Essex University

I have loved studying at Essex. I found my course very interesting and it's opened up so many avenues of interest for me both educationally and on a personal level.

I would recommend Essex to any prospective students because the atmosphere is outstanding - adding to and enhancing the whole experience.

Essex is a campus university, meaning that everything is all on one site - teaching rooms, accommodation, research facilities and leisure services. There are so many services onsite it would be impossible to list them all here, but I think Essex pretty much has everything covered from sport to culture and socialising to laundry.

I would recommend anyone thinking of coming to Essex to come to an Open Day and check it out. If you've already accepted an offer to Essex then my advice is not to miss Freshers' Week - it is the most important and informative event you will attend in your first term. It will help you to familiarise yourself with the campus and facilities and departments; try out new things (food, drink, clubs, sports); there will be advice available on every aspect you could possibly imagine (from Student's Union to Careers advice, Student Support and financial advice); sign up for university clubs and societies; and most importantly you will be amongst great company - thousands of students in exactly the same boat as you! Not only will this help you get over the initial nerves and excitement, but will give you the opportunity to break the ice with your fellow freshers in one of the many social events happening in Freshers Week.

If you're coming to Essex to study the Arts and Humanities you will greatly benefit from the interdisciplinary nature of the modules. All of the subject areas are linked by common themes and you'll see these themes recurring from one class to another, helping you to get a broader understanding of the concepts and how they relate to other areas.

The teaching is varied - there are so many different character types in the way of lecturers, they all have their own unique styles and demands, but you soon get to know them and what they're looking for in your work. If you're a flexible person then this won't affect you negatively, although it can be quite confusing and frustrating for some. But I found that having so many different characters is definitely interesting and entertaining!

Student accommodation at Essex is reasonably priced if you get into the towers. The towers consist of six high-rise buildings built in the sixties. They're not pretty, and they're not modern, but are certainly unique. Each flat in towers has accommodation for 14 students - there is one kitchen per flat, two bathrooms, and several wc's and each student has their own bedroom. The atmosphere in the towers is something else - it's like one big 24-hour party family, and that's not just within your own flat, but between all flats.

On the flip-side, the newer and more modern South Courts and Quays are much quieter, and have only four students sharing a flat, each with their own en-suite room. You get to choose your preferred options for accommodation when you apply, although you're not guaranteed to get your first choice, but you can pretty much base your decision on whether you're more of a studious, ordered quiet type or a party animal with no concept of the words 'clean' or 'organised'!