So, next year I'm gonna be going to Prifysgol Abertawe for Pol&IR - aside from all the regular shit associated with uni and that, what's the city *like*? And I guess, by extension, the university itself?
I wanted to hear something, as my brother put it, "from the back alley", rather than from someone interested in getting me on a course or whatever.
I can't really answer what the uni itself is like - we've had a few students transfer from them, because we have smaller class sizes and better student support than them, but that actually doesn't mean much because we're currently 5th in the entire UK for student support. I don't think they're particularly worse than any other large uni.
But! Swansea the place is great. Big enough to have what you need, small enough to get to know comfortably. Three cinemas (avoid Cinema and Co, it used to be great but the owner turned into a COVID conspiracy nut and now platforms Nazis, so I'm not counting them), four or five escape rooms, two bowling alleys, a Laser Zone, a soft play place that does adult nights once a month that's SUPER fun to play tag in, two trampoline parks, two board game cafes, a pottery painting place, a bunch of museums, a bunch of theatres, a very lively street for nightlife (plus other places). Biggest indoor market in Wales. Two castles. The bus drivers wait for you to sit down. The whole area of High Street is an artists' collective these days, and also has the gay bars.
The city itself has a big beach, though it's into the Bristol Channel, which means the second highest tidal range in the world. I don't know what sort of sea sense you have, but just in case, I'll say it: never go into the sea to swim while the tide is going out. Good beach though. I made a lot of the sand dunes (not alone). But the really great beaches are down the Gower peninsula. Three Cliffs regularly makes it onto global lists of the world's most beautiful beaches. There's also a LOT of reclaimed post-industrial sites that are very fun to explore, like Kilvey Hill and Rosehill Quarry.
On that note, the Environment Centre is on Pier Street. If you're moving from outside Wales, make sure you take the recycling seriously! We're second in the world now. It goes on a fortnightly cycle; week one is plastics in the big pink reusable sacks and food waste in the fox-and-gull-proof bin. Then week two is paper and card in one green bag, tins and glass in a second green bag, garden waste over summer in the big white reusable sacks, non-recyclable waste in a black sack, and food waste in the fox-and-gull-proof bin again because no one wants food waste rotting in the house. But they're considering changing the non-recyclable stuff to a three week cycle to discourage us from just binning everything, so there's that. You'd be amazed at what you can recycle down the civic amenity sites, though. Or the Environment Centre
Oh, and lots of live music and comedy nights throughout the month, too! Oh and I forgot the weird crazy golf place above Wagamamas. The best Cantonese restaurant is No. 12 Jiangjiu, the best Mandarin is Gigi Gao's, the best Indian is HOTLY contested but I personally say Vojon. Best chippy is Hiks, but closely followed by Rossi's.
This is important: the Swansea natives all tell you that the best ice cream is Joe's.
They are extremely and laughably wrong. It is cheap overpriced shit they charge a fortune for. Tonight, they will execute me in Castle Square for speaking this truth, but I will die with my honour.
The actual best ice cream is either Verdi's down Mumbles, or GGs in Penclawdd, next to the salt marsh. I will die with my honour.
Anyway, in short, Swansea is a great student experience. Cardiff is a 50 minute train away if you need a big city, but Swansea is a lot cheaper. So yes! Lots to do, and you can be as busy or as quiet as you like. HMU if you have any specific queries, I realise I sort of scatter gunned this lol
UTKnox has an exchange program with PA - croeso i chi.
