The university of what? (University of Glamorgan in general)

Member Name: platypuskn

Product:	University of Glamorgan in general
Date:	01/12/06 (129 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice campus

Disadvantages: Unequal treatment

I can't comment on how good Glamorgan is for undergraduates, but I did spend a year doing an MSc there. I think this gives a very different insight into a place. I had already done the mad student Fresher thing, so had different priorities.

The most obvious problem was its location - quite far outside Cardiff. However, this didn't actually turn out to be much of a hassle, as there were brilliant train links, which weren't too expensive when armed with a student card. Lots of people live on campus too, and I did notice plenty of accomodation still for let there well into the academic year.

The university itself has good faciliites including a reasonably sized library, good computing facilities, cheap grub and drink in the union (however, I would recommed avoiding the curry special, as it was barely edible, and formed a congealed mass on my plate) and a lovely sandwich shop. There are also lots of sports and clubs on offer - everything from yoga to canoeing.

However, I was based in Cardiff itself, rather than on campus, which was a problem as I was less inclined to make the trip especially to use the facilities. This seemed to be a problem, as many students chose to live in Cardiff instead of nearer.

Lectures were rather unsatisfying. The content of my stats classes were aimed at people doing healthcare rather than what I was doing (science communication), so none of the examples made sense to me. In fact, at times it appeared that no-one had heard of my MSc course. I even got an invitation to a graduation ceremony to take place before I would finish the course, which was rather confusing.

On a more positive note, we had great contact with other departments, including business, and people such as the guys who ran the student radio station.

I would say that some courses are percieved as more important than others at Glamorgan. I was paying a lot to do my MSc, and felt rather short-changed at points. However, the university itself was well-designed with good facilities, so it is possible I was just unlucky. Having said that, though, I had never heard of the university before deciding to take the course. The course I did has also now been cancelled, and the partners it was provided with have changed to Cardiff University instead.

I suspect that undergraduates all think their university is the best ever though, as its often their first chance to break free from their parents!

Summary: Probably best for undergraduates?