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This week Tim Sculthorpe gives us his view of Swansea, University of Wales

Being a student in Swansea

Swansea’s campus is set a couple of miles outside the city centre and it truly seems placed in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Swansea Bay is itself stunning, but pales in comparison to the Gower Peninsula, stretching 20 miles to the west of the city. Swansea is a small, compact, community-driven city. You can walk across the centre in a matter of minutes, yet it has most of the amenities you would expect from a city centre.

Currently, a huge amount of money is being spent renovating the centre. It’s a great place to live and spend your university years. Be warned however that there is limited work in town after your degree – most students do end up leaving the city.

Cost of living is, like much of South Wales, markedly lower than in other areas of the country. Rents are very reasonable, and most students live within a few minutes of each other, further lending to the community feel of the city. It seems almost impossible to walk around for long without meeting someone you know.

The transportation around the city is decent, with comprehensive, regular buses. Prices are rising, but are no worse than elsewhere in the country and like most things here, are probably a little cheaper. There is also cycle path all the way round Swansea Bay, giving access to most of the parts of the city you are likely to need on a daily basis.

Campus is small and contained on one site, but reasonably well equipped with a couple of bars, several cafes, a bookshop and off-licence. Departments are all within moments of each other, and chances are you’ll meet someone you know walking around.

Study Time

Based at the heart of campus, the university's library is at least reasonably well stocked for most subjects – and excellent for some subject, including law. The university has many subscriptions to electronic journals for many subjects and across several online portals through the Athens system including, for example, JSTOR, Westlaw and Swetswise. These are available through any terminal on campus, or remotely at home.

Several copies of key texts are usually held, and books can be recalled within one week – though this is dependent on the reliability of the student in question responsible for returning the book. Old editions are often kept archived which can be a useful recourse when new copies are out.

While at peak times it can be difficult to find a computer, if you’re prepared to be a little flexible about where you work, you shouldn’t have too many problems. A useful place is the computer lab in the Student Union building, on the third floor. Many people simply don’t know it is there, which means you can practically guarantee a free machine.

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