Aberystwyth Student Guide
The town of Aberystwyth is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol in Wales. Aberystwyth University can be found in the centre of the town and is a large university providing places of study to over 12,000 students.
Top Things to Do
Students in Aberystwyth should take advantage of its location on the coast of the Irish Sea. The sunset over Cardigan Bay is spectacular, especially on a summer’s evening. Seasonal boat trips are offered into Cardigan Bay, where it is not uncommon to see dolphins and seals. Fishing excursions can also be arranged in the harbour and can make for a fun day out!
Culture
Aberystwyth Arts Centre can be found on the Penglais Campus of the university and is one of the largest and busiest arts centres in Wales. The venue includes a 312-seat theatre, a 900-seat concert hall, 125-seat cinema and four galleries. The galleries showcase a range of styles and provide flexible interior spaces for touring exhibits as well as spaces for local artists and printmakers.
Nightlife
The abundance of students in the town means there are several options for a good night out. The Students’ Union at the university is a good place to start your night; it is the social hub of the university and is run by students, for students. Off campus, the town has many pubs and bars to explore, many of which have student nights. Pier Pressure is one of the few nightclubs in the town and can get busy, particularly at weekends.
Where Can I Study?
Aberystwyth University is the only university in the town and is home to a student population of over 12,000. The university’s campus is landscaped into a hillside and combines an impressive mixture of classical and modern buildings.
Aberystwyth University has a strong reputation for academic excellence and performs consistently. In 2012, The Complete University Guide placed the university 49th in the national league tables. The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is a world-class research and teaching centre based at Aberystwyth University.
The centre is recognised internationally as a centre of excellence for students studying biology, environmental and rural sciences. The Department of Computer Science also has an impressive reputation and was ranked 20th in the UK by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
The RAE results rated 70% of the department’s research activity as world leading or internationally excellent. The remaining 30% of the department’s activity was rated as internationally recognised. Aberystwyth University also excels in areas relating to geography and earth sciences, information studies, international politics and law and criminology.
The main campus of Aberystwyth University can be found on Penglais Hill and provides spectacular views. The Penglais Campus is the largest of the university’s campuses and is home to 12 of the 17 departments as well as the majority of the student’s halls of residence.
The ‘Old College’ is located on the coast of the Irish Sea and is home to most of the university’s administration departments as well as the Department of Welsh and the Department of Education. The Llanbadarn Campus is situated about a mile from the main campus and is home to the Department of Rural Sciences and the Department of Information Studies.
Should I Study in Aberystwyth?
A student’s honest opinion:
“If you’re looking for a big city university in the thick of it all, then Aberystwyth is not for you! But if you like a bit of countryside, seaside and where there’s lots of friendly and familiar faces, then Aberystwyth could be your kind of place!
It’s pretty small here so you always bump into people, but the university still has really good sports facilities for its size- there’s an indoor gym and swimming pool as well as loads of fields for different activities outside. Anyway, if you like the great outdoors there’s the beach and rolling hills for walking and adventures on either side of your doorstep, so sporty types will have a great time here.
In terms of going out, there’s so many pubs and clubs here that you can’t say that you will get bored- Apparently there’s more pubs here per square mile than anywhere else in the UK!
I’ve loved my time here so much and am so glad I chose to go here.” – David, 21