Would you recommend Aberystwyth?

You deserve a hi-5 for that. I could not have put it better myself. Are you a first year? I'm a finalist, and whilst I am looking forward to moving onto pastures new in 3 months time, when I look back, even now, I can't believe how much things were different this time 4 years ago before I started and how this uni has changed my life for the better both academically and personally. It's had it's tough points, but i think you get that at ANY uni, but it's been well worth it.

If you are basing your opinions on our rankings, then it shows how much you actually know. Step aside and let the actual students tell you what's really going on here.

I would recommend Aber, because despite its failure in the rankings, every single person I've talked to from different departments have never said their experience as a student in Biochem or Interpol has been bad. They all agree the lectures/lecturers are great, you are informed about seminars or work experience opportunities through email. Work is available online so you can catch up if you missed a lecture, or would like further reading. You know what's going on, but it's not rammed down your throat. Your tutors are all going to be brilliant. My tutor is an active researcher in cancer, and my flatmate's tutor does world-class research in her field of marine biology. So you will be taught by lecturers who really know their ****, so there's nothing to worry about there. Obviously I can't speak for Linguistic students seeing as I am a Microbiologist, but there's loads of support for students. You can even take up another language for free if you'd like to add to your list.

Nightlife is great if you like pubs, and the clubs are meh. Definitely depends on who you're out with, because some people are better at making your night more fun than others. I got bored of the nightlife a while back, but I've never been the sort of person who likes going out anyway. But if you're looking for other entertainment like hiking or surfing, there is plenty to offer. I definitely recommend joining a club or society. I'm in the surf club and we do surf lessons every Saturday, special discount for members (shameless advertising there haha). There is an active LGBT scene and they have socials every Wednesday I believe! ^^
Everyone is so friendly. Because it's such a small town, you'll know someone who knows a common friend. But it's not so great if you just had a one night stand you'd rather forget, I can almost guarantee you'll see them everywhere hahaha


The reason why we are so low in the rankings is because of our current management. I won't go into details, but basically our current vice chancellor is cashing in university funds and letting the management team she brought in run things, and they are s h I t e. So we can't afford to do a lot of things because the money we're supposed to be using for refurbishment/clubs/societies is busy being lined into our dear VC's pockets. And because of the decrease in money, we can't better the uni and we lose hard working staff in the process > potential students believe it's not as good as it is > decrease in paying students means things get tough when bills get higher > university struggles to keep their good name and reputation from being completely tarnished > unfair standardised checklists means the uni falls short in a lot of things > fall in rankings.
I find it really unfair that people think rankings are everything. My A levels went tits up simply because studying is not my forte. If a person wants to go to a university that can offer them good education, but their grades are bad, I don't think tha they should automatically be disqualified for higher education. Their commitment to education and perseverance is another thing to look for in a potential student. I am a clearing student, but I wanted to study my subject, and now I work even harder for myself. I just got my semester one exam results back and got straight firsts. You're in charge of your own future, so if you want it bad enough, you have to work for it. Now because Aber is failing miserably in the rankings, the lecturers know this. Therefore, you are offered a lot of work experience to compensate. A person who has a strong CV full of relevant work experience is just as valuable as a person with a good degree, and a lot of employers look for this. I am constantly emailed about relevant work experience, like the opportunity to au pair in another country. You get paid for it, and you also get to builds on your language skills.
Quite honestly, do not believe everything you are told. Come and see it for yourself because Aber is a great uni that deserves a better reputation.

I'm currently an AS student who's interested in carrying on my interests in biology as i go into university, and have looked at Aber in research. Is it's marine biology department as good as its advertised to be? if i didn't do marine biology, is their biology section of their curriculum good and would it be worthwhile to look deeper into?

I'm thinking of applying to Aberystwyth however I was wondering what current students think about studying there. My main questions are how isolated is the town? How is the night life? I'm from Manchester, and although I'm not expecting the nightlife to be anything like it is here, do you ever get bored? or run out of stuff to do? what about concerts? I'm assuming there's no stadium, so where would you go to see someone on tour? how are the shops, is there anywhere to buy CDs and stuff like that or will you have to order it online? is it a friendly place to be? How many of the students are from wales? is there any kind of lgbt scene? the last one isn't of great importance, but i wouldn't really want to go 3 years without having 1 date haha :') I know this is a lot but I can't find any of this in the prospectus and I'd rather have honest opinions from students who are there :-) Thanks!