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University of Wales, Swansea

Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 3:18 pm
by Hendrik
I have now finished studying German. Highly recommend the uni. Great city, great clubs. Student Union bars here are about as cheap as they come, with plenty of pound-a-pint nights.
Olympic pool, great sports centre. Loads of societies, and I do mean LOADS.
Really good for surfing. One of the most beautiful coastlines in the country.
The campus stops right at the beach.

Last but not least, its academic side is well regarded. I believe it's currently third in the UK (and above oxbridge) for the course I'm doing.

...AND NOT A SHEEP IN SIGHT

Any questions? Feel free to e-mail me.

Accommodation at Swansea

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:02 pm
by JamesF35
Hi Hendrik,

My son is going to Swansea this September to read geography if he ever comes back from his 6 month gap year trip to New Zealand !. Whilst he is away, we have to sort out his application for accommodation. Do you have any suggestions as to which hall is best for a fresher ?

As he has an unconditional place this puts him at the top of the allocation list so he should get his first choice. He doesn't have any mates going with him so he'll need to be somewhere he can make new friends easily.

Re: Accommodation at University

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:30 am
by FrogBoxed
JamesF35 wrote:As he has an unconditional place this puts him at the top of the allocation list so he should get his first choice. He doesn't have any mates going with him so he'll need to be somewhere he can make new friends easily.
Although I went to the University of Birmingham, the advice is much the same wherever you study. Halls of residence are great if you want to make lots of friends and quickly! Other benefits of living in halls is that you get meals cooked for you most days. There are usually laundry areas and a small shop onsite or nearby. There are masses of social events literally on your doorstep and people around all the time.

Students can try to bag a single room if they have a medical condition (eg asthma) etc, but don't try to buck the system by claiming you're a heavy-smoking metal-lover who sleeps during the day if you're not. Murphy's Law states that there will be a real heavy-smoking metal-lover who sleeps during the day that staff will pair you with believing you to be compatible... you have been warned!

Self-catered accommodation (usually flat-shares of 4-6 people) is ideal for people who want a bit more personal space. You tend to get to know those in your flat very well and the students in the same block as you quite well. You also have to fend for yourself food-wise. If you're lucky you will have a car, be sharing with someone who has one, or will be on a bus route to a supermarket. You'll have more freedom and space and there will only be a few of you sharing one or two bathrooms.

Alternatively, there is private renting. I'd recommend this only to those going to uni in a group in their first year... and probably not even then - Uni accommodation can be smart or shabby, but that's where you'll meet and make most of your really good friends. Most people "live out" after their first year once they've got friends from their course as well as hall/flat to choose from when deciding who to live with.

On the whole, halls of residence offer much the same as CH, so when I found myself in one of Europe's biggest (which held the same number of people as CH! I lived in on the fourth floor of a 17-storey tower block, which was an amazing experience!) it was pretty much a home-from-home. I was even used to the food! That's not to say that I'd recommend halls over flats. It really depends on the person.

Hope that helps!

FrogBoxed