Choosing the university for doing a degree is very challenging for many people. From preliminary research to completing an application and hopefully waiting for the good news, it’s quite a long journey that requires patience, thoughtfulness and sometimes a little bit of luck.
There are universities people choose, and others that choose people, and those of the latter type can be hard to find. Swansea Uni is an ambitious growing institution located in South Wales. If you have never heard of it or think that it is no different from its rivals, here are 20 reasons why Swansea University is the absolute opposite, in the best way possible.
Swansea University has 2 campuses, Singleton and the newly opened Bay. The former, which dates to the early 1920s, is very close to Singleton Park, which is the biggest urban park in the city and is known for its beautiful botanical gardens as well as its suitability for children to play. Another great place is Brynmill Park, which is has a lake, bowling green, children’s play area, and a center for wildlife preservation. The Bay campus was opened in 2015, and is only a few walking steps away from the beach (PRIVATELY OWNED). Imagine that you could live in a place that can be both a student residence and a holiday home. If you like the idea, then Swansea Bay is the place to go for.
University staff are an integral part of a great learning experience, and this is one of the core beliefs of Swansea Uni personnel. You can sense that when you get to meet one of the institution’s representatives overseas. For them, once they’ve spoken to you, you’ve officially become a “member of the gang” (don’t forget to ask for the blue wristband!!).
Swansea City Council highly encourages multiculturalism, and it is the main reason why the city is one of the most tolerant places one could go to. In attempt to contribute to the message delivery process, Swansea Uni is a permanent participant in multicultural and interfaith events. As a matter of fact, it has its own event, known as the Bigger Picture Festival. It’s a 10-day-long event, full of fun activities, made with love and joy and can’t be missed for the world. Also, it has been recently reported that Swansea is bidding to be the 2021 UK city of culture. Way to go, Swansea!!!
During the past few months, Swansea Uni was the venue of some nationally and regionally recognized events. In September 2016, Swansea University hosted the British Science Festival, one of Europe’s leading and longest established science festivals.
On the 18th of November 2016, the Bay Campus Great Hall hosted BBC Children in Need Appeal Show, a night of entertainment for a good cause, that is raising funds for helping children across Wales suffering from homelessness, neglect, deprivation and bereavement.
Swansea Uni’s world-class education delivery has reflected upon its position in the rankings table. This year, QS higher education data specialists ranked seven subjects at Swansea- Civil, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering retained their spots as top 200 subjects (joined by Chemical Engineering among top 300 for the first time); Mathematics; Law; Medicine; Physics and Astronomy. The institution high rating for teaching quality, employability, facilities, research, internationalization resulted in an improved ranking of 390th in QS Rankings 2016/17 and a climb to top 350 institutions in Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. This is just the beginning, and don’t get surprised if you find Swansea among the top 200 in the next couple of years.
Swansea University has always been a chart topper in terms of student satisfaction. In late 2016, National Student Survey (NSS) placed Swansea Uni at 14th in the UK for student satisfaction. The institution’s satisfaction rate was 90%, higher than 86% of Wales and UK overall figures. Moreover, it has been constantly filling top spots in What Uni Choice Awards. In 2017, the institution was shortlisted for a whopping six What Uni Awards, and winning the number one spot for Postgraduate Study, another key strength added to the list including Courses and Lecturers, Clubs and Societies and University of the Year.
Swansea Uni is very close to the center of Swansea City. There are so many attractions and regardless of what you like, you can find the right place for yourself. The Quadrant Shopping Centre, the National Waterfront Museum, the LC and of course the famous Wind Street are few examples (and the last one is a student favorite).
Think Sport…Think Swansea, that sums everything up. The ‘Sport Swansea’ Department welcomes all levels of sporting abilities and the unbelievably astonishing sport variety story could be told through the £20 million Sports Village. The institution is equipped with state of the art facilities that were used by athletes who were preparing for the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Furthermore, the Uni has strong lists with professional sports organisations like Swansea City AFC (which competes in the Premier League) and rugby bodies such as Ospreys and Scarlets.
The Welsh Varsity Challenge featuring Cardiff/Swansea is the biggest student event in Wales, and second largest British Varsity games after Oxford/Cambridge. It is also a favorite for the city locals, with the Liberty Stadium hosting the event in 2015 in presence of a crowd of 12,000 people. It is also noteworthy to mention that many students managed to secure contracts with semi-professional and professional organisations based on their outstanding performance during the Welsh Varsity.
Swansea University Student Union (or SUSU) is ranked as one of the top ten in the UK. This well-earned spot is attributed to the massive efforts made all year long to ensure that students are always happy. The 2 week-long freshers event and the summer ball are milestones of every academic year, and preparations for them start very early. SUSU’s role goes much deeper though. It supports community wide causes, sends representatives to attend major events, nominates officers to establish the best representation of various student groups (especially minorities), opens and monitors student voice channels and raises student awareness of the Uni’s most recent achievements. Way to go, SUSU!!!
For students who consider safety a top priority while studying abroad, Swansea made the Business Insider UK list as one of the safest cities in Britain. It is the third safest city in Wales as well, after Aberystwyth and Wrexham. Moreover, Swansea was chosen to among the top UK’s student happiest towns, scoring at 90%. Looking for happiness? You should have Swansea on your list.
One of the institution’s greatest achievements last year was “Welsh University of the Year” title, awarded by The Sunday Times Good University Guide. Professor Richard Davies, the university’s Vice Chancellor commented on that saying “To be ranked just above Cardiff and selected as Welsh University of the Year by the globally-respected Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide shows just how far Swansea University has come in recent years.”
During the past few days, weeks and months, the institution was graced by the visit of several highly influential and respected people. In July 2016, the university’s Bay Campus was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. In February 2017, the university welcomed HE Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Singleton Campus, followed by a tour at the College of Engineering at the Bay Campus. In March 2017, Swansea University was graced by the Prime Minister, Theresa May, who was at the Bay Campus to confirm the signing of the Swansea City Bay Region Deal, where she was welcomed by the university’s VC and the Dean of School of Management.
Want to look it up online? No problem. Swansea Uni speaks for itself well online. Check out the university’s website and/or Flickr for great photos of facilities located at either campus. Of course, you can like the university pages on Facebook and follow them on Twitter (an absolute necessity, especially for people interested in applying and prospective students during pre-arrival preparations time). The university has newly created pages on Snap Chat and Instagram and an admirably strong presence on YouTube. Wondering about professional networks? Check out the university’s LinkedIn groups to join a network of fellow students, alumni and staff.
Fancy knowing more about the place from students? Do you need to see the place through the eyes of people from the inside? You’re in luck, as Swansea Uni is part of the Browzer network, where you can watch videos and read articles providing you with tips and hints for a better lifestyle, the knowledge that is hard to find elsewhere sort of thing.
Swansea University’s progress in terms of research quality is truly remarkable. According to REF2014, the institution jumped to 26th place (compared to 52nd in 2008) in the UK for Research Quality, it was also ranked alongside two and ahead of four Russell Group universities. The university is currently ranked 22nd in the UK for research impact, with 90% of its research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
Swansea University understand how hard it is for students to adapt to environmental and lifestyle changes whilst trying to combat stress associated with university work. For that reason, the university provides premium quality student support services. These services are available to aid students struggling because of mental health/disability problems, financial hardship, culture shock, special medical conditions, or any general queries about university life or student status.
Different colleges and schools at Swansea Uni have been (and still) making great differences to societies inside and outside the UK. For example, the College of Engineering have improved aerodynamic design for the aerospace industry and provided computational technology to the defence, manufacturing, oil recovery, mining, and other sectors. Another example is the contribution made by the College of Science, with the impact of using satellite data to improvement of post-wildlife hazard assessment in the USA and Australia, and improvement of rainforest conservation in South East Asia. These are not the only contributions, and you can find out more if interested.
Want to keep in touch after graduation? No worries. Swansea University’s Alumni Association ensures that you stay in contact with the institution after you’ve graduated. All graduates automatically become association members, providing a warm welcome to all who like to share their experiences at the Uni (Did I mention connecting through Facebook and LinkedIn?). This vibrant network has 60,000 active members working at different sectors (public/private), and include: Sir Terry Matthews OBE (Wales’s first billionaire), Jason Mohammad (television and radio presenter) and Liz Johnson (Paralympic gold-medal winning swimmer), just to name a few.
One of the greatest things about Swansea Uni is its openness. University campus is not only for students, but also for visitors who are not necessarily students/applicants or their parents. Come to the award-winning Egypt Center at Singleton to watch pupils learning about the ancient Egyptian civilization or visit the Bay during Easter, where children play Egg hunt! Yes, university area is open to children for playing during Easter, and sometimes university staff take part in the game!! It is a real gift to the community.
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