Aberystwyth

bellett

Has anyone any personal experience of Uni in Aberystwyht please? Good or bad experiences?

And can anyone tell me please what the cost of living is like there?

Thanks

windswept

My daughter's friend is studying there and loves it - my daughter has visited her for a weekend and thought it was great, it's along way from just about anywhere on the train though, it took 3 and a half hours from Crewe, via Shrewsbury. I think the girl pays about £70 per week in halls.

button16

Hey I'm in my second year at Aber doing Physical Geography. My experience is definately a positive one, it's a very safe place to be and the people here are very friendly. The main population is students and the costs in the pubs etc shows this. The fees for accommodation are just under 3000 a year for sept to june in halls. Also not having very many clothes shops etc, it stops me spending my money on things I don't really need. If you have any other questions feel free to pm me.

Crispy_Ambulance

I did my first degree at Aber (in the early 90s) and it was a great place to be at university - very friendly, an easy place to get to know and it's by the sea!

alleycat`

Did a BSC there in the mid 90's and i loved every minute of it.

Obviously its quite a long time ago but i have only good things to say about my time there.

-
Richard

davelewis

Spent 3 amazing years at Aber (1994 - 1997) - loved every minute of it.

As previously stated it is a town based around the University so the pubs are good for student deals and the accommodation is not too expensive.

Former_MSE_James

I studied Computer Science at Aberystwyth between 2003 - 2007 and the place is fantastic. It is probably more suited to students who don’t want to live the city life and are quite happy with a small coastal town where there are almost as many students as locals. The downside (or upside!) is that it’s miles from anywhere so takes an absolute age to get there! Great fun, great pubs and great people, would defiantly recommend it. :beer:

aberimp

Just to add to the positive reviews, I went there too and loved every minute of it.

I studied law from 2005-2008, so my memory of it is quite recent. It's a lovely little town, with shops run by friendly local people. It's got some great pubs, too (shout out for the Ship and Castle).

It's nice in the summer, just as your exams are approaching, to get an ice cream and revise on the beach. It's so calming, with the waves lapping against the beach. Also, if countryside walking is your thing, then Aberystwyth has that too (and it's free!)

In terms of the facilities available at the University, they are also very good. Of course, it depends which subject you are doing. However, there is the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, which has access to every book published in the UK. So if you were doing a dissertation and needed some really obscure book, you could get it. The library is free, by the way, so it may save you having to buy some books.

The cost of living in Aberystwyth is much cheaper than other places. I'm in Nottingham doing another course, and it's much more expensive here. When I was in halls in the first year, it cost me about £65 per week in rent (Nottingham is £90 for comparison). Also, because it is a small town, taxi fares and bus fares are not as high. Alcohol is also slightly cheaper, and there are plenty of student offers around.

If football is your thing, Aberystwyth Town Football Club costs just £3 per match.

The only downside is that the University is at the top of Penglais Hill (quite steep), whereas the town is at the bottom of the hill. If you are quite fit, then the walk shouldn't be a problem. However, if you don't fancy it, then an annual bus pass is £30, and will get you free bus travel around all of Aberystwyth for a whole year.

Another issue is that it is quite far away from anywhere else. This can be good or bad, depending on whether you want to travel home every weekend. I personally loved being away from home and gaining independence, but it depends if that's what you want.

Should you go there and find yourself short of money, the Uni also has a very good hardship fund, and various other schemes. The Student Union, for example, gave me £600 towards a volunteer placement in Kenya.

Overall, I found the university to be much cheaper than my friends, who went elsewhere. Everything from rent to alcohol to rent seems to be cheaper.

Hope this helps (p.s. sorry for the essay! That's what 3 years of law does to you...)