Aberystwyth University Reviews

Student union poor, societies often neglected

Great supportive University Sadly not very enviromentally friendly, still cutting down dress and plants.

I went to Aber between 1993 / 1994. I have been reading some of the reviews from students over the last 5 yrs, in particular about the poor quality of teaching and lack of support, favouritism/ nepotism towards the Wels, poor facilities, accommodation/ counselling problems, poor provision for mental health, lack of entertainment and things to do. I absolutely agree with what's been written as I too experienced the same things all those years ago, and was shocked to discover that things have not changed in 27 yrs. There was an anglophobic ethos to this University when I studied there ( not sure if things have changed today), the tutors merely critised me but did not help me to gain teaching skills so as to pass my PGCE. The schools I attended where just as bad and there was a feeling that one was being socially rejected for being English. This University was not good for post graduate study or in regard to supporting students having mental health issues. I do not recommend this Uni

Campus is awful, SU are essentially bankrupt and staff don’t know what they’re talking about half of the time

What the uni lacks in size it deffo makes up for in location and teaching quality.

Great smaller university. SU could be better

Completely underwhelmed by the whole Aber uni experience. Aber the town is amazing, can't fault it. But the uni is another matter. From disengaged personal tutors to blatant favouritism in workshops, the whole BA experience was, looking back, one that should be totally avoided. The culmination was on Graduation Day when one of the "lecturers" walked on stage to receive his MA. Put in an appeal re. several issues including the strike and lack of lectures/help in the final semester, to be told that the "strike had had absolutely no effect" on final grades (only 30% of lectures took place for some modules!). Ludicrous, ostrich-like attitude and quite frankly totally arrogant. Hope they can sleep at night, knowing what a poor deal was delivered in the 2017-18 academic year.

I love this university! Main campus is only a 5 min walk from the town and then another 5 mins on top of that to get to the beautiful beaches. I only thing I can think of that can make this uni lose points is the union, they used to be amazing but this past year have gone down a bit. The surrounding areas are stunning!

I am a first year student who needs extra help with my English being dyslexic Aberystwyth allows that extra help and contact I need. It being a smaller uni the lecturers get to know u all personally which makes learning easier. There is also a club for everything u can imagine from rugby to car enthusiasts from waterpolo to tennis there is a club for u

Fantastic University. I have loved every minute of it so far and don't want it all to end. I don't want to leave Aberystwyth as it is such a beautiful place and the people are so welcoming.

I'm going to be blunt with you DO NOT LIVE IN FFERM PENGLAIS. Constant inspections where the accommodation office will fail you for absolutely ludicrous things (dishes should not be left on the draining board is one of my personal favourites.) They will find any excuse to charge you, or take your deposit away. If you do decide to live here PRAY that you end up with nice people because the accommodation office will do absolutely nothing except patronise you if you complain to them about a hall mate. If you are living here, then good luck is the only thing I can say to you.

In the nicest possible way, Aberystwyth and its staff were useless - they discontinued my course and only notified me via one email, then gave me a form to switch to a different course at that university, and not one to switch to somewhere else. I rang Aberystwyth three times trying to sort out a place at a different university but they said it basically wasn't their problem and they wish me the best of luck. Long story short I'm now enrolled at York St. John University after an unconditional offer from them, and am starting in September. Aberystwyth caused me an unnecessary amount of stress, and I pray they sort themselves out soon.

Facilities are either brand new or old but perfectly reasonable. The Hugh Owen library especially is brilliant, and open 24/7. There's huge amounts of support from a variety of different sources, from a dedicated student wellbeing building, student finance, careers advisers and drop ins, personal tutor groups and friendly lecturers. The student union tries really hard but unless you're really into partying it all gets a bit too much, but there have been some cool stuff like vintage kilo sales organised. There's masses of societies, but some can be a bit expensive. In this location there's opportunities you wouldn't get elsewhere, like kayaking and mountaineering.

Internet is just awful and inconsistent, it has significantly reduced my video game time to about 4 hours which still infuriates me, but everything else is fantastic but expensive (compared to Birmingham prices if that helps)

Careers are rude but other than that everything is fantastic

Lovely place amazing people and location

A great choice of activities, big halls and accommodations, friendly staff

Great selection of clubs/ societies however the union isn't fantastic, it tries to create events and an atmosphere but due to the size of the building and budget the events aren't plentiful.

Lovely location with good facilities Warm and friendly, everyone knows each other and is a real community

This is honestly really good for such a small town.

Great uni, great people, amazing views, hilarious societies, slightly repressive SU, internet likes to drop for 3 or 4 seconds every hour or so (Not much of a big deal but when playing games that's a pain)

Great location, good atmosphere.

The union isn't great, but that's just due to funding.

Aber is, overall, a close-knit, welcoming place to study. The campus and town are easy walking distance, and you don't need a car. Being by the seaside is also a plus. If you can endure the harsh winter tides, you'll be rewarded with beautiful sunsets and summer barbecues. The campus is ugly, no doubt, but it has all of the facilities you could need, including libraries, computer rooms, food shops and the union restaurant, which also does good takeaway, sports facilities, and more. There are clubs and societies for most things, but some are much better run than others. The union could use better marketing, as often, when they hold events, we don't hear about them until they're over or they're scheduled for when everyone has assignments to do. Internet connectivity is generally good around campus. The careers services are definitely a drawback. I went in once and they just referred me to a website. I was the only one there, but they rushed me out like they had better things to do.

Plenty of good clubs to choose from. Difficult to be in a sports team if you don't fancy getting drunk every wednesday.

Plenty of societies and sports clubs to be involved in, the campus is pretty with lots of green spaces and communal areas.

Really enjoy the uni, a few issues but nothing major, the societies are awesome

I've loved my first semester here, it's been hard at times but the support network for students is always there and they're great. Everyone here is generally lovely and the accomodation is pretty nice too!

I've been here for just over two months now and I'm having an amazing time. I've joined some great clubs including WUOTC (Officer training corps). You can swim in the sea when it's calm and it's a great experience.

Nice, close nit community of students, but the resources and facilities of the university just aren't that good

There's no place on Earth like Aber, beside the homicidal seagulls it's a brilliant place to live and study!

Really good university, with good lecturers and resources. Be careful with where you choose to live though, do your research !!

Good uni for social interaction

Great array of activities for students in a town so small that you have to make your own entertainment. ABER Rag put on the best socials, not forgetting the May Ball. Space Female of the Species were our grad ball headline act.

Aber is the Welsh Cambridge....fact

Decent but the locals are pretty inbred

Overall the facilities aren't bad, SU has lots of options for food and drink, the Arts Center has access to new movies and exhibitions, the campus isnt hard to get around, internet everywhere (but the 12GB cap is a pain). Societies are great if you plan on drinking. ALOT. Or just doing specific non-drinking activities (like cards, or D&D, sports if you're into that, even just hanging around people with the same interest as you...) but usually aa drinking component will be a pretty instrumental part of the social. Career Services are not taken very seriously, and I don't have much experience using them myself just yet, but they will become a big part of your life in 3rd year and can help find jobs around the town during the year if you want/need one. Overall, Aber is a great uni to be at (if you dont like cities, prefer countryside, are prepared for strong winds/rain and for the occasional mix ups with people speaking welsh to you).

the Union could do with updating and better events

Overall a decent uni could do with modernising alot of stuff

One of the greatest unis in the country and a lovely town to live in too

overall a satisfactory university. No more, no less

I still live there... that's say it all really. The best years of my life and it really prepared me for adulthood and the big bad job world. I'm successful in my career now and I have Aberystwyth University to thank for that.

Computer facilities are plentiful and fast, there is a society for everything and the union regularly hosts big events worth going to. The careers service appears to largely sit in the background, what little has been heard from them is usually about services or events that can only be attended at specific times. The one time I dropped in, I was turned away with a URL to go to that had nothing of use on it when I visited it. Despite this, they are friendly people working there and I'm sure that with enough digging, appropriate help could be found. The internet can be patchy, there have been a couple of outages/major drops in speed since arriving, and the internet cap is something that very few other universities enforce. The automatic blocking of all ports is also an unusual practice and is a complete pain at the best of times. When all working properly, through allowed ports, it is a fast connection though.

I couldn't have found a better university. I love living in Aber, and I love the uni. We are a relatively small uni, but for the size they try and do their best for us.

The campus is overall an okay campus, the buildings are quite dated from the outside, but on the inside, most have been refurbished so they look nice. In terms of facilities, they are lots off different things skattered around the campus, such as the su, pubs, shops, takeaways, clubs, lounges, cafes, theatres etc... In terms of clubs and societys, they are lots of things to do - I strongly recommend going to the freshers stalls, and talking to and signing up for as much stuff as you can - you don't have to commit to it or anything. The union is great, and they put on lots of events, and give off a feeling that they genuinely care about the students. The career opportunity's are great - they is a careers department, that can help you with things like CV's etc, but they also help you with finding temp placements inside the uni if you need a little bit of money. The internet throughout campus is great, and they are hardly anyplaces you can't get any wifi (maybe in the middle a carpark)..

Campus is reasonable, union is nice for pool and big sports games. IBERS cafe is good for food just very pricey.

Universities campus provides a good service!

Aberystwyth is an absolutely amazing university. The courses that I and friends study are varied, interesting, and engaging. So many different clubs and societies to join and all have incredibly friendly students running them. Internet isn't the best, and it's not the easiest place to get a job, but it is in an absolutely beautiful area of the UK as a whole, with lots of pubs and nightlife. Love it.

Facilities situation is getting silly, not enough places to train so using roads to run on at night, AstroTurf is a safety hazard!

Great uni, great people, wonderful scenery, plenty to do. Can't fault it.

The Theatre, Film and Television Studies department supports it's students throughout the three years and even after they have graduated. The staff are friendly and approachable and so encouraging.

Amazing place everyone's friendly and helpful, staff are always willing to help you if your stuck, courses are well layed out and explained to you before you choose one. Wide variety of module choices for 2nd and 3rd year to help get into what your interested in. The towns brilliant with all your shopping/ eating needs and the place is also on the seafront, whats more to love!

I love my university, it's like a mini family. Everyone in my department is so helpful and the new 'tell us now' system is very useful.

A fantastic close knit community in an amazingly beautiful place. A surprisingly vibrant social life is possible.

Really nice town, very safe for living. University have various of schemes and courses which cant be easily found anywhere else!

Very subdued but peaceful and nice place to be

People slate this university and I'm not sure why, I can't imagine being anywhere else!

The campus itself is nice, but the buildings don't look particularly attractive, and the library facilities aren't very good - but they are being improved constantly! The town is lovely, as are the townsfolk, and most of the other students I've met have been very nice. Another positive is that because Aber is in the middle of nowhere, few people want to go there, so they tend to ask for quite low entrance grades. Also, frequent trains to Birmingham, which is very useful for returning home!

You have to travel a bit to get a job that's not retail. The accommodation is s*** at uni, and they didn't help me at all when I had a problem with my flat/flatmates. The private accommodation is extremely high for the s*** you get. You have to dish out 600 for a one bedroom flat that's not completely run down. Only way to live semi -reasonable is in a massive house share. My department was really good, though (Criminology). Teachers amazing, understanding, kind, helpful and very intelligent.

Very good all round facilities, occasional wifi problems

Best university experience ever! Aberystwyth is like living in a unique bubble with everything you could possibly need or want within one town. The social life is brilliant; 53 pubs within walking distance and fancy dress is an everyday occurrence. Living by the sea is beautiful, what better way is there to spend your evenings than bonfires on the beach looking out for Dolphins?! We have so many clubs and societies too, many unique to Wales (sea rowing is a must!). The halls of residence are a great way to meet new friends and range from stunning hotel standard to simply a place to sleep...something to suit everyone! Living costs are ridiculously cheap here too, accommodation is substantially lower than other unis both in private accommodation and uni halls. Nights out are cheap too; Vodka Tuesday's are an experience and shots are 60p everywhere! It is a student town and therefore everything is geared around student living. Easily the best 3 years of my life! :D

Lovely seaside town, but halls are not brilliant in the first year.

A great, safe laid back university by the sea, with high academic standards in teaching & learning for all students, in my experience as an Economics student, 3 fantastic libraries on it's campuses, & a great social scene.

Aberystwyth is unlike any other university, the number of societies for a small town is amazing. The people are great and the beach!

Great uni, everyone is welcoming!

Very good, enjoyed it very much

It is amazing and got me a amazing job so who can say bad things about it

Not a lot wrong with Aberystwyth University really, its a warm and welcoming place, the Union isn't fantastic but town compensates on that with interest!

I absolutely love Aber. Plus there's Wifi pretty much EVERYWHERE.

I love spending time on campus as you get the most amazing views. The union is a great place to drink if you live on campus and fancy a cheap night.

I had a great time. Lots of great teaching. Lots of practical experience. Lots of help to get a job. A great start to my career.

Not too bad, nice area to live in

Overall the uni buildings are dated and look ugly but the majority are renovated inside and are to a good standard, however some would be better just knocking down and starting over.

Clubs and societies are great. SU is cheap but skint. Wifi works. Career opportunities are limited because it's a student town. Campus is constantly in scaffolding and grey but there's always multiple computer rooms open.

Great atmosphere, beautiful area, awesome people.

Just finished my first year there and I loved it! Can't wait to get back in a few weeks!!

I love this place, best decision I ever made!! Love the facilities and it's in a beautiful town, joined a great club and made loads of friends.

Aber uni is great if you go and make the best of the opportunities available to you. The Sports and Societies are what make the University experience so amazing at Aber uni. If you don't bother to try and engage in at least one than your already missing out on a lot of fun. All of the sports teams and societies are incredibly welcoming for students that have previous experience in it or just trying to pick up a new hobby. Academically the University is very accessible with most lectures being open for you to E-mail them or go visit them in their office hours. The Halls are decent, not the best in the world but you could do a lot worse at other universities. The town whilst small has everything you need realistically to enjoy your time. The only draw back is the Students Union which is what you make of it, if you get involved with the Clubs and try and engage with the Students Union you appreciate them more.

Not much to do in the town besides get drunk, not a wide variety of societies within the uni but you have to pay quite a lot of money to join them

Aber is an amazing place to study - both the university and the town itself are so friendly and welcoming and it soon feels like a home from home. There's something here for everyone; a massive range of sports teams and societies, from real ale (which is essentially just the pub crawl society) to things like languages and gaming. The staff are, for the most part, super helpful and always willing to go the extra mile, and the facilities are great. Both Penglais and Llanbadarn campuses are easy to get to from town (except for the massive hill) on foot or via public transport, which is really cheap - bus journeys are £1 to anywhere around the area. The university has a really good reputation for the rural sciences and there's clearly been a lot of investment in these areas. The main campus itself is very clean, relaxed and has plenty of green space to relax between lectures.

absolutely loved it here! Best uni ever!

Absolutely loved my three years here, great student community within the town!

Aberystwyth is a picturesque university, with a supporting standard which excellent, Accomadation is based all around the town and with new facilities being built we all look forward to using them.

It's been a good time and the tutors for my department have been amazing, but little can be said for the accommodation on campus.

Okay uni, bit run down and old fashioned, need better communication and staff to check emails more and seem more approachable if you have an issue.

All of the lecturers are a great help and all assignments are returned on time.

During my three years at Aberystwyth I have found almost everything to be excellent. Teaching within my department (Geography and Earth Science) has been great and the staff are always willing to help. The campus is good although not all the buildings look great they all have all the resources required. Moneywise the university have a large amount of bursaries and scholarships so this has meant that along with cheap rents I have had cash to burn whilst at university. Thus the social life has been excellent, the location also means that all the students stick around during weekends so it becomes a tightknit community unlike some city universities. The students union is okay but has got considerably worse each year and this trend is likely to continue. Career opportunities seem fairly good I have just graduated and have had multiple good job offers even though I have limited experience. Aber has been publically dragged down by politics which hasn't affected me at all.

Aberystwyth university provides the perfect basis for the building of a great experience and the feeling of a family. Staff are friendly, informative and helpful and there is always someone or something to point you in the right direction. Opportunities come in great numbers whether it be through sports, societies or work experience. Perfect univeristy experience!

Aber is one of the most unique and fun places I've ever been. There is nowhere like it. Not as daunting and busy as a city uni, but without the shops, yet not as isolated as a campus uni, without the want to hide yourself from civilisation in some strange student only cult. It's got a lovely coastline and a great nightlife. Whilst there may be no maccies for a mile and it's in desperate need of a nandos, there is plenty of cheek to go around without it.

Excellent atmosphere, beautiful town as well. An excellent variety of activities to do. Excellent night life, if you're into pubs more than clubs!

Experience was positive overall

Tutor off sick during my dissertation, therefore left without a tutor for the rest of the year. Plagiarism system is crap and provides no first step such as a warning. First year brilliant although tutor useless at teaching. Field trip great. Student union expensive. Some buildings need an update. Sports centre prices are expensive even for its own students. Parking is limited. Feedback on work takes ages.

Great uni, ignore the stupid leaderboard stuff they mean absolutely nothing.

Really nice place to study! The staff for my department (earth sciences) are great, and are willing to help at all times. The town itself is lively, with two beaches to relax on which is always a bonus. There are many places to visit locally of interest, which you can get to by train or bus with ease. The national library of Wales is a minutes walk from campus, which is free to use for students, a very handy tool for assignments. Overall I would recommend Aberystwyth university as a place of study, a truly great place!

Aberystwyth University has everything to suit ones needs and aspirations. Brilliant facilities particularly the student union and both libraries. I have loved my first year and I can't wait to return in September!

Please sack the secretary that caused our tables to drop :(

I absolutely love Aberystwyth! The people are lovely, my lecturers are great, approachable and helpful, and the location is beautiful (once you get past the horrendous hill!) I have never regretted my decision to go to Aber. It's my home! I love it!

I had an amazing 3 years at uni! Really don't want to leave Aber! It's a brilliant place to study, the improvements made to the uni throughout my study are continuing in the many years to come to make it even better! A wonderful location and friendly atmosphere! Everyone seems to know everyone because of all the societies and clubs. If you don't fall in love with Aber and don't recognise ever other person you see on campus or in town you haven't got involved enough!

A close, safe town, thriving with friends. Exciting course with awesome prospects for the future!

Love it. SU can be improved but best year if my life hands down.

My current experience at this university is a positive one.

Beautiful , lots to do, tonnes of activities , personal and helpful university.

A great place to study. Was really helped by the staff when I needed help the most

Really enjoying my time at Aber so far, such a great town and amazing people there! My course is really interesting and I've learnt a lot in my first year! Finding myself missing the place over summer! Bring on second year!

Amazing place with wonderful lecturers who go the extra mile. It maybe out of the way but Aber has everything you need and makes you feel right at home

If you are thinking of coming here, don't. It's not a bad place but If you ever have a problem, don't expect it to get solved. Expect b******* charges for no reason and overcharged accommodation. It's no surprise that it's student satisfaction is plummeting.

It's an amazing uni right by the beach and perfect for anyone with a will to study hard without too many distractions but just enough to do to keep you sane. Definitely not for the city types, however the uni and location has a lot to offer. Uni management is horrendous...

Best place ever! Staff are so attentive and the town is beautiful.

AU is one of the most suitable universities for studying as there are not many things to distract you.

Aberystwyth is a great university, it has the National Library of Wales next to the campus and therefore the town with the most books per person in the country...which counters the fact we also have the most pubs per head! It has beautiful scenery and a beach. The town also has a great community feel however be warned it is not a huge place and you will bump into people you know all the time!

Great uni, lovely atmosphere, a really nice place to be

Amazing facilities. New accommodation is to die for. Amazing wifi access and there are so many local jobs going in the town

I've been here for four years now, and I don't want to leave. Aber as a location is fantastic, cheap rents for students, the beach is gorgeous, and I'm sure Aber has more sunshine than other places, or it feels like it! The uni wifi is completely pants, but there are many many computers available 24hr, and I have no issues with anything else on campus really. Student Union isn't great, but that's not the uni's fault. Clubs and Societies make this uni, everyone is so welcoming and I recommend joining a society, friends for life!

student Union isn't great but it doesn't need to be town is amazing!

It's an epic uni in an absolutely fantastic location, and it has the National Library of Wales literally on it's doorstep. That's not an exaggeration at all, campus is on top of a hill and slightly lower down beneath the uni is the library, I don't know what else to tell you. Also the History Society is the absolute best!!

The university is amazing, it really welcomes new students and it doesn't take long for it to become your home. The only issue is money. Both the uni and the town struggle to accomodate all the students that desperately require jobs in order to actually have money for food, never mind nights out. The gym, the union and all the other facilities are fantastic though. There are very few I could see that could make a genuine complaint about anything in that area, maybe a few suggestions to the union shop. The only issue that anyone could encounter is the wi-fi, yes, there is wi-fi EVERYWHERE but don't expect it to always work. The wi-fi in accomodation stretches only so far, and doesn't seem to include kitchens and lounges. Every so often the wi-fi everywhere else thinks it requires another password, which it doesn't, so it locks you out for a few hours. However, in a world of smart phones, 3G and 4G, I've never encountered a real problem with this. Aber is a true home, through and through

Aberystwyth is Unique in a beauty town on the west coast of Wales, the investments in accomodation recently, have shown a view to progress. Though this has been let down by bad publicity and poor results. Where else can you take a bracing walk in the Winter by the seaside or in the summer relax and have a barbecue on the beach. You are far away from the rest of the world, it seems so enjoy your time here. The student union lacks good support but the arts centre is on campus which provide good entertainment with a cinema and three theatres. Have a look on line.

Great town, dispicable institution

The academic elements at the university are of a high standard and calibre. I can make no real complaints about staff or courses. The atmosphere is friendly, approachable and inspires enthusiasm, The Campus facilities are adequate and while not much to look at you'll find that the town provides the charm and campus, well that's just where you study. The union is on the other hand below standards, it's shabby, poorly staffed and if you're not a sports society good look catching their attention. The university overall however, I would say is a great place to study, learn and live. Just make sure you spend as much time in the town as you do on campus.

The Uni's pretty lovely as far as the academic side goes and the staff are all really quite nice as far as the student standpoint goes, Upper levels are terrible and dragging the Uni down. The town is lovely with everything and everywhere within a 20ish minute walk of everywhere else, it's picturesque, has a beach and it's really rather cheap compared to a lot of other places, you rarely feel lacking in Aberystwyth as the students mean it's got plenty of shops. The Union is fantastic as a daytime retreat and as a place to watch live sport and get some food. It's reasonable at actually supporting the students but as for putting on events and raves it's really not brilliant suffering from a significant lack of cash which leads to a spiral of students abandoning it for town which leaves it with less money or impetus to put on larger events. Nights out in town are great though. All round Aber is a pretty solid time!

Website is broken, can't review staff, but I'd give them 2 stars.