Honest opinion on Bath Uni?

Hey, thinking about applying to the Uni of Bath and want to know how existing students feel about living there? What is your social life like? What are the people in general there like? I want to know about any stereotypes and whether they hold some truth or not.
I heard the uni is also sporty but I’m not sporty nor follow sports. Will I not fit in?

I will attend an open day, but I just wanted to ask on here too because I want unfiltered, unbiased opinions from existing students who aren’t told to sell the uni.

Reply 1

McGinger

18

Smaller, cosier campus Uni.
Students get more personal attention on all levels.
Less frenetic and pressured that many other Unis.
Bath is a stunningly beautiful place to live.

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by McGinger

Smaller, cosier campus Uni.
Students get more personal attention on all levels.
Less frenetic and pressured that many other Unis.
Bath is a stunningly beautiful place to live.

Hi again,
Are you okay in your accommodation? Also, what course do you take?

Original post by Anonymous

Hey, thinking about applying to the Uni of Bath and want to know how existing students feel about living there? What is your social life like? What are the people in general there like? I want to know about any stereotypes and whether they hold some truth or not.
I heard the uni is also sporty but I’m not sporty nor follow sports. Will I not fit in?

I will attend an open day, but I just wanted to ask on here too because I want unfiltered, unbiased opinions from existing students who aren’t told to sell the uni.

Hello there,

Thanks to McGinger for those points - I am a recent Bath graduate and definitely agree that Bath is both a smaller university and a smaller city than a lot of other UK universities. Although the number of people on each course varies a lot, the small campus definitely gives a more 'community' vibe as anywhere on campus is within 7 and a half minutes' walk (timed the walk from one end to the other! :smile:

) In terms of general social life, I would say that the smaller campus size definitely helps in that respect as you can arrange to meet people with next to notice as everything is so close, and also the huge variety of societies makes it easier to find people who like similar things to you (I met two really good friends in Freshers' week at taster sessions for Curry Club and Board Games society!).

As for the city, it totally depends on what kind of atmosphere suits you - although smaller than many other universities this made it feel very safe, and much less overwhelming than some other cities I visited when choosing between universities. Besides, the transport links are pretty good with regular buses to Bristol city centre and a train station right next door to the bus station. At the moment a return bus ticket from Bath-Bristol for a student costs just under £4, which is pretty good value if you wanted a night out or shopping trip there. I was actually quite surprised by the variety of things to see in Bath given its size - Royal Victoria Park is great for a picnic in summer, the river in Bathampton makes for a smooth and fun cycle ride, and there is a nice range of shops even if they aren't as big as branches in larger cities.

As for Bath being a sporty University, I was a little concerned about this when I was considering applying as I too am not the slightest bit sporty! - and yes, whilst Bath is known for sports this is by no means the norm among students. There are plenty of students who clearly do take part in sports but I would estimate there are just as many who don't, and a fair few in the middle who just choose to book out the tennis courts for a quick after-lectures game with friends or visit the pool in the public opening times for some relaxation. Please don't worry about not fitting in for not following sports :smile:

I totally understand and remember from my own experience how difficult it is picking between universities - its a big investment and there's a lot to think about! However personally I am so glad I decided on Bath, not just for the reasons I just wrote about, but because visiting the campus and the city, it just 'felt right'. Please do come to the open day if you can - I'd encourage you to chat as much as you can to the student ambassadors in red as they are all current students who can answer your questions, and if possible check out the city as well to see what you think and if it feels right for you.

Very best of luck in the next stage of your decision, I hope you found some of this helpful! As always please post any questions you have on here.

Holly
University of Bath

Reply 4

Anonymous #2

This is interesting. I am thinking of Bath too. What’s accommodation like? Is it difficult/pricey for second years onwards?

Original post by Anonymous

Hey, thinking about applying to the Uni of Bath and want to know how existing students feel about living there? What is your social life like? What are the people in general there like? I want to know about any stereotypes and whether they hold some truth or not.
I heard the uni is also sporty but I’m not sporty nor follow sports. Will I not fit in?

I will attend an open day, but I just wanted to ask on here too because I want unfiltered, unbiased opinions from existing students who aren’t told to sell the uni.

Hi,

Thanks so much for your question, I am currently a second year student at the University of Bath who has lived on both campus and in the city. Here's my balanced experience as a student:

Too sporty? I am a student who used to play a bit of sports at school but was never super into it, since coming to University I haven't been able to be super active due to my health so was always a bit lost on what to do. I initially joined Ultimate Frisbee, which is a very relaxed sports group of all abilities which I still take part in. We play fun and relaxed games in the sun as well socialise in the evening, with never any pressure to drink or go out - which I love! For me this is a good compromise, as I don't tend to go to many trainings but still enjoy the social aspect and also tend to sit on the sidelines and chat whilst watching the games.

I also have been part of the second hand fashion society, which does a lot of workshops as well as clothes swaps - which I love to be a part of! I personally don't follow any sports nor do I ever watch sports - which is the case for a lot fo people! Whilst it is a sporty uni, there are still a lot of people who aren't into it or are just sometimes a part of it.

Social life? In terms of social life, I would say it is very middle ground. Many students go out clubbing, with a Friday and Wednesday night being the most popular! Going to the pub for a drink, a cocktail in the park in the sun or playing a fun game of football outside is also very popular at Bath. It is certainly not the university to go to if you want to go clubbing every night until the early hours of the morning, but that's also the reason why lots of people decide to choose Bath.

Stereotypes? I think the main stereotypes of Bath is that the social life is really bad and that the majority of students are rich and priveliged. In terms of the social life, it is much more relaxed with less of an emphasis on drinking. However there are still lots of opportunities to socialize and do lots of different activities with friends.

To a certain extent, there are a lot of rich students who go to the university, due to many reasons, but partly including the higher cost of living of Bath. However, this is not fully the truth, with lots of students coming from different backgrounds. We have lots of schemes, such as Access To Bath, which help support students coming from widening participation backgrounds into university. As a young carer, I receive unending support from the university as well as lots of opportunities to meet other students from similar backgrounds. Lots of my friends are also young carers, care leavers as well as estranged students and we often all meet to catch up and support each other.

Criticisms? I think the one downside of living in Bath for me is the cost of living, whilst I receive lots of support financially from the University as well as having a part time job at the University, I still am mindful of the way I spend my money. Your money will not go as far in Bath as it would in other university cities, however there are so many benefits to living in Bath that for me are worth it. It is so beautiful in Bath with lots of activities to do, cafes and restaurants to try and historical places to visit. It is also extremely safe to live in, and I regularly walk home by myself at night with no issues.

Sophia (2nd Year Student)

Reply 6

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

20

Very reputable, excellent undergraduate prospects, very picturesque city and id think not too hard to find some nice green pastures.

But it’s evening & nightlife is limited, and its quite an expensive place to live by UK averages.

It’s research is excellent in certain subjects but they don’t have the same volume or breadth of output as many other similarly reputable universities.

Original post by Anonymous

This is interesting. I am thinking of Bath too. What’s accommodation like? Is it difficult/pricey for second years onwards?

Hello,

Fab to hear you’re considering Bath too! In terms of private accommodation in Bath which many students opt for in second year, the average price (at the moment) is around £560 per person per month for 11-12 months before bills, but this is variable and there are a lot of options out there, so its important to take care and fully understand the terms of your contract. This page from the Bath website has some really handy tips on private accommodation, and this page on TSR Uniguide might also be worth a read – and remember if when the time comes you are unsure about anything or need any advice, then please do email [email protected] – they’d be more than happy to take any questions and help you understand your contract if you need.

Usually people band together with flatmates from their first year to look for a house in the second year – (one area students commonly move to here is Oldfield Park, which is a short bus journey away from Campus 😊). However you don’t necessarily have to move in with your first year flatmates – one of my closest friends in first year didn’t get along with her flatmates, but was able to find a group by going to one of Bath Uni's ‘Housemate Finder’ events. These are essentially social events for individuals in search of housemates for second year, or groups in need of extra people to fulfil a contract. The SU usually holds them every year at the SU bar/club, they’re really relaxed, and often include free donuts – definitely worth checking out if finding a group of housemates is proving difficult.

The cost of living is a tough issue at the moment for students everywhere, not only in Bath. I’d like take this opportunity to share three top tips which helped me save a bit of money during my time as a Bath student:

1. Shopping deliveries. In my second year our flat divided into two groups and both ended up with houses in the same street in Oldfield Park. One way we saved money was by keeping our Flat Chat going, and arranging for a joint delivery of shopping from ASDA or Tesco with both house groups’ supplies for the week. The delivery cost about £4 between eight of us, and it usually saved both waste (people didn’t end up buying the same thing) and money by opting for one of the cheaper supermarkets.

2. Part time work. Throughout my time at Bath I worked as a student ambassador (doing campus tours for school groups, helping out with summer schools, mentoring for sixth formers), which allowed me to save some money up during first year and top up my budget, was really flexible as you could sign up for events and shifts as and when it suited my timetable, and plus the work was A LOT of fun and provided a brilliant break for me on a Wednesday afternoon from studying. If this doesn’t float your boat then the SU jobs website posts opportunities throughout the year, not just on-campus work such as campus café and bar shifts and ambassador work, but part time work in town as well you can easily get to by bus. Great for the CV and the wallet!

3. Make the most of student discounted bus tickets. With your student card you can get around 25% off bus tickets from First bus (this is available with your student card whichever university you go to) – at the moment for a student a monthly ticket costs just over £60, and a return ticket costs £2.70, so definitely worth making the most of the student prices and working out how many times per week you’ll need to go to campus to find the best value ticket for your routine.

I hope that help a bit – very best of luck in your decision! 😊

Holly
University of Bath

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by University of Bath

Hi,

Thanks so much for your question, I am currently a second year student at the University of Bath who has lived on both campus and in the city. Here's my balanced experience as a student:

Too sporty? I am a student who used to play a bit of sports at school but was never super into it, since coming to University I haven't been able to be super active due to my health so was always a bit lost on what to do. I initially joined Ultimate Frisbee, which is a very relaxed sports group of all abilities which I still take part in. We play fun and relaxed games in the sun as well socialise in the evening, with never any pressure to drink or go out - which I love! For me this is a good compromise, as I don't tend to go to many trainings but still enjoy the social aspect and also tend to sit on the sidelines and chat whilst watching the games.

I also have been part of the second hand fashion society, which does a lot of workshops as well as clothes swaps - which I love to be a part of! I personally don't follow any sports nor do I ever watch sports - which is the case for a lot fo people! Whilst it is a sporty uni, there are still a lot of people who aren't into it or are just sometimes a part of it.

Social life? In terms of social life, I would say it is very middle ground. Many students go out clubbing, with a Friday and Wednesday night being the most popular! Going to the pub for a drink, a cocktail in the park in the sun or playing a fun game of football outside is also very popular at Bath. It is certainly not the university to go to if you want to go clubbing every night until the early hours of the morning, but that's also the reason why lots of people decide to choose Bath.

Stereotypes? I think the main stereotypes of Bath is that the social life is really bad and that the majority of students are rich and priveliged. In terms of the social life, it is much more relaxed with less of an emphasis on drinking. However there are still lots of opportunities to socialize and do lots of different activities with friends.

To a certain extent, there are a lot of rich students who go to the university, due to many reasons, but partly including the higher cost of living of Bath. However, this is not fully the truth, with lots of students coming from different backgrounds. We have lots of schemes, such as Access To Bath, which help support students coming from widening participation backgrounds into university. As a young carer, I receive unending support from the university as well as lots of opportunities to meet other students from similar backgrounds. Lots of my friends are also young carers, care leavers as well as estranged students and we often all meet to catch up and support each other.

Criticisms? I think the one downside of living in Bath for me is the cost of living, whilst I receive lots of support financially from the University as well as having a part time job at the University, I still am mindful of the way I spend my money. Your money will not go as far in Bath as it would in other university cities, however there are so many benefits to living in Bath that for me are worth it. It is so beautiful in Bath with lots of activities to do, cafes and restaurants to try and historical places to visit. It is also extremely safe to live in, and I regularly walk home by myself at night with no issues.

Sophia (2nd Year Student)

It sounds like Bath is a perfect fit for me! I am very much an introvert, so not being pushed into clubbing all the time is perfect haha

Thanks so much everyone for the advice so far! If there is still anything to mention (even though there’s already so much said) feel free!

Honest opinion on Bath Uni?

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