If anyone goes to these universities, what are they like?

University of Bath
University of Bristol
University of kent
University of Reading
University of Surrey
University of Brighton
University of Portsmouth

Of course i'm booking open days but i want to hear about what students who are currently there thought about it. It would be helpful if you wrote anything that could help newbies coming into the university, maybe things you didnt like/love or expect?

Please tell me about:

how your doing(eg study support, mental health, physical health)

what type of people are there/what are the people like

How clean your accommodation is

if you find the uni life enjoyable when it comes to making friends/the overall layout of the campus.

what sort of trouble did you come across and how did you get past it?

Thank you :smile:

Reply 1

University of Surrey Student Rep

Official Rep

15

Original post by Anonymous

University of Bath
University of Bristol
University of kent
University of Reading
University of Surrey
University of Brighton
University of Portsmouth

Of course i'm booking open days but i want to hear about what students who are currently there thought about it. It would be helpful if you wrote anything that could help newbies coming into the university, maybe things you didnt like/love or expect?

Please tell me about:

how your doing(eg study support, mental health, physical health)

what type of people are there/what are the people like

How clean your accommodation is

if you find the uni life enjoyable when it comes to making friends/the overall layout of the campus.

what sort of trouble did you come across and how did you get past it?

Thank you :smile:

Hello,

I'm currently a student at the University of Surrey, and I did my undergraduate degree in Modern Languages. I loved the campus so much that I decided to stay for my Master's in MSc Psychology (conversion).

In terms of study support, Surrey is fantastic. We have a wide range of resources available to help students excel in their studies. There are peer support schemes, workshops, and study groups that provide additional support outside of regular classes. The university really encourages a collaborative learning environment, and I've found that to be incredibly helpful in my studies, especially during my transition from Modern Languages to Psychology.

As for mental health support, Surrey takes this very seriously. We have trained professionals and peer-led support groups to assist students. The Disability and Neurodiversity team is wonderful and provides support for a variety of needs, including mental health, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities. I personally had a positive experience with them when I was diagnosed with dyslexia during my time at Surrey. They were proactive in ensuring I had the resources I needed.

The University of Surrey has a diverse student population, with a mix of local and international students. It's been a great place for making friends. There are numerous clubs and societies to join, which makes it easy to meet people who share your interests. The overall layout of the campus is beautiful, with plenty of green spaces to relax and study, and we have amazing sports facilities at the Surrey Sports Park.

In terms of accommodation, cleaners will come round regularly to clean your kitchen/halls. If you have shared bathrooms, they will clean here too. Manor Park is newer and more refurbished, so it's a great option if you're looking for cleaner and more modern living spaces. However, your experience will likely depend on your housemates and their habits!

In terms of challenges, like any university, you might encounter some bumps along the way. But Surrey has a support system in place to help you overcome these challenges. Whether it's academic, personal, or any other issue, there are staff and services available to guide you through. Overall, I've had a very positive experience at the University of Surrey, and I think you'll find it to be a welcoming and supportive place for your studies and personal growth 😊

Thanks,
Sam (she/her)
MSc Psychology

Hi there,

I can tell you a bit about Bath university :smile:

. In general I have really enjoyed my time at Bath, the people are great, there are tons of facilities and it gives lots of extra opportunities.

Bath has great physical facilities. There are lots of sports courts you can book for free, tons of sports societies to join either for fun or to be on the team and a very equipped gym. Bath also has a great well-being team available to help students through anything they need. It's super quick and easy to talk to anyone about anything, whether that be your mental health, your work-load and any circumstances you may be going through. They will then offer some relevant options to assist you through, completely confidentially and without judgement.

The people are great. I recommend joining societies wherever you go, they're a great way to meet lots of new people and find your friends as well as developing a new hobby and taking a break from your course.

The accommodations have weekly cleaners at university so it shouldn't get too out of hand. In general there is no way of telling the cleanliness of accommodations as these will change depending on how many people you live with and the type of people you live with. I recommend getting to know your flatmates and maybe discussing rotas for things like bins or wiping up and making sure you clean up after yourself to maintain respect. I've not had too much of a problem with mess and my flatmates were lovely so it wasn't awkward to discuss it.

The campus is super easy. Its quite a small campus and the buildings are laid out according to the library at the centre so the name of the building such as 5W (5 WEST) is easy to find by just heading west from the library. Since it's small too, the buildings are all within a few minutes walk from each other so you don't have to worry going from lecture to lecture.

I haven't had too much trouble at uni. One example might be working on group projects and ensuring everyone pulls their weight. The way to solve was discussing with first the student and gathering what to expect they are able to do at that time and then distributing the loads. I haven't had to extend it further to the lecturers as of yet so the problems are usually solvable easily.

Hope this helped,
- Sophie (uni of Bath)

Original post by Anonymous

University of Bath
University of Bristol
University of kent
University of Reading
University of Surrey
University of Brighton
University of Portsmouth

Of course i'm booking open days but i want to hear about what students who are currently there thought about it. It would be helpful if you wrote anything that could help newbies coming into the university, maybe things you didnt like/love or expect?

Please tell me about:

how your doing(eg study support, mental health, physical health)

what type of people are there/what are the people like

How clean your accommodation is

if you find the uni life enjoyable when it comes to making friends/the overall layout of the campus.

what sort of trouble did you come across and how did you get past it?

Thank you :smile:

Hi,

These are great questions. I will answer your questions and add my own comments at the end of it too! I am a final year student studying Psychology. I hope to do a masters and PhD at Kent too!

1 - The study support (academic and pastoral) is amazing. I have been lucky enough not to need to use the student wellbeing services but I have used things like our Student Learning Advisory Service, careers and employability service and used the lecturers by asking lots of questions. Throughout all 3 years, I have had an academic advisor (a lecturer that I meet with termly or more if needed). In my first year I had a peer mentor (who was a student in the year above me).

2. This is hard to answer but at most universities you will find people who are similar to you. Whether this is through societies or your course. I luckily found friends who were as driven as I am.

3. I live at home and commute so cannot answer your question but I will ask other student reps who have lived in accommodation to respond to this and answer more of your questions!

4. I love my campus. We have bunnies and lots of green space around. I definitely prefer this to a city university where there isn't really a campus community feel. You will recognise familiar faces and bump into people which can make it feel like a small town in itself.

5. From memory, there are not many issues I have come across with being at Kent. I am engaged with my course so I am getting as much as I put in.

When looking at different universities, it is great to see you are going to open days! Be sure to have some questions like these prepared to ask students and staff. As well as this, do have a browse of the area. If you can, consider staying overnight or for the weekend so you can explore the campus for yourself as well as on the official tours/open days.

I hope this helps and the Kent Student Reps are happy to answer any more questions you might have. :smile:

Alia
University of Kent Student Rep

Original post by Anonymous

University of Bath
University of Bristol
University of kent
University of Reading
University of Surrey
University of Brighton
University of Portsmouth

Of course i'm booking open days but i want to hear about what students who are currently there thought about it. It would be helpful if you wrote anything that could help newbies coming into the university, maybe things you didnt like/love or expect?

Please tell me about:

how your doing(eg study support, mental health, physical health)

what type of people are there/what are the people like

How clean your accommodation is

if you find the uni life enjoyable when it comes to making friends/the overall layout of the campus.

what sort of trouble did you come across and how did you get past it?

Thank you :smile:

Hi there,

I hope you're keeping well :smile:

I'm the other student representative who'll talk a little bit more about the accommodation, as I've lived on Kent Campus for ~2 years now as an Undergraduate.

For both years, I've found my rooms to have been of comfortable-to-quite a big size - both definitely bigger than my own room in my house, but of course, that's just my experience. It's a very comfy space, with all the necessities around to help you set up - bed, desk, chair, wardrobe, bins, shelfs - and en-suites toilets if you opt for them.Thankfully, cleaners in campus accommodation will come at to clean your kitchen regularly, as well as make sure that your bathroom is fully functioning. In the case of any faults, you can easily report this via HomeAtHallsKent or reception, at which point the Estates team will rush to help you! :biggrin:

I will say though, that despite help from the University, accommodation is still very much reliant on your own and your flatmates initiatives to care for the place. I've been very fortunate to not have had terrible experiences with my flatmates, and in fact my first year flatmates were incredibly kind and aware of the need to clean and communicate, which made for an even more pleasant kitchen experience. :smile:

This may also have been in part due to me having opted for moderate-living, which is an accommodation system here at the university whereby students who aren't very interested in partying all night, every day are paired with other more reserved flatmates, across the entirety of the building. This means you end up having less partying and noise coming from your ceiling at night, but also means you yourself have to play your part, and not party as well.

An added bonus which I love of the accommodation here at Kent is that all those living on campus get free access to the gym, as well as all first-years. It's a very clean, efficient, and organised gym/sports centre, where you'll often see many of the sports societies training from morning to evening, and which contains all the essentials of a gym and more, The receptionists are also incredibly kind and warm-hearted, and I always see cleaners around, helping to make sure everything is polished and immaculate. :biggrin:

There are even women and non-binary hours, to help create a safe-space for those who may not necessarily be the most comfortable at a regular setting feel more at ease! :smile:

All in all, I've had a really good time at my accommodation, it's cozy, comfortable, and fits my needs perfectly!

Anyways, I hope this helps and answers your question!
Warm regards,

David :smile:

University of Kent Representative

If anyone goes to these universities, what are they like?

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