I would describe my experience at Bangor University as life-changing. I grew up and became a functioning adult in those three years. I remember restarting my university journey at 19 as being slightly out of touch with how the world worked after having grown up in a family that took care of everything for me till the day I left the country. I learned how to make a bank account, manage my finances, adapt to an unfamiliar land with unfamiliar people, make food that nourished me, make friends who did not have the same cultural background, and take care of myself in those years. I walked out at 21 years of age a lot more grounded and in tune with the world around me and that was all because Bangor University had given me the chance to learn and grow despite the initial trip-up. The staff, both academic and non-academic, were very patient and the local people in the city were very warm in those cold temperatures. I remember questioning whether I had made the right decision of leaving everything behind after my first week in my first year in 2018, and nearly five and a half years later being forever grateful to my younger self for choosing Bangor, a place I still call home and visit at least once a year, and I think that says everything about my overall experience at my university.
Course Curriculum :
The course content was very well planned and delivered throughout the course. My course had an optional module of work placement but I was unable to complete my placement because of the pandemic. However, the lecturer put in extra effort to make the module equally valuable without the hands on experience of a workplace, by helping us develop our employability skills, how to improve it and how to make the most of each experience by gaining transferrable skills from them.
Exams :
No IELTS scores required if student received more than 80% in English in 12th board exams, statement of purpose. I had to submit letters of recommendations from old teachers and statement of purpose. Main points in statement of purpose included why I wanted to study the course, what made me interested in the subject, my extra curriculars, which specific modules I was most keen to learn, and why I chose Bangor university and how doing this course would help me move ahead in my career plans. Interview round: Yes, I had one round of telephone interview after receiving the final offer before visa application, to ask if I knew which course I was applying to, if I was clear about why I wanted to study at the university, and also asked about why I could not pursue a similar course in my country. Some of the questions were related to my SoP while the others were about how I would navigate if I encountered issues after reaching the UK. I would suggest to be very clear about these specific points because they want to make sure you have thought well about leaving the country and moving to an entirely different place to pursue your education.
Placement :
I was sure that I wanted to apply for a masters' course immediately after completing my undergraduate course so I did not apply for any jobs after the course but the university has a careers team and website that update all job opportunities available for students.
Internship :
I did not opt for any paid internships during my time at Bangor University. I volunteered for a few organisations over the years to gain the skills I needed and worked a part-time role at a local shop and as a residential warden to enhance my employability and earn a living.
Fees :
I studied between 2018-2021 when the tuition fee per year for my course was 12750GBP without scholarship.
Scholarship :
I received the British Council GREAT Scholarship 2018 for my course. It covered my first year of tuition worth 12750 GBP. I also received 4000 GBP scholarship each for the remaining two years due to my academic results being within their required criteria. I had to apply separately for the British Coucil scholarship and submit a scholarship essay describing why I needed the scholarship. For the merit scholarship, I did not have to apply separately, it was automatically added to my offer letter after my first application.
Faculty :
Because it was an undergraduate course, the student to teacher ratio in my first year was 300:1 in my psychology lectures and about 150:1 in the criminology lectures. That reduced significantly by the time we reached third year. Most of the lecturers were very approachable and had scheduled drop in sessions for the students outside of lecture timings when we could ask them any course content related or career related questions. The lecturers who have had the most impact on my are Prof Martina Feilzer, Dr Teresa Drew, Dr Tim Holmes, and Dr Tracey Lloyd.
Campus Life :
The university has lots of clubs and societies that students can join for free, the libraries and communal workspaces have 24 hour access. Gym memberships are included in rent if you live on campus. There is wifi available on all university buildings and accommodation sites. There are research facilities that students can get involved in either by participating in research, or working as an assistant in them.
Hostel :
The university has two accommodation sites with gyms, on site shops and cafe/ restaurants, parking and round the clock pastoral support. My rent in 2018-2020 was around 550 GBP per month inclusive of all bills, wifi, on-site gym membership and parking. I worked as a residential mentor in my final year which gave me free accommodation for that year of the course.
