Experiences at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)?

Hi all, I'm in year 13 and I was offered an unconditional offer to study law at ARU but I've been seeing negative reviews about the university and past student lawsuits against staff there, I looked through posts about ARU on this site and also found that they apparently do not care for disabled students or those who require assistance.

This is really putting me off going as I have very painful PCOS and am in the process of getting tested for Endometriosis, I would be really grateful if any ARU students or those who know students who go to ARU could tell me about their experiences.
Is ARU a place that is not worth my money and time, where they make promises and do not keep them?

Reply 1

dahliastudies

Original post

by Hollins

While ARU does have support services and formal procedures in place student experiences are mixed and support quality may vary. It is not universally true that they “don’t care,” but many students do report frustration with bureaucracy or inconsistent support. Tailored support might be available. It is worth asking directly and clearly about your needs before accepting.

Thank you!

Reply 2

ARUOfficial

Official Rep

Original post

by dahliastudies

Hi all, I'm in year 13 and I was offered an unconditional offer to study law at ARU but I've been seeing negative reviews about the university and past student lawsuits against staff there, I looked through posts about ARU on this site and also found that they apparently do not care for disabled students or those who require assistance.
This is really putting me off going as I have very painful PCOS and am in the process of getting tested for Endometriosis, I would be really grateful if any ARU students or those who know students who go to ARU could tell me about their experiences.
Is ARU a place that is not worth my money and time, where they make promises and do not keep them?

Hi there,

Firstly, congrats on your unconditional offer! That's a fantastic achievement and a testament to your hard work 👏

And thank you for sharing your story and experience.

We have ample student support services in place for all students, including Counselling and Wellbeing and Money Advice team, as well as a dedicated Disability and Neurodiversity team. Their job is to ensure students with extra needs are supported, comfortable, and get the assistance they require. They offer one-to-one support, guidance, mentoring sessions, and other specialist support. Their inbox is always open if you wish to pop them an email: 📧 [email protected].

If students do have complaints, we take them seriously and students are encouraged to contact us anytime: 📧 [email protected]

I will tag our ARU Students account for an ARU student to share their experience, otherwise, please feel free to chat with our students (or staff!) online on our Chat with our Students webpage. They'll be happy to answer any questions about their ARU journey, life in their city, and their course.

If you have any other concerns or queries, please do reach out and we'll be happy to help ⁠😊

Hope to see you on campus soon!

Many thanks,
Jemma

Reply 3

ARU Graduate

Official Rep

Original post

by dahliastudies

Hi all, I'm in year 13 and I was offered an unconditional offer to study law at ARU but I've been seeing negative reviews about the university and past student lawsuits against staff there, I looked through posts about ARU on this site and also found that they apparently do not care for disabled students or those who require assistance.
This is really putting me off going as I have very painful PCOS and am in the process of getting tested for Endometriosis, I would be really grateful if any ARU students or those who know students who go to ARU could tell me about their experiences.
Is ARU a place that is not worth my money and time, where they make promises and do not keep them?

Hey there,

I just wanted to reply because I was genuinely surprised reading this… my experience at ARU was honestly the complete opposite, and I’d hate for you to be put off without hearing another side.

I want to be really clear first though… I don’t have personal experience of what you’re describing around disability support in the specific way you’re asking, so I can’t speak directly on ARU’s handling of PCOS or endometriosis. What I can say, completely honestly, is that the support I personally received throughout my time there was brilliant.

Like most students, I definitely had moments where I let everything overwhelm me… I fell behind, convinced myself I was failing, and didn’t reach out as quickly as I should have. When I eventually contacted my personal tutor, he honestly couldn’t have been more supportive. He offered me a meeting straight away to talk through all my concerns, reassured me massively, and then set up regular check-ins to make sure I was coping and staying on track.

There was one point in my second year where I was very close to burnout and seriously considering dropping out. I was exhausted, emotional, and convinced I couldn’t keep going. After talking things through with my personal tutor, I didn’t drop out… that conversation genuinely made all the difference.

Beyond personal tutors, there are so many teams at ARU available to help. The wellbeing team in particular were lovely… I had brief contact with them when I was off uni with Covid-19, and they actually called me every couple of days just to check how I was feeling and see if I needed any support. It never felt rushed or like a tick-box exercise.

We were also regularly reminded during lectures about the different support groups and services available to us… wellbeing, disability services, academic support, extensions, mitigating circumstances, and more. It never felt like you were expected to just struggle in silence.

If you haven’t already, I’d really recommend attending an open day. They’re genuinely great… you get to meet lecturers and current students, ask all the questions you have, and really get a feel for what student life is like there. I was split between unis too, but after attending an ARU open day my mind was set before the day was even over.

Your concerns are completely valid… managing a chronic condition alongside uni is a huge thing, and you’re right to be cautious. But from my experience, ARU was a place where I felt listened to, supported, and encouraged rather than brushed off.

If you do decide to go, I’d definitely suggest reaching out early to student services or disability support and having an open conversation about your needs… getting things in place from the start can make such a difference.

I really hope you hear a few more perspectives and feel reassured enough to make the decision that’s right for you. You absolutely deserve to study somewhere you feel supported!

Good luck making this decision and whatever happens I hope you find the place for you! Sophie 🙂

Reply 4

Tayto_n1816

Original post

by dahliastudies

Hi all, I'm in year 13 and I was offered an unconditional offer to study law at ARU but I've been seeing negative reviews about the university and past student lawsuits against staff there, I looked through posts about ARU on this site and also found that they apparently do not care for disabled students or those who require assistance.
This is really putting me off going as I have very painful PCOS and am in the process of getting tested for Endometriosis, I would be really grateful if any ARU students or those who know students who go to ARU could tell me about their experiences.
Is ARU a place that is not worth my money and time, where they make promises and do not keep them?

Hi! I’m a student at ARU and I love it there! I’m a disabled student and I have found the support is great and it is a very inclusive environment. I have also seen these types of reviews but really disagree with them as I love the university! If you’ve come to an open day and liked it go for it if not then I hope you’re happy wherever you go! :smile: