Swansea Student Guide
The city of Swansea can be found on the south west coast of Wales and has a student population of over 18,000.
Nightlife
The abundance of students and young people in the city means there is no shortage of options for a good night out. Wind Street is the premier area for bar hopping, as the area is full of bars, pubs and nightclubs. Revolution is a popular nightclub and caters for students most nights of the week. Tuesdays and Thursdays are popular student nights and the club has lots of two-for-one offers.
Top Things to Do
The location of Swansea on the coast means there are a number of picturesque beachside destinations, which offer stunning views throughout the year. Mumbles Bay is a long beachside promenade with lots of cafes and restaurants. The area is full of pretty boutiques and unique, independent shops. Gower Peninsula is the perfect spot to explore by foot or bike and the fresh sea air does wonders for a hangover!
Shopping
Swansea has a great reputation for shopping, and it doesn’t disappoint. There is a vast selection of shopping centres, markets and high streets to explore. Swansea Market is the largest indoor market in Wales and can be found in the city centre. Stallholders at the market offer fresh, authentic Welsh food (don’t forget to try the fresh cockles), jewellery and unique gift ideas.
The Quadrant is a shopping centre also in the city centre and houses a selection of famous brands all under one roof. Brands include New Look, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams. Oxford Street is the place to go for the largest selection of stores, the street attracts over 50,000 visitors a week and is home to all the high street favourites like H&M, M&S and British Home Stores.
Where Can I Study?
Swansea is home is one university, Swansea University. The university provides places of study to over 18,000 students every year. Swansea University is the third largest university in Wales and can be found on the coast of Swansea Bay, on the outskirts of the city centre.
Swansea University is organized into 6 colleges: The College of Arts and Humanities, The College of Business, Economics and Law, The College of Engineering, The College of Human and Health Science, The College of Medicine and The College of Science. The university is highly regarded as a research-intensive university and has 52 centres of research.
Swansea excels in several research areas including ancient history, biomedicine, general engineering mineral and mining engineering, and computer science development. In 2012, The Complete University Guide placed Swansea as 54th in the UK’s university league tables.
Swansea University offers modern facilities to its students including over 1,850 PC’s across the campus and other sites. A number of student services are integrated into the university including student financial aid, a student counselling service and a careers and employability service.
There is a visible emphasis on sports and sporting facilities at Swansea University and the uni boasts a £20 million Sports Village, which includes a 50-meter pool and warm-up pool. Other facilities include a climbing wall, fitness centre, eight-lane athletics track and a physiotherapy service. Sports scholarships to the value of £3,000 are awarded to talented young men and women who have the potential to become world-class in their field.
Should I Study in Swansea?
A student’s honest opinion:
“It’s pretty great for students, you have the sea, the mumbles, the city which has plenty of shops, a great nightlife with a massive variety of places to go and the prices are great. Only an hour from Cardiff if you want a big day out shopping. Plenty of places to eat out most of which are affordable for students. The majority of people are friendly.
The university is quite near the city centre and there are regular buses. Everyone I know loves it there, definitely a student friendly city.” – Pippa, 21
Related Guides
• Cardiff student guide
• Aberystwyth student guide
• Bangor student guide