I'd just like to speak as a first year student at ARU (Cambridge campus) and say how I am quite literally having the time of my life. I'm staying in Peter Taylor House halls on campus which is fantastic because everywhere on campus is less than a 3-4 minute walk away, and I've made the best friends on my floor.
The university campus itself really is quite small, in comparison to the other universities I visited like Aston for example, but I like its size because it feels more cosy and homely.
The staff are amazing and cannot stress enough how important it is to us that we should talk about any issues or concerns we have whatsoever with our tutors, whether this be course-related or us feeling homesick or otherwise. The uni makes sure there is plenty of information on employment and there are many drop-in sessions and workshops you can visit to enhance your CV suited to your course/future career, and also offer jobs on campus.
The uni in terms of location really is absolutely ideal - everything is a walking distance away, you don't even need a bike (although you see like a thousand of them everywhere you look). The shopping centre is about a 5 minute walk away from the uni, and the town centre is a 10 minute walk away in the opposite direction. Not to mention Tesco express which is practically right on the uni's doorstep and such a life saver at times. The nightlife is good, I mean the main clubs people go to include Revs, Lola Lo's, The Place, Fez and Ballare, and there are lots of bars to visit too, and most places are also a walking distance away.
The downsides of the uni include that as of this year I believe, the student union bar went bust and so the not-very-big room where parties were held all the time is only open about once a month or so when there is a special occasion i.e. Halloween or Christmas etc. but that's pretty much the only negative thing I have to say about the uni. I absolutely love it.
Plus, on Mondays if you say "BLAM" to the person at the till at Nandos down the road you get a 20% student discount for being an ARU student
But yeah, all in all it's an amazing uni. I'm loving my course, the staff, the other students, and the uni itself. I've only been here 3 months, but I can't wait for the rest of the 3 years. ARU all the way