An adequate HE joint, but nothing too great (The College of St Mark and St John (Marjon))

Member Name: bruffyboy

Product:	The College of St Mark and St John (Marjon)
Date:	31/03/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: sports facilities

Disadvantages: shop!

Well, I did my degree and my teacher training here, and have a few opinions both good and bad!

First off, there are two specialties here: sports and teacher training. In terms of the first, the facilities are top notch, with a pool, tennis courts, gym, astro-turf etc etc. If you're into sport, this is the place to go, and is filled to the brim with sporty types.

In terms of teacher training, it's not so hot. The staff are great (with the head of teacher training being at the top level of education reform), but the facilities are very old. It's the same with the degree (which I also did there). I was absolutely blown away by how poor the class-rooms are: the majority haven't been touched since the 70s, and are old-fashioned, cold and unappealling. The staff (at least on the English degree) range from friendly and approachable to moody and pretentious. If you're doing an English degree you can expect your fellow students to mostly be 40-50 year old women (so bear that in mind).

In terms of the rest, there is the Hub: a bar that features events pretty much nightly, and also has cheap drink. The carpets are sticky with drink, and the food is basic, so it's just good for getting wasted, nothing else!

There is an on-site chapel/church run by friendly if not out-dated CofE staff and I spent a lot of time here. Despite the old fashioned Church services, the people themselves are great.

The on campus shop is nothing more than a corner shop, and is not good enough for any range of shopping: nothing more than a packet of crisps and a sandwich can be found here. However, the campus is near enough to Asda, so just go there!

Location-wise, it's in Derriford, which is on the out-skirts of the city, so expect to need to take a bus from the nearby hospital to get into town.

In conclusion, it's decidely average unless you're there for the sport!

Summary: up to you