Swansea Met University

What's it like as a place to live? Swansea is a great place to live, especially for the student population. The city centre has everything you need from shops to bars and restaurants, and the night life is fantastic with a vast range of clubs and pubs. Swansea is also very close to the Gower peninsular, with some lovely beaches, which makes it brilliant for summer activities and particularly surfing.

How's the student accommodation? Student accommodation is provided in the form of halls of residence at two of Swansea Met's campuses - Townhill and Mount Pleasant. These all include kitchen and bathroom facilities and some rooms have ensuite showers. The rooms are a good size with storage and desk space provided. The best thing about them though is the view from the south-facing rooms; you can see the sea and the north of Devon on clear days. Living with groups of students is very helpful in the first year of university as you build friend groups and confidence along the way. If you do not live in halls, there are many houses around different areas of town that are for student use. These are advertised by the university to make sure the students leaving halls are going to a safe, up-to-code house for the following year. The quality of these houses is good, often having rooms for four or more people. Rent prices for both halls and housing are very reasonable and affordable. On average from £49 to £65 plus bills.

What's the student population like? The student population at Swansea Metropolitan University is diverse and friendly. We have students from all walks of life, local, national and international students included, along with mature students, black students and disabled students. It is not difficult to make friends here and as a result, all of our students study in a friendly, productive atmosphere.

How do students and locals get on? Generally students keep themselves to themselves. In halls of residence, communication with the locals is less than it is in student housing. This is due to the fact that the student houses are in residential streets. Generally there is a good atmosphere between the two groups.

What's it like as a place to study?As one of the newest university's in the UK, Swansea Met is a brilliant place to study. The courses range from English to motorcycle engineering to fine art to music technology. There is something for everyone. The facilities across the campuses (we have four) are top-of-the-range. Dynevor Campus is our newest building and it houses the Art & Design departments. All the equipment and materials there are brand new with plenty to go around. The Townhill, Mount Pleasant and Alexandra Road campuses are also excellent for equipment and resources catering for their specific subject specialities.

What are the teaching staff like? The teaching staff at the university are all highly respected and are always interested in what the students are doing both in uni and in free time. The Students' Union has an active involvement with the university, from course reps and union reps representing students at all levels from faculty up to governors. This maintains a positive relationship between students and staff creating a far better atmosphere for students to study within.

What are student societies like? The societies provided by the Students' Union are very successful. There is a vast range of activities for our students to be involved in. These range from the traditional sports such as football and rugby, to the dance society, climbing and mountaineering club and the surf club. Not all our clubs and societies are sport-based; we also have alternatives, such as the Enterprise Society and People and Planet. It is also made very easy for students to start up clubs that are not currently available. The sports teams, surf club and dance society are the most popular clubs with a big number of students joining up.

What's a typical night out?A typical night out for our students begins in our very popular student lounge which is situated on Townhill Campus. When that closes, groups of students head into town, mainly to Wind Street where most of the nightlife in Swansea is situated. There are other venues that people drift to later in the night, such as the new Oceana and Sin City. A lot of the time you see groups of students in various costumes for fancy dress, be it for an organised event, someone's birthday or just a bit of fun, it's always fun.

And how much does it cost? How much a night out costs depends on the student and the clubs they go to. Some places are more expensive than others. Usually however you find students in town on a Wednesday, when most of the clubs hold their student nights. On a night like this you can spend as little as £10 - again, this depends on funds and the student in question. The good thing about Swansea is that you do not need to spend a lot of money to have a good night.

How can you get home safely?The best way to get home safely after a night out is to get a taxi with a group of people all going in the same direction or to the same place. The Students' Union provides information on making sure students use a licensed taxi service and has the numbers for these taxi companies. Walking back alone, as in any city, is not recommended in any case. 

Is it an expensive place to live? Swansea is not an expensive place to live in; rent prices are very low compared to the rest of the UK. Making your student loan last is up to the money management of each student.

Average price of a pint? Depending on where you go in Swansea, with such an array of bars and pubs, the cost of a pint is very variable, though starting at around £2.20.

What's the part-time work situation?To assist with funding a lot of students find part time work in bars in the evenings and shops at weekends. Jobs are not everywhere, however if you look it is most likely you will find them. And the university offers services to assist with job hunting, from checking cvs to having a list of jobs available in the area.

What's the best feature about the place?The best bit about Swansea Metropolitan university is the Location - very close to town, with views of the sea - but also the environment. With the Metropolitan being relatively small for a university, it gives students a greater choice of support and lecture time. From a degree prospective the courses are well thought out and value for money. From a social aspect its not all just about the drinking, Wind Street is so close, so there is that option, but there is also a wide choice of beaches and a very good public transport system to go over to Cardiff or up in to the countryside.

And the worst? The worst thing about Swansea could be the seaside climates: when it rains, it sometimes seems like it may never stop. However there are so many activities it can easily go un-noticed.

And to sum it all up?I would sum up Swansea Metropolitan as being a community which cares for its students. There are no excuses for boredom as there are so many internal and external activities, though sometimes you have to look for them.

Mervyn Davies, Wayne Proctor, Andy Moore (Welsh rugby internationals), Glyn Garner (Bury FC). 

Contact SU on tel 01792 298845, or visit www.metsu.org.