I've just applied for this course last minute, it actually looks pretty decent what we're covering on course content, I just had to leave my course in Falmouth of English and Media, and the course was generally pants anyway, fingers crossed i get accepted, and this course is actually better (its 51 places above Falmouth in Guardian for it, so fingers crossed )
I've chose English Lit & Writing at ARU... just need the Grades now! Fingers Crossed!
Hi Rhia, Currently I have an unconditional offer from ARU to Zoology but i am finding it hard to get some additional information about the degree. Do you know anyone who's taking it? Can you tell me something about the field trips or the optional modules?
would love to go to the open day, but at the moment i am working in Portugal so it is complicated...
it would be great if you could help me! xxx
Hi
I've just finished my second year at ARU, and a friend of mine studies Zoology. She really enjoys it, and went on a trip to Egypt with her course and went scuba diving, I presume to look at fish
But it's an awesome uni with a lovely atmosphere and Cambridge is a brill city for students (I've lived here all my life though so am slightly biased!) x
I will be one of the above. I wasted my time here I loved the students, but the tutors have no time for you, the building work at the time was dreadful to work through, and the amount of times things in exams came up we hadn't even discussed was unreal. There was a lot of 'self directed study' (you will learn to hate this saying very soon) but no advice as to what we should be self directing ourselves to study.
I was not happy here and so many of us didn't go back after our 2nd year. I'm at Bedfordshire now for social work, after the hell we had finding placements. My friend did Bioscience, shes now at the UEA and another one of our original college Access group has moved to Adult Nursing at UEA due to hating it.
Having a degree that says ARU does put you behind. I'm sorry to say it but people are snobs and it has never had the best reputation. I hope this is changing, but we spoke to a photography graduate who was laughed out of an interview for holding a 'Mickey Mouse degree'. Lets hope that's changing as with all the 'self directed learning' going on over there, you work harder for your degree.
Now there are people who stay, a lot of moaning going on over there still, however now the building work is done, that's one less thing to worry about. I loved the canteen, I loved the feeling of the place and I loved the students (when we weren't moaning lol). Other than that there wasn't much positive things going on for me, I felt I wasted a year of my time.
Fullborn seems better organised, COWA is a nightmare site stay away, and Peterborough always seem to be having technical problems (but it is a new build, so what new place doesn't)
I personally say do your homework before firming. Some courses have no problems at all and the design lot love it where they are apparently. Speak to people who have done the course you are planning to do to gt a real picture. I can only tell you about the lark over at the Social Work side, but it is worth digging as deep as you can.
I agree about the reputation, having a 1st from ARU is probably less desirable than a 2:1 from any uni in the top 20 and I found first year pretty rubbish with the building works and total lack of anywhere to go on campus other than the canteen and library but it's awesome now with the huge computer suite and outdoor area with lots of tables etc.
Noone on my course ever exceeds 75% for assignments and they never give much feedback as to how and reach those lofty heights as I guess they're content with you hitting a 2:1 but other than that, I've had a brill time so far. Sorry to hear you had such a crappy time though.