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TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Swansea University

Chancellor: Professor Sir David Williams Vice Chancellor: Professor Richard B. Davies

Founded in 1920, the University stands in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, Britain's first 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. As Wales' second city, Swansea enjoys a full range of social, cultural and sporting amenities and excellent transport links: London is 192 miles away, under three hours by train, and Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is less than an hour away.

Facilities

The university is split into 6 academic Colleges – Arts and Humanities; Business, Economics and Law; Engineering; Human and Health Sciences; Medicine and Science. There is also a department of Adult Continuing Education.

Libraries

Information Services & Systems at Swansea provides a combined library, IT and Careers service. The main Library & Information Centre on the Singleton campus has over 800,000 books and periodicals, along with a wide range of online resources including over 23,000 online journals. There are over 1,000 study spaces, almost half of which are equipped with networked PCs. ISS was awarded the Charter Mark in 2006, revalidated in 2009.

The Library & Information Centre also has major archive collections, based on the South Wales Coalfield Collection, several papers of Welsh writers in English and the Richard Burton Collection, which was recently donated by his wife, Sally Burton. It is hoped that the collection will form the hub of a learning resource dedicated to the actor’s life and work.

The Library & Inforamtion Centre is open 110 hours per week with 24-hour openingduring exams and the summer term. Yhe installation of a Costa coffee cafe and the transfer of the stock of the Morriston Hospital Nursing Library to the Library & Information Centre.

IT and Computing

Swansea University has over 1,800 PCs available for student usage across the campus and other sites. Of these, over 600 are what is known as "Open Access" PCs (PCs which can be used by any student). Over 400 Open Access PCs are situated within the Library and Information Centre building. These Open Access PCs all work in the same way, are accessed in the same way, and have the same range of software applications available. There are also around 100 laptops available to loan.

Most Open Access PCs have access to printing facilities; scanning facilities are available within the Library and Information Centre and branch libraries; colour laser printing is also available within the Library and Information Centre building. All Open Access PCs allow internet and email access.

All PCs have CD writers; a large number have floppy disk drives and all have accessible USB and headphone sockets.

Sports

Swansea Univesity shares students sporting ambitions and commitments and is serious about promotingn sport for all - whatever your level. The University is building a reputation as a natural centre for sporting excellence, and our facilities will be instrumental in helping athletes to achieve their dreams at the London 2012 Olympics and beyond. Many Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth and World Championship atheletes have studied at Swansea University and some have been products of the "Elite Athletes" scholarship scheme; others have enhanced their potential as a result of the competitive and supportive sporting environement in Swansea.

The £20 million Sports Village is home to Wales National Pool Swansea (a 50-metre pool and 25-metre "warm-up" pool), a fully equipped UniGym with over 80 fitness stations, an indoor training centre, a climbing wall, a physiotherapy suite and sports massage facilities, a multipurpose sports hall, rugby pitches, football pitches, cricket squares, tennis courts, all-weather pitches, five-a-side courts, a lacrosse pitch and an eight-lane athletics track.

Each year the University offers several undergraduate entrance scholarships for outstanding students in their sporting activity. Each scholarship is worth £1000 per annum and is renewable for three years. The scheme aims to cover the enormous spectrum of talent reveled in individual and team sports. We look for students who not only satisfy the normal academic requirements for admission but have also demonstrated outstading ability in their chosen sport. In practice, because of the intensity of competition for these awards, this normally means having reached a nationally recognised level of excellence.

The Welsh Varsity Challenge is the biggest student event in Wales, and is the second largest of the British Varsity Games, behind the Oxford/Cambridge game. Varsity sees Swansea and Cardiff Universities competing in over 20 different sports, from basketball, rowing, golf, and hockey to fencing, squash, and Ultimate Frisbee. The competition culminates with the showpiece rugby match at the home of Welsh rugby, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Many students have gone on to represent and gain contracts with semi-professional and professional clubs on the back of great performances in the Welsh Varsity Match.

Welfare

Wellbeing services supports students who may find it challenging to manage the new pressures and stresses associated with University whilst adapting to lifestyle and environment changes. Wellbeing Services support those who may experience distress arising from psychological, emotional or mental health issues and is available to support you at any point in your academic journey. Services offered include: initial drop-in sessions to talk over your concerns; groups and workshops (e.g. presentation anxiety); support with mental health issues and counselling. Many students who have previously experienced mental health difficulties have found it helpful to contact the service as soon as possible after arrival on campus.

The support offered is flexible and designed to suit your needs. You may want someone to liaise with your GP or Community Mental Health Team or your Academic College to help ensure you have any reasonable and appropriate adjustments made. It may be helpful for you to attend a workshop or to engage in counselling to explore particular concerns or issues. In certain situations you may be offered a professional mentor to help you achieve your full potential. The service offered is confidential, friendly and professional.

Healthcare

There is an NHS medical practice and a dental surgery open to students on campus. If you live in the University accomodation, you will need to register with a Swansea General Practioner within two weeks of arrival. If you are not living on Univertsity accomodation, we advise you to register with a GP in Swansea when you arrive.

Shops

There are a number of shops available to students at Swansea University; In Fulton House there is a small newsagents/post office, Niche, a newly opened shop, stocking Fairtrade produce, international foods and a smoothie bar, The Travel Shop and a branch of Endsleigh Insurance. Level 2 shop is situated on the second floor of Union House selling general sundries, newspapers, alcohol and a selection of university merchandise. There is also a branch of Spar located in the Student Village.

There is a branch of Waterstones book shop situated inside the Taliesin Arts Centre, in addition to a shop attached to the Ceri Richards Gallery (inside the centre) stocking a range of greetings cards as well as jewellery, ceramics and other craft items. The Hierogift Shop, in the foyer of the Eygpt Centre also sells a range of gift items.

For those living around the university, there are a number of shops and takeaways in the Brynmill, Uplands and Sketty areas, and a branch of Tesco next to the Quadrant bus station.

Restaurants

For those that enjoy eating out, Swansea offers a wealth of venues that cater for most budgets and appetites. The city centre and Marina area offer a number of chain restaurants, fast-food outlets and independent eateries, however for many students it is not necessary to venture further than St Helen's Road and Bryn-y-Mor Road, where one can experience various foreign cuisines from French to Indonesian, not to mention numerous Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants of varying quality. Uplands also offers a wealth of food outlets; these tend to edge more towards fast-food than fine dining, although the Uplands Cafe deserves a particular mention as a student-friendly venue.

Venturing further round Swansea Bay, there are a number of restaurants in Mumbles, as well as the Pub on the Pond in Singleton Park, a favourite for students taking up the "2 for £10" offers, as well as entertaining visiting relatives.

Students preferring to stay within the confines of university accomodation can dine in several cafeterias located in Fulton House, a web-cafe in the base of the Callaghan building, or the cafe-bar in the Taliesin Arts Centre. Fast food is available from Le Cafe on the first floor of Union House.

Banks

There are branches of most major banks in Swansea City Centre. In addition, students can access a branch of Lloyds TSB in the Taliesin Centre, and find a Lloyds TSB ATM in the foyer of Fulton House. There is also a Natwest ATM available on the first floor of Nelson Mandela/Union House.

Transport

Bright Orange Bus (BOB) services run by First connect the University to the Student Village in one direction and the city centre in the other every 10min during the day, and every 20min in the evenings until midnight. Several other services also run through the uni to Oystermouth, the Mumbles and the Gower.

A bus pass can be purchased for approximately £120 a term or £300 a year which allows unlimited travel on all First buses in the Swansea area.

The train station is a short walk from the Quadrant Bus Station providing links to Cardiff, London and beyond.

Careers service

Part-time jobs

A lot of the students who do work part time, work for bars/clubs in town. Work is by no means difficult to find during term time because of all the student nights.

Religous facilities

The campus-based Chaplaincy Centre is provided by a team of six chaplains from the Anglican (Church in Wales), Baptist, Greek Orthodox, Methodist, Roman Catholic and United Reformed Church. They work together to support thr spiritual life of the University community, regardless of race, status or faith.

The University has a mosque on campus, and won the UK's Best Provision award from the Federation of Islamic Students. There are Islam, Christian and Hindu societies. There are other "spiritual" groups who are represented in various societies.

Social

Bars, Pubs and clubs

On campus there is JC's which is the Student union bar. It's reasonably cheap and does a karaoke night (Saturday) and Quiz night (Sunday). There is also Divas, which hosts most Union events, it's the only club on campus and normally runs on Fridays. In the village there is also a pub called Woodys.

Events

A lot of events are organised through the Student Union. During freshers there is always a ball and a number of other events on campus. The majority of the events for the rest of the year take place in town. Monday night is I Love Mondays! at Oceana. Different themes every week and is very popular. Wednesday night is the Athletic Union night so all the teams go to their sponsor bars. Fridays is Tooters, which is at Divas. 2 drinks for £2 and entry £2.

Clubs and societies

The Students' Union has over one hundred societies and sports clubs. From Amnesty and Akido to Real Ale and Rowing. You're bound to find something that matches your interests, and you'll certainly get the support you need to be involved in practically anything you can think of.

Getting involved in societies can also boost your employability and add real value to your CV. You could also represent your fellow students as a Course Representative. Again, you will gain valuable skills that employers will recognise.

Accommodation

Accommodation policy

Three collections of student residences provide accommodation for 2,800 undergraduates (approximately 98% of first year undergraduates are able to gain a place in University accommodation). If you don't get to live on campus though, don't worry. The off campus students have their own university representative, so you don't get left out at all.

Facilities

There are common rooms in Kilvey and Cefen Bryn which anyone can use. The campus has two launderettes and the Village has one. These all have about 15 washing machines and tumble dryers in each. The campus has a post office which can be handy. There is also a fast food type place on campus and in the village.

Residences

All sites provide wireless Internet access, communal Meeting Rooms and basic amenities:

Singleton Halls — provides accommodation for 850 students on the Singleton campus in traditional halls of residence. The halls offer a combination of part (Kilvey, Rhossili and Cefn Bryn) and self-catered rooms (Caswell, Langland, Oxwich, Penmaen, Horton and Preseli). Oxwich, Caswell, Penmaen and Horton are all En-suite.

The older Singleton Park tower blocks date from the late 1960s - each floor having a kitchen or pantry and communal bathrooms, with the exception of Preseli Hall which includes en-suite facilities.

Hendrefoelan Student Village — Opened in 1977, the largest area of student residences at Swansea University, which provide accommodation for 1,644 students. The student village is located 2½ miles away from the Singleton campus, and is made up of a mixture of shared housing and flats, all self-catering.

Tŷ Beck (Beck House) — Six large Victorian town houses situated in the Uplands area of Swansea, approximately a mile from the Singleton campus. Predominantly provide rooms for postgraduates, mature students (aged 22 or over) and students with families, as well as overseas exchange students. Formerly the undergraduate residence, Neuadd Beck (Beck Hall).

There were previously also halls of Residence — Neuadd Gilbertson and Neuadd Martin — at Clyne Castle.

The University also provides a number of houses in Brynmill and Uplands, which are let to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Private sector

Student union

There are seven full- time election officers as well as a number of volunteer part time elected officers to represent the students at every level from, from University committe meetings to national demonstrations. There is plenty of opportunity to get the student voice heard through a free fortnightly student newspaper called Waterfront, Ents magazine, the SU website and very own radio station.

Prices

Environment

Architecture

Local area

And what a location! From the campus you can travel along the sea front to the Marina and the city centre, or to the vibrant old fishing village of Mumbles. Situated between the lively modern city of Swansea and the unspoiled beaches of the Gower Peninsula the location is unparalleled.

The Gower ends at the spectacular three-mile beach of Rhosili, which is a mecca for surfers. The south coast also attracts walkers, wind surfers, rock climbers and hang-gliding enthusiasts.

The area also provides a natural field laboratory for the University, and field trips to the peninsula are part of life for students studying natural sciences.

Alternatively, you can head north to explore the countryside around the Towy Valley, where you will find the dramatic ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle to the south east of Llandeilo, or make for the Brecon Beacons National Park. The park's mountain ranges and huge open spaces provide the perfect setting for walking, caving and climbing.

Swansea itself hosts the acclaimed Marina and rejuvenated Wind Street which have given the city a new cultural air, to be enjoyed by visitors both old and new. It is full of surprises, with its pedestrianised shopping centre only a five-minute walk from a promenade along the sweep of the bay. The city has had a market since medieval times and today's permanent covered market continues this tradition, many of the stalls displaying traditional locally produced food.

Teaching quality

The University offers over 529 undergraduate courses and 130 postgraduate courses in subjects ranging from American Studies to Zoology. As well as these full and part-time options the University offers an extensive range of continuing-education programmes and we pride ourselves on the holistic experience we are able to offer our students. With around 10,300 students the University is substantial enough to have excellent facilities, but small enough to have a friendly feel.

Applying to Swansea

Thinking of applying to Swansea University? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here?

Other Swansea Articles

Why not read these other Swansea University Articles?

• Swansea Personal Statements

Links

• Our Swansea University Discussion Forum
• Swansea University Home Page
• Student Union Website
• Department Index
• Online Prospectus
• List of Courses
• SU Portal - All Swansea Uni and SU websites in one place
• University Guides
• UCAS