If you are currently trying to decide which uni to go to, here is my advice about Cardiff. I would say make your decision very carefully wherever you end up going. The course and the university are equally important in my opinion!
Well I have been here for two months now so I will give ... Read review
Advantages: Great location, a well renowned university, wide choice of subjects Disadvantages: S4C instead of channel 4!
...and ask lots of questions! Cardiff University is well regarded by employers and it is a quality institution. The entry requirements vary from course to course, for my course (English and Philosophy) the minimum is ABB, but other less popular courses have a lower minimum.
STUDENT SERVICES
Everything seems well organised. Each student is assigned a personal tutor but it is up to you if you want to go and see them or ... ...whole I am positive about Cardiff University. There are some things that bother me though. As I am paying £1075 a year tuition fees I want to feel I am getting me moneys worth. The lectures are huge, with up to 500 people, and so once everyone has got into the lecture room that has knocked 5 minutes off the lecture. Also, sometimes they finish early. This is a small thing, but it bugs me. Most students are pleased that we have less time in lectures, ... more
If you are currently trying to decide which uni to go to, here is my advice about Cardiff. I would say make your decision very carefully wherever you end up going. The course and the university are equally important in my opinion!
Well I have been here for two months now so I will give my impressions of the place.
THE UNI
The university buildings are mainly spread out along one road (Park Place) which leads out of the city centre. This is good as the site is not all spread out and very close to the centre of Cardiff(5 minutes walk). The buildings vary in their attractiveness, the civic centre is gorgeous, but most of the faculty buildings are modern red brick. The students are about 1/4 Welsh to 3/4 English, with a fair amount of International Students as well. There are quite a lot of middle class "yah yah rugby" types, but just as many ordinary, down to earth people. There is a fair sprinkling of mature students, who I have found always sit at the front in lectures and ask lots of questions! Cardiff University is well regarded by employers and it is a quality institution. The entry requirements vary from course to course, for my course (English and Philosophy) the minimum is ABB, but other less popular courses have a lower minimum.
STUDENT SERVICES
Everything seems well organised. Each student is assigned a personal tutor but it is up to you if you want to go and see them or not. There is a Student Advice Centre, I went there when I was thinking if getting a transfer. They were really helpful and gave me loads of good advice, and I think I'm going to stay now. There are 5 libraries, of which I have only used one, the humanities library. It is open 7 days a week until 9pm on week days. It is well stocked, although with hundreds of first year English students there is always a race for the set texts! You can reserve and renew books online which is handy too.
STUDENTS UNION
The students union is excellent. It's a huge building containing a nightclub (solus), a huge pub(the taf), a smaller cafe/bar (seren las), a shopping centre, games room and all the offices for the newspaper, student volunteering, student radio and many more. The Union offers loads of opportunites which I would advise anyone to make the most of. There is a sports club or society for everything you could think of( the lounge society and the extreme sports club being two of the more eccentric) which you can join for a small membership fee. The union provides great entertainment-they have bands such Shed 7, Embrace, Wheatus and So Solid Crew play there. They also have a comedy night and most importantly cheap drinks. On 80's night, which is alternate Thursdays, it's only 80p a pint!
There is student volunteering, which I have become involved with and so far have found it very well organised. They provide all the training, you get a lot out of it and it is good work experience!
You can write articles for the paper(if you can drag yourself away from DooYoo!), Gair Rhyd(free word in Welsh).
Let's not forget the uni is in Wales. Sounds stupid, but it is easy to forget, surrounded by English students (although there are a lot of Welsh students as well). The annoying things about being in Wales are-S4C-their version of Channel 4. Most of it is in Welsh, and if they do put films, comedies on in English, it's usually very late at night. Now, we all know that students are in bed at 10 so it's not very good, is it? The university also has a dual language policy, which means that all notices have to be in English and Welsh, and everyone can learn Welsh if they want to(I didn't take up the offer...) The good thing about being in Wales is that you are close to some beautiful surroundings-the Gower peninsula, the Brecon Beacons to name a few.
ACCOMMODATION
As with many other universities, all first years who accept a place are guaranteed a place in university accomodation. There is a huge choice in the type of halls. From your traditional catered hall with its own bar at University Hall to self catered like my halls, Colum Rd, there is something for everyone. Around 50% of all the accomodation is en-suite so no sharing bathrooms unless you choose to! Mine has a bathroom between two, which is a lot cheaper than en-suite and works out fine if you get along with your bathroom mate. The costs range from £45 a week up to around £70, are it is paid each term. Most of the halls are within easy reach of the uni, and University Hall, which is 2 miles away, has a free bus service for students to the university. After the first year, most students live in the "student ghetto" of Cathays, a small area which is a mish mash of terraced houses, indian take aways and pubs. Perfect for students!
BAD THINGS
On the whole I am positive about Cardiff University. There are some things that bother me though. As I am paying £1075 a year tuition fees I want to feel I am getting me moneys worth. The lectures are huge, with up to 500 people, and so once everyone has got into the lecture room that has knocked 5 minutes off the lecture. Also, sometimes they finish early. This is a small thing, but it bugs me. Most students are pleased that we have less time in lectures, but some of us are actually there to learn! Also, at times it can feel a bit impersonal. Maybe it is the same at all universities, and especially for me as I went to a college with class sizes of less than 10 so it's a big change. You have to make an effort to fit in and get involved otherwise you may get left behind!
I would say, look not only at the different universities on offer, look at your course and see which university has the best reputation for that particular course. For example, I know Cardiff may not be too near the top of the Times Good Univerity Guide, but remember, that rates all subject areas. For my main subject, English, it recieved a rating of 5 in inspections, which only 5 unis in the country recieved.
The city of Cardiff is a great place for students-loads of shops, bars and clubs(nearly all of which have student nights). I won't say too much about the city as I have done another op on the city of Cardiff itself. The great thing about Cardiff is its location. It's only 2 hours from my home in Birmingham, plus there are lovely places such as the Gower and the Brecon Beacons which you can get in in about an hours drive.
Advantages: PLENTIFUL, QUALITY DIGS TO BE FOUND Disadvantages: SOME BAD LANDLORDS AND AGENCIES
...but be VERY cautious.
Cardiff has the highest population of students in the UK so student digs are plentiful. But you must beware of a minority of 'Landlords From Hell' who don't comply with basic health and safety regulations such gas certificates.
I set out in the city with some friends to investigate the difficulties that students may face in finding suitable accommodation. First up, it wasn't easy to get as far as even viewing accommodation ... ...NAMING THEM. I CAN TELL YOU THOUGH THAT THEY ARE NOT RECOMMENDED BY ANY CARDIFF UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATION SERVICE.
Valid gas safety certificates should be held at every rented property that has any gas appliances and should be no more than 12 months old.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a KILLER. ...
Suziwann 08.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Cardiff University
Advantages: Its a city without pollution. Disadvantages: Its wet and windy a lot of the time.
Cardiff University has a great deal to offer its students. First off, it has the largest single Union in Britain - 7 bars in one building plus pool hall, games room, etc. But all this you can find in the prospectus. What you cannot really find in the prospectus is the experience of living in Cardiff. I would describe it as a living in London, but without the polution, traffic congestion and with the countryside (not to mention the seaside) close ... ...Essentially, Cardiff offers everything a student needs not only to survive, but to enjoy their course. My only advice would be to seek assistance when searching for your accomodation (the Union is more than happy to help) and make sure you have good waterproofs: it gets rather wet. ...
Smith 10.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Cardiff University
...at the University Of Wales, cardiff since September 2000, and I think the place is excellent. The course I am studying, Business Administration, has proved to be agood choice, although my mid-year exam results were quite literally nothing to write home about (my Dad would kill me!), but the mainly the student lifestyle at Cardiff is great.
We are repeatedly being told that we are so lucky to have the biggest and the best Student Union in the country. ... ...at Korfball and Waterpolo that Cardiff excell. Nation championship crowns have been claimed this year in both sports. Being in Wales, Rugby is a huge sport. The Main date in the Rugby calendar is the annual Varsity match against arch rivals Swansea (You will always be a poly!), which this year was held at Cardiff Rugby Clubs Arms Park, and resulted in a 10-10 draw, the first time that Swansea haven't won, and still needed a last minute try to rescue ...
shlongey 30.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Cardiff University
Advantages: Cheap to living costs good academic record Disadvantages: Rains a lot and the roads flood
I came to Cardiff to do an Earth Science degree and hadn't payed much attention to what city life was actually like before I came here, so when I arrived I was very surprised to find a city which had all the advantages of a capital city; shops, nightlife, ammenites etc and yet it was all placed in a very small area. The union is one of the biggest in the UK, having a large pub and a nightclub, a smaller bar which is often hired out for society events ... ...I have to say that cardiff university has been outstanding in both teaching & support and activities & nightlife. I can only talk for the Earth Science department, but their standard of teaching, library and computing facilities is amazing. The IT rooms are 24 hours, 7 days a week and are very rarely too busy to get a seat. If you have any problems then there are people on hand to help you. The main building - where most of my lectures are held (unfortunately ...
breezes 14.11.2000 (23.05.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Cardiff University
After achieving my place in Cardiff University last summer I have to admit I had many reservations like what if I don't like it?, what if I don't make any friends? all sorts of things came into my mind. However when I finally sat down and said 'hey this is an amazing opportunity - i'm going' it was just a rollercoaster from there.
I actually live at home and commute to uni as the public transport is superb. My bus drops me off and the walk is about ... ...banks which are really handy. Cardiff uni also has numerous student residences all with excellent facilities and most are within walking distance to the shops in the city!! The whole atmosphere on Campus is great, everyone is really friendly and the support from staff is also the best.
Apart from this fabulous uni, Cardiff itself is a buzzing city for students. Numerous bars, cafes and nightclubs mean that there is always something to do and see. ...
Lisa4 26.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Cardiff University
IT Facilities
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Societies/Clubs
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Advantages: Highly accredited, well respected university Disadvantages: Science lives lead 9am starts not like other courses!
THIS IS A LONG ONE !!!
UPDATED ! - End of final year opinion!
=
Chemistry at CardiffUniversity - The Low Down
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/chemy/
Wow, the first year has already finished and I feels like I have only been here for a couple of months! Anyhow, there are now more detailed sections that were previously omitted because I had not studied them, I've highlighted the updates with a " * ", for easy viewing.
First of all I have to say that Cardiff really is a nice place ? except for when England beat Wales and then it's not too safe if you are English ;-) Only joking! The city is well kept, and it has a pleasant atmosphere (which isn't too badly polluted!!) However it still has the "busy-busy" feeling to it, and trust me you will not sleep the first week being here! My ...
JaYmEZ 09.02.2005 (15.06.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chemistry
Advantages: Fantastic night life! Disadvantages: Halls may be a long walk from the uni.
I am currently in my third year at CardiffUniversity, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anybody. I am studying for an LLB in law and french, and since joining Cardiffuniversity in 1998 I have not looked back. The only apparent disadvantage is that many halls of residence are a long walk from the university and the town. However, all of the halls have their own fantastic atmosphere, and there is always a free bus running to and from the union and the halls of residence at night. The night life in Cardiff is second to none, the people are really friendly- 40 percent of the town's population are students. I am currently in France as part of the university erasmus scheme. This is very interesting and well organised from the point of view of Law, and all of the French towns available to study in are lovely. However, there is some ...
Advantages: Own bus and nightclub. Cheap beer and excellent education. Disadvantages: Can't think of one
University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) has been a university since 1998. It was formerly known as Cardiff Institute of Higher Education, Llandaff Technical College and years before that it was the college for Mariners.
UWIC quickly gained an award for excellence.
UWIC has four sites across the city. Each campus has many different schools.
Colchester Avenue- Catering and Hospitality.
Howard Gardens- Art.
Cyncoed- Teaching and Sport.
Llandaff- Sciences, IT, Business, Design Technology, Art, Horticulture.
There are about 10,000 students at UWIC across the four sites.
UWIC has an active Students' Union which has its own bus service, bars and even has an interest in a night club in the city centre called Reds.
Although UWIC already has an adequate provision of halls, 2005 will see the opening of brand new student ...
"alternative", easy access, some good departments, interesting mix of people
near-bankrupt (redundancies & closures expected), bottom of league table, spread all over with no consistent transport, too much services centered on (*)
