70 reviews
3.91 / 5 based on 70 reviews
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Jaume M
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
How much did you improve your English?
My level before: No problems in any areas (including slang)
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
The good thing was being able to meet a lot of people from other foreign countries. In general most of the people you get on with is from outside the UK.
BEsides, a common process that takes place here (which I tried to avoid) is ghettoization. Spanish people flock together and go out with Spanish people, and the same for French, Greek, Swedish, and a long etc. The main cause of this is language... if a group of people is not proficient enough in English to be able to have conversations in all the registers with other people, they'll eventually get tired of their poor conversations and come back to the safety of their group.
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Jaume M
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
An ERASMUS grant
Work opportunities:
Personal spending habits
Why? Are you joking?? Hey, folks, we're talking about the damn UK! Although this is a big town (this is no London!), the whole country is way more expensive than many in every single aspect.
Hey, it's not just a saying... it's really crazy... You spend money even to breathe...
I spent less in Telephone just because I call home only once a week, collect call, and I don't call anybody here (I just pop in their place!).
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Food, Housing, Nightlife, Travel, Overall:
was more expensive than at home.
Telephone:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
GOOD: Well, as for clothes, if you don't mind being a homeless for one day, there's a wide variety of charity shops around.
BAD: The hospital is god-damn far away. You can only get there by car (or cab, if you don't have one!).
Tips
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There's a weekly free bus to a huge supermarket (Asda). It's good to go there to buy, cause you obly have to spend two hours a week for shopping and its prices are reasonable.
You'll have to go to Cardiff several times. Just make the most of your time there, and try to get everything you need at once to avoid having to go there every now and then.
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Jaume M
Academic
Course recommendations
- Quality of courses: This uni is the UK's third best in business, but is really easy (I know a lot of people in business, they promise it). The uni is also good for Multimedia, Software engineering and Electronics. As for the whole branch of humanities (what I do), it's complete bullshit.
- Good things: Quite good technological equipments (loadsa PCs with scanners, CD recorders, color printers, Inet facilities...).
As far as the interaction with local students is concerned... well, I wouldn't like to generalise, but English and Welsh people do without foreign people. They are at home and they don't need people from abroad.
...maybe I shouldn't say this but... well, a friend of mine from Mauricius was really disappointment with the relationship with the locals because of racism! Shit!
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
There's no information for the student, the system is a bit chaotic.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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Jaume M
Overall
I wish I had known...
I don't think so. Apart from negative aspects of the uni and the country, I am happy with the experience of being an Erasmus student!
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
I mean, what matters is going abroad! If I have to choose between going to a "so-so" university or staying at home, I'll go to the uni! The uni is secondary, what matters is that you make the most of your time here!
But... if you have the chance... go to another uni (at least for Humanities!)
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
You MUST travel around a lot. Once you are here, Ireland, Scotland and England are just some hours away... Do visit Ireland and Scotland... and London!
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Jaume M
Student life
Describe host city:
Student life dominates the city
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Activities, Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Well, Treforest is the hell of a tiny place. There are, though, five pubs, plus the pub and the disco in the students' union. Apart from that, there's nothing else in the town! Really, nothing else! The only thing you can do is take the train to Cardiff (20 minutes).
Anyway, the the disco in the students' union (Shaft's) is where you'll go out if you don't wanna spend the helluvalot of money going out in Cardiff (and coming back by cab = £15). The music is crap, but drinks are not especially expensive.
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Jaume M
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
I'd live in a house basically because it's way cheaper.
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Personal comments
There are three Halls of Residence:
- Glamorgan Court: The best one. Six rooms per flat, clean and modern, shared kitchen but toilet and shower of your own (this is great). I am here.
- Phillip Evans: Bedroom of your own (with a hand basin), kitchen and toilets showers shared with other people (6 or 8, I don't remember). Not especially clean.
- Forest Hall: Bedroom with hand basin. Shared toilet and showers. No kitchen. Catering is provided. I wouldn't like this, as no dinner is provided and there's no kitchen, so people must spend money on snacks and food separately. Apart from that, if you don't like the food they give you, bad for you...
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