Choose Glam uni! (University of Glamorgan in general)

Member Name: Majmun

Product:	University of Glamorgan in general
Date:	26/05/09 (153 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good nightlife in the union, Cardiff and Ponty close by, brilliant course, cheap living

Disadvantages: Hills, parking, Treforest may be too quiet for some

I studied at the University of Glamorgan for 3 years from 2005 - 2008 and had a truly fantastic time.

For my first year I stayed in a flat halls of residence in the Glamorgan Court section (nicknamed Beverly Hills as we had the luxury of an ensuite bathroom! The other halls - Philip Evans/Squire have shared bathrooms). In Glamorgan Court there are 6 people in every flat. My room was quite small but had everything I needed. I also hired a fridge for the year so I could keep drinks/snacks in my room. The kitchens in Glamorgan Court were quite large with plenty of cupboard space and you share with the 5 others in your flat.

The benefits of the halls of residence are that they are great for meeting people and making friends. The other positive was that it felt safe - each block of flats has a secure entry system and then each individual flat has a lock on the main door then a lock on the door to your room. The main negative of glamorgan uni halls is the laundry room which is a bit small - I used to do my laundry at about 2 in the morning so it was a bit quieter!

The social side of Glamorgan is great. The union is quite small but theres always stuff going on. You have Smiths the pub, the Baa Bar (which does amazing paninis!) and Shafts the nightclub. Shafts has loads to offer in the way of nightlife with its cheap drinks, good music and a variety of different themed nights throughout the year. If you dont fancy the union then theres Cardiff, which is a 20 minute train ride away, with its abundance of clubs, bars and shops. Or you have Treforest where the main campus is situated - there you have a few shops and pubs including The Otley Arms, The Pick and Shovel and Raffles. Theres also a lot of takeaways, my favourites was The Golden Sea (the best chinese Ive ever had and they do free popadoms or prawn crackers if you spend more than a tenner!). Or theres Pontypridd which is ten minutes walk away and has some great shops and some good places to eat and drink including a Wetherspoons and a good Indian restaurant.

Glam also has a good choice of other activities. There lots of sports clubs and teams to get involved in including waterpolo, netball, cheerleading, rugby, rockclimbing and hockey as well as a good sized gym. Theres also a variety of societies such as LGBT, Law, Asian, Debating and Live Music.

One of the best things about Glamorgan for me was the quality of my course (Sociology). The modules were interesting and diverse and the lecturers were friendly, efficient and always there to lend a hand if you needed it. I got a 1st for my degree and dont think I could have done it if the lecturers hadnt made the course so memorable and interesting.

Facilities on the Treforest Campus are fine. The library is good but a bit on the small side and you sometimes have to get books out quite early otherwise you wont get the book you need! Theres a shop on campus which sells a good variety of stuff but is slightly more pricey than supermarkets. They were building a Tesco in Treforest just as I was leaving which will come in handy as the other tesco in the area is a short drive/bus ride away. Glam also has cash points outside the union which are very handy.

One of the negatives of Glamorgan (well, of the treforest campus) was the hills!! Its a very steep uni and the walk up to the halls of residence was particulary tiring. But on the plus side, it burns off all that alcohol and junk food =) Other main negatives that were an issue for some people (although not me personally) included there not being enough parking and Treforest being a bit quiet.

This review only really applies to the Treforest campus as this is what I experienced but Glamorgan is an ever expanding university and it has recently moved a whole faculty to its Cardiff campus so you may be based there. Lots of private halls of residence have been built in Cardiff recently so theres plently of choice for accommmodation. Some people I know are living in Cardiff and are still studying in the Treforest campus as they feel Cardiff offers more in the way of nightlife and amenities. Some however, prefer to live in Treforest as it is much cheaper and they commute to Cardiff for their lectures. With Treforest and Cardiff being so close you have lots of different options available, whichever campus your course is on.

Overall, Glamorgan is great uni with lots to see and do in and around the surrounding areas. I had 3 very memorable years there and would do it all over again if I could =)

Summary: A fantastic 3 years in a great uni