Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Reviews

there is no bar in the union although they are trying to change this. it is small and i dont use it as the events are never any good. the gym for this campus is way too small and lacking in equipment and is cramped when there are more than 10 people using it. the wifi is good however there isnt great signal for data in the main lecture halls but the uni wifi is usually working in there. the library has a good book stock but again the study areas are small compared to other unis. there are no toilets or a cafe in the library you are not allowed to eat in there on the upper floors and some of the computers are very old and could do with new monitors. the onsite cafe is overpriced and crowded i never use it. its a small campus and okay campus not amazing but not terrible either. the rent prices are very expensive in cambridge around the unis and being able to only get a place in halls your first year with no option to stay on is frustrating and expensive.

There's definitely a range of societies and clubs you can join, even one based on kpop! The campus is quite small in comparison to other uni's but it's really modern looking, i loved the look of it when i first got here. internet could use some improvements but its not the worst thing in the world i guess.

Huge mistake coming to this university. Poor quality teaching, alongside unprofessional and inadequately qualified staff, makes for a highly uninspiring learning environment. The facilities on campus are poor, with very few sports and societies available. This is not the place to go for a good university experience or for a sound, quality degree. My recommendation to any prospective students is that you should not waste your money and look elsewhere.

Huge mistake coming to this university. Poor quality teaching, alongside unprofessional and inadequately qualified staff, makes for a highly uninspiring learning environment. The facilities on campus are poor, with very few sports and societies available. This is not the place to go for a good university experience or for a sound, quality degree. My recommendation to any prospective students is that you should not waste your money and look elsewhere.

So far the university looks professional and give a voice to their students, I feel like you can get help any time and they really help you settle in your course step by step.

Haven’t been here that long but overall it has been an alright experience. The standards are very high and the expectations of students is strict and the amount of work you are expected to do both academically and extra curricular can be overbearing but the teaching is good.

Students Union work hard to help the university. The university partners with cwa and the communication isn't good between the 2 places. The commute is long and we don't feel a part of either university.

Anglia Ruskin is a hatful toxic place. The staff are self serving egotists who happily bully students on a weekly basis. Over time the students se this behaviour and you’re fair game. If you go to this university you can expect to spend a lot of time crying. Many students leave deeply depressed. They treat your ambitions and dreams with contempt and a solely interested in profiteering. The tutors, in their own reputation and careers. They quickly learn which students are more knowledgable/capable and invest all their time and energy into them, the rest, it’s just tough luck. They don’t care, they even go so far as to sabotage your career and bad mouth you in the industry. The facilities are cold, open plan (presumably to prevent suicides), isolating, lonely and lacking a calm space to settle. You can go three years here and never feel like you’re a part of the university. There is no recourse, no one to complain to, if you do they don’t care and nothing comes of it. Don’t go here.

It’s a good uni with good facilities

If you have to go to the Essex, Chelmsford campus, go to a different university. Chelmsford is awful! Full of wannabe gangsters and Essex chavs. However, I'm sure the Cambridge campus is miles better. With that said, the library is fantastic, open 24hrs so if you're a night owl, you'll be well at home studying there. The teaching is fairly good too.

Internet's good, facilities are good and choice of subject is good

Easy to get around, great security.

MA Childrens book illustration: head of course is a snob, heard him bullying and yelling at students. Picks off his favourites and ignores everyone else. Only interested in his own career. Facilities are rubbish, nowhere to work. Good reputation but course is rubbish. No support, don’t teach you anything, don’t care about your career, don’t care about your development, just want your money.

If you have a disability, DO NOT GO TO THIS UNIVERSITY. They will not support you. Your tutors will bully you, They do not follow reasonable adjustments and they do not care about your progression. You will watch as your abled peers develop and learn and their complaints procedures are set up in order to dismiss negative comments. No action will be taken. You can complain until you are blue in the face. It will make no difference. They will bleed you dry. The facilities are not accessible and the disability "support" team know nothing about your course or work and have no powers to actually do anything to improve your studies or support you in another capacity than placatory well wishes. The primary concern of the tutors is their own careers and the prejudice is rife. The support team is funded by your DSA, which they will merrily bill for without actually providing you with the service you are paying them for. Their advocacy service is used to support their staff.

Wifi basically didn't work for me. Buildings were quite nice but were not disabled persons friendly. icenter staff were lovely. IT and other helpful departments were often prompt with replies and as helpful as possible. Some professors were really great. Others were nightmares. I would not recommend for Psych related Masters programs, but I have heard good things about their undergrad programs.

Facilities are very diverse. I got to use a letterpress workshop, photography studios, video studios and huge iMac Suites. When not in lesson these facilities are shared between different Year Group students from different courses so I can get feedback from different perspectives.

Before I started the course I was overly ambitious and very chaotic with my design ideas. Over the three years on my course, I have been taught how to focus my creativity and come up with an appropriate outcome for every project I start, instead of just having unrealistic ideas that I never execute. In my opinion, all lecturers on my course, including the guest lecturers, are really different so have had the chance to get feedback on my work from diverse points of view and that is something I have found extremely beneficial.

Study a distance learning degree in digital marketing with this uni. This has been my worst educational experience to date. Tutors appear unhelpful and hard to reach. The content isnt very good either, just thrown a load of reading, no live lectures, or video lectures or anything. Lots of information but no framework so you don't actually know how to carry out activities required for assignments. Come assignment time you're left trying to find your own way. Very unorganised, unlogical and very unprofessional. If OU did this course I'd go there. It's hard to believe this is costing 4500p/a. Im on my second assignment for this course and if it wasn't for the fact I'd owe money and unsure if I could change to a different uni, I'd leave in a heart beat. OU appears much better. Than this amateurish course.

My course has been enriching in many aspects, and I have gained a lot of confidence in myself as a researcher, presenter, networker, and person. This has occurred through participating in research training events, presenting at seminars, and working on conferences at the university, such as the Cambridge Arts Network conference. My supervisor and other lecturers in the Cambridge School of Creative Industries have guided me and assisted me in making connections with other researchers. I have grown immensely as a researcher as I have gained knowledge in academic writing, conducting literature reviews, and critically analyzing film and other forms of art. The research specific facilities are nice, and hopefully there will be even more spaces created for researchers to work and socialize in the near future. Cambridge has endless possibilities for researchers and creative-minded people, and as a centre of academic excellence, Cambridge definitely does not lack in inspiration.

The campus its self is very small, has very little to do, and does not feel like the classic cosy, friendly, campus you might associate with university. In line with this there are very few decent sports/societies to take part in, from what I have seen the accommodation is minimal and fairly grim. The lecturers and staff I have come across however have been brilliant, I study Paramedic Science and I find them to be knowledgeable, enthusiastic and generally very good. Most of them are still active Paramedics which is a brilliant resources for those of us learning the trade. Despite this however the course is in its infancy and still teething. It feels like a university that is desperate to make money, there are clearly too many of us, but they dont want to pay more staff. The course could be done in 2 years in terms of content, but that would be a years less fees for them. Great staff but Uni is a scam. Learn a trade instead.

It’s good but had issues with society and eduroam plays up

Only go to ARU part time but so glad that I’m not there full time or live there looks so dead! The rooms and library are nice. Then canteen is okay sometimes really lovely and sometimes meh. The theatre in Ashcroft building is painted dark purple making the room really dark which isn’t a nice educational environment!

It’s a great uni but has problems with adminstratation

Left and went to a better university

I loved my experience at university here, but I felt like some facilities were limited in the music department. Equipment was sometimes broken and therefore unable to use...and ALSS nights like Thursday night live were always empty as the same bands would always play.

Great student facilities and good lecturers

The paramedic science BSc is amazing and that staff are exceptional!

The university has great facilities, and the societies and student union is fantastic! Most of the toilets are gender neutral, and the bathrooms in the SU offer towels and tampons free to students. The university also offers fantastic student support. It is a great environment, and the events the SU put on are always fun and interesting. Another plus is the SU bar is always cheap!! Great university overall.

ARU is located perfectly just outside the city center, so you're close to everything without being mauled my tourists. My Freshers experience was great, there was so much on and I felt encouraged to try things out and get involved. I love my course and the staff are friendly and helpful. I am an art student and can particularly hilight the printmaking studios and the animation facilities! If you're considering coming for an open day, definitely come along, and have an explore.of Cambridge while you're at it. I fell in love with the city pretty quickly and love to explore the surrounding area. There are lovely Riverside walks they take you into the middle of nowhere in no time

There are lots of clubs and societies to join and the Students Union staff are very welcoming and friendly. The SU also hold lots of events for Freshers which is a great way to meet people in Freshers Week.

Wouldn’t fault the uni. attended two different campuses and both are extremely clean with lots of opportunities and support in place

Really good resources on campus and the student union work with all students and teachers to make their experience the best possible

For the last 3 years I’ve been doing Film and TV Production at Anglia Ruskin University, and it is everything I wanted it to be. The course, which is divided into several modules, focuses heavily on putting the students into the shoes of filmmakers. The university provides us with the equipment used on professional film sets and allows us to learn from practice rather than theory. With modules such as Documentary, TV Studio, Specialised Practice and the final Major Project, the course becomes a worthwhile and entertaining experience while enhancing artistic skills in the area of filmmaking.

The universities infrastructure and uni groups and societies are great.

The universities infrastructure and groups are great,

The university infrastructure and different groups and societies are great. Internet could be improved.

Aru is a good uni however it outside of the course there isnt much going on

It is a good University,but just good. It is like if you want to do a University. But honestly,it is not a professional University. I am talking about London campus.

Anglia Ruskin University has, so far, given me an amazing university experience. Having studied Drama in my first year and now having transferred onto the Writing and Film course, I can say without a doubt that the student services give wonderful support with your options as a student. As a course rep for my current course, I have gained a huge responsibility of making sure fellow students are enjoying what they do, as well as communicating with staff on a professional level. What ARU doesn't tell you is how much respect you will be given as a student, and it's phenomenal when you realise how your lecturers will give you such independence with your coursework and how much love they have for their industries. It really is all about “U” here, and it's really shown!

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here at ARU.

Warming and always helpful with my work and creating exhibitions

Nothing really makes the uni stand out from many others..plus could uses some student parking

I love this university, everything's great!

Started in my second year and ARU is amazing. Such lovely teachers, students and atmosphere. So glad I switched!

Not bad at all- quiet but a good place to work.

This school have everything we need to have a good scholar time!

Chelmsford campus- Needs to be more food options available. Canteen food is generally disgusting and overpriced, and cafe 98 is nice but so full sometimes you can’t get a seat!

Good education and resources. Student union and social event are limited

I study Paramedic Science BSc Hons. I have found my uni experience disappointing at ARU. In first year, the accommodation on campus was horrible - tiny rooms with paper thin walls, the rooms were dark and uninviting and really over priced! The uni building itself is quite nice, and the campus has a nice layout except I don’t really like that members of the public are often just wondering around campus. The course I’m on is run relatively well, many of the lecturers care and put effort in. The equipment we use in skills is always up to date and good quality. The uni’s SU bar is really impractical and nobody wants to go there as everything is overpriced and they don’t have any cool events, the only student unions are academic or sports related except for “tea and coffee club” which is saddest thing I’ve ever seen. The nightlife in Chelmsford is so bad and the uni don’t do anything to encourage local businesses to engage with students.

The campus is lovely but the course I’m on isn’t well organised and the equipment we use is mainly broken

Overall, it's good there. Especially the English Lit department. But the SU are difficult to work with, there's limited societies, which are often very cliquey. There's been a lot of building work going on this year, which has been incredibly disruptive.

Aru has its ups and downs like any university. I have very much enjoyed my time here. If you make the most of it then you will have a great experience with the uni. If you don't then you will feel as through the uni has let you down. Everything you need to have a great time if there, you just have to be the one to go it it.

Great for anyone looking into doing a career in sport like myself, as the facilities and possibilities are of high quality. Main downside for me is that clubs will often be judged from the big wigs based off of the actions of the few, rather than the whole collective.

A little on the unorganized side but staff will do whatever it takes to give the best experience for students

Good for undergrad life sciences, however if you stay to do a master's degree you essentially re-do undergrad experiments (especially the genetics module which is identical). Masters dissertation supervisor was wholly unhelpful and generally seemed disinterested. Facilities are good and Cambridge is a nice place to live (very expensive though but that's to be expected)

Needs to invest in better teachers, would be a great uni

Amazing university with great facilities

I was dreaming to be here. Now I’m living the dream.❤️

I’m in my second semester of year 1 and I’m loving it so far. I commute 3 days a week and I feel very supported. The only thing I would say is that the teaching in every lecture is very same-y so this needs to change.

Excellent university with good staff. Serial facilities especially for the sciences with the science building.

I am a nursing student and the nursing campus is great. It is a very modern building, with a training suite to learn and practice your skills. I couldn't fault the facilities, services and clubs on offer.

Student union not open at night! Library on campus, small gym Mildmay charges apply to join. People hang out in kitchens which disturbs others studying. No social life. Spar, pizza place. The campus laundry expensive and clothes can come out dirty. Whole place needs a refurbishment and hot water sorting out and windows double glazing. Very old small rooms. Lots of international students. Courses are predominantly non white

noice very very very noice. noice i tell you.

Overall great. Staff are short and give up a lot of their time to teach us best they can to give us great knowledge. Facilities are excellent, atmosphere is great and livrarians and teachers are best i met. Career service staff are rubbish however, not helpful. Give up your time to see them and train to campus just to be shown 4 websites, 3 of which you allready use and been introduced to throughout the course.

This uni is so shhhhhhhhhhhhhhit

Definitely could be helped with more societies and a good. SU

It’s good and the campus is always clean, easy to navigate

The university and the doctors are very, very good

Great Facilities and Student Union, along with a super supportive Careers Service.

Im not exactly Anglia Rusking student because im with CRIC and it was the worst decision ever waste of time and money we are learning nothing and when u have a problem no one can help u. Recently i had a problem to access my time table and i spend about 5 hours in the office waiting with 20 other students for help. Also the campus is a joke. It is overprised and it is not possible to break the contract. I dont know anyone who is satisfied with the student accomodation

Everything is super basic and you expect a lot more from a famous university city.

Very good lecturers and facilities, and an excellent student union.

Love the booksplus scheme- I get £400 to spend throughout the year on books, gifts, hoodies and sports gear.

An amazing university over all in an amazing city

Disorganised, generally unhelpful place. For example, I’ve received conflicting information on what work to submit and when, and have been given generally poor advice. I feel I always have to email and phone for help, it’s rarely offered. Thankfully other students have been on hand for help and advice, particularly in relation to confusing timetables. Without this, I think things would be worse. I understand the drop out rate at ARU is high, frankly given what I’ve experienced, I’m not surprised.

Great university, improvement are being made every single day

There isn't a community and this uni is full of old people absolutely not motivated. Teachers are good.

A great uni but sometimes very unorganised - not a public bar just made up - and some staff are rude and many students are rude too.

Don’t do it. No really. Don’t do it

Really non-supportive university; very bad experience, students get tricked for something that does not even exists; wrong expectation setting

The lecturers, staff have been really helpful whenever I have had issues and very understanding. There are a lot of societies that are really interesting and I tend to join at least two every year (best way for me to have a work life balance)

Since moving here I have felt comfortable and welcomed from the get go.

Excellent teachers and equipment, facilities are great and overall a difficult but fun and promising experience.

It is a nice university with several campuses; I have found passionate lecturers and bad, Boring ones. The WiFi is standard for educational purposes about 700mb download and upload. But overall a nice place to futher your studies.

Modern campus in Cambridge, but huge problems with the WiFi, which is essential for students.

Very student focused university, lovely facilities and accomodation which is well kept by maintenance team.

I'm doing Foundation and got all the help I needed so far. Staff is good and helpfully all the time. Classes are well equipped for their purposes.

I am currently a student and I doubt these rating are geniue or actually based on student feedback. This is the worst uni on earth, I think uni in 3rd world countries opporate and function better.

A lovely University. Very nice atmosphere around the campus (Cambridge) as well as good lecturers & course material.

Awful place, cuts to all degrees. My degree is half hearted and mixed with 3 other degrees now due to the lack of funding

Loved it everything about ARU. Will always be a proud Rhino!

The uni itself is great. Amazing careers advisors that can help you prepare for the next step after uni. Cambridge nightlife however is pretty dead. Only 2-3 clubs that are worth going to however after a while they get pretty boring. Surprising for a city which has one of the most famous universities in the world in; but the city itself is fairly isolated, and student life isn’t as exciting as you may think.

Anglia Ruskin has such a great support network. From an advice service to a financial service to really supportive staff that want to see you achieve so much. Everyone you talk to puts you at ease and there is such a fantastic employment bureau for part time jobs within the Uni that pay the living wage!

The teachers are outstanding. Truly one in a million

the best university in providing academic knowledge and facilities

It's a great university that reveals interest by their students.

Such a comfortable university with so many opportunities

Computers are as expected, but rooms are closed at silly hours. Dozens of societies, sure, but 90% are representative and only a few are recreational. Students Union is the redeeming factor - they're lovely folks who genuinely try to look out for people and provide as many events and opportunities to the student body as they can. I went to ARU for three years and feel almost like I wasted the time, but the SU is prime.

I love this place so much, it was a great chou

Helpful and supportive staff, the schemes to support less fortunate students are good too!

The university are more interested in hitting targets and getting quotas. They do not assist students when they need help and refuse to treat people fairly. It seems you are more likely to get good grades if you are friends with the teacher or if the gains something from that student. Papers are definitely not marked anonymously. To may people have dropped out of my course for failed due to this.

Very unorganised due to lack of staff - especially in medical related subjects - also they have admitted to not teaching us what we need to know and also lecturers frequently run late. Not very helpful in support either. Would not recommend if you have a disability or need other learning support for example to go here.

The uni is ok, seems like people are in their cliques. Especially in student union... some of my lecturers are the best, not friendly or considerate.

Good facilities with a large library and some nice new lecture halls. Good tutors for the most part, and a friendly environment.

Does feel like real uni, no support or help

Facilities are underfunded, especially those for civil engineering. The campus is pretty small yet lively to some extent.

Had the best experience at ARU and would strongly recommend this uni to everyone.

There’s more than one reason why it’s one of the worst unis in the country

ARU is a great place to go no matter your personality. There is something for everyone to take part in, and it will really being you out of your shell. The tutors will push you to do your best and there's no reason why you can't get a first here. Fab uni, I've stayed to do PG study!

Lecturers were uninterested and unhelpful, good library services and sports teams however the course was poorly run

It has been a brilliant experience and I've loved every minute here.

Anglia Ruskin University is one of the best university i can recommend for anyone who wants to choose a uni. They got the best teachers who have time to explain anything you don’t understand it well

It's an open university so there are some robberies. It should be fixed. But besides that everything is great in ARU

From my experience everybody at Anglia Ruskin has been very helpful and supportive in every activity and class. Lectures are great and knowledgeable. Could use more flexible times for the extracurricular activities with the lecturers but otherwise really good University! Thank you, Anglia Ruskin!

ARU is a good university the facilities are amazing especially for my course (psychology) my lecturers are all very friends and helpful with any questions I have. The other services the university have offered me are amazing! I got a well paid job through the uni which I wouldn’t have found without their help. I couldn’t rate this university any higher

I withdrawn from this uni as I have not been accepted to live at one of the uni accommodation for my first year as i live under 35miles radius. I was (32.7miles) away from the uni.

Independence, the ability to figure out who I am in a safe environment with support

I am in my 2nd year of uni and have found my experience amazing. The lecturers have been so friendly and I feel they are very approachable to talk to. I also feel the uni has been supportive and helpful with just finding out I have dyslexia which I thinks is amazing

Facilities are awesome, especially for science students as we have just got the shiny new Science centre! Most of the staff are really friendly and help you with anything you need. The careers team are brilliant. Being in Cambridge especially is great as it is a lovely city! Not something you get from going to a uni like Leeds or Huddersfield... just saying!

this uni has been the best experiebce of my life

Coming from Northern Ireland it has been the best experience so far, everyone is inviting and helpful