse - lecturers constantly speaking down to us/no support from lecturers
Fun atmosphere with a nice city area cool parks to walk around near campus. Good modern facilities and good teaching and support
The best aspects would probably be the study areas, student union and black board if I can mention that. They definitely made me more comfortable with leaving the house and just trying to focus on lectures. The worst aspects id say is the actual lectures, no offence. Im extremely stressed when it comes to attending lectures and tutorials, ive done better work catching up or even attending the building the lectures meant to be in and instead sitting outside and doing the work instead. I have anxiety and having such big lectures halls, especially early in the morning and for 2 hour periods is a nightmare. I cant even fo for a bathroom break because they say "10 min break" just after 5 min to be speaking again and I havent even come back yet. It's embarrassing. Id also they the lecturers could improve on how they teach, some of them amazing, but others make me hate the subject, they jsut speak at you and act as if you already done the degree. Its our first time doing land law, first time doing tort for some, talk to us like students not a colleague.
The student union is amazing as is the variety of societies on offer. The support from the staff on my course create a wonderful atmosphere to be a student in. Unfortunately the sporting facilities are a bit basic.
The student union is what attracted me to Cardiff in the first place and all the support they have available for students.
there is alway events on at cardiff university, even sometimes I just walk by and they are running something which is always great. When I email professors for help they are always kind and helpful and responsive. The libraries are all clean and great study environments. However i'd say some of the buildings in the heath campus look quite dated which can sometimes make it seem like a dated place to study and quite depressing.
Good city
Good facilities, helpful staff, good opportunities, good societies and sports
Best parts of the uni experience is meeting new people and socialising The worst parts are assessments and finances
The best aspects of my university experience include: the students union, the location of the campus in the city and good opportunities for part time work. It is also far cheaper than other cities. Worst aspects are that there are not enough libraries that stay open past 10. This means they get really busy during exam season. there could also be more workshops that help you plan a career and teach you how to research, with more emphasis on deadlines.
Great SU and enjoy my course.
4.5
So far, good support from the offices. They replied very efficiently and helped me to communicate with the professors.
Good timetable management