30,983 discussions, 145 guides
Bangor (University of Wales)
30,983 discussions, 145 guides
Bangor (University of Wales)
University of Wales, Bangor
College Road
Bangor
Gwynedd
LL57 2DG
Tel: +44 (0)1248 351151
1884
Storm FM
The usual mix of request and chat.It broadcasts, a rather impressive 24 hours a day, 7 days a week around the university campus. Rather than being a fantastic communication tool for the students it provides a great platform for industry experience with opportunities in every aspect. The station was shortlisted for the 'Best Station Sound' in the SR Association Student Radio Awards (supported by Radio 1) in Nov 2004. The station is always looking for new talent and welcomes anyone who wants become involved.
Seren
This is the Student Union's (I'm not even going to try to spell the Welsh for S.U.) free monthly English language magazine. The publication deals with a wide range of topics from general news and entertainment to specfic information about the S.U. and the university. Being student run there is plenty of opportunity to get involved.
Y Ddraenen
As you can probably guess this is the Welsh magazine which is generally published once or twice a term. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what's in it, because my Welsh is a bit rusty at the moment...apparently though its very popular with a lot of the Welsh speaking general public of Bangor.
Frances Barber - Actress
No one else, really!
There are four different union bars, three in the SU building itself. The main bar is the focus of attention and holds events and live music. It also plays host to the twice monthly Welsh music night. Given that Welsh language and culture is taken very seriously at Bangor, and that it has a large amount of Welsh students, this is a popular event.
There is also Jock's Bar. This is smaller, quieter and has a more relaxed atmosphere. At Ffriddoedd Site, one of Bangor's three sites there is The George Bar. Pride of place however goes to Time/Amser, which is also open to the public. This is the union nightclub and is the venue for all major functions. The Time/Amser club cost around one million pounds and is considered one of the best nightclubs in North Wales. Its important to note that the union is run as a limited company and thus trades as one. Despite initial concern from the students, this arrangement is working well and has brought some considerable benefits.
The union also runs three catering outlets. These provide an excellent range of food and their fry-ups are particularly good. These outlets do well when compared to the University refectory.
From incoming mail to Unofficial-Guides: I have never had any regrets about coming here, and got quite offended that it is portrayed as a second rate university when actually, it's departments like psychology, linguistics, ocean sciences and sports science are amongst the most respected in the country. Regarding the lack of nightlife, it's pretty much just a matter of getting into the pub culture which is what north wales is so good at (i'm biased though, being a north walian and coming from just 40 miles away). If you come here from a large city, yes you might well find it ridiculously remote and expect sheep to be grazing outside your hall (it's that close to snowdonia), but because of this and the fact that it's small, i found it really easy to meet loads of people and find the student population really friendly.
Oh, and regarding the locals of bangor, well there aren't that many when you compare them with the amount of students. I'm sure many of them hate the student population,the majority of students being seen as unemployed aloholics who puke outside peoples houses at three in the morning (which is only partailly true). I'm sure in most university cities people have problems with students, but in Bangor, the place is so small that they don't go ignored or unnoticed. Regarding the oh so high cost of booze in bangor, well I'm going out tonight to a couple of pubs and to Time (you know, the one with absolutely no atmosphere), and am going to console myself for being in such a second-rate university with £1 pints and doubles for singles shots.
In Wales, there will always be some extent of a Welsh-English divide, but it's not that important when you're here, and doesn't mean that anyone not from wales has to be constantly on their guard from welsh language activists threatening you in the middle of the high street with, erm, leaflets. Okay, I've finished my rant for now, I think.
Functions are well organised, with Monday, Friday and Saturday being the best. Mon is 60's, 70's and 80's night. Its free and is packed out just about all the time. Friday is Juke Box and thus gets very cheesy. It costs £3 to get in and again is very popular. Elevate on Saturday night sees a rotation system of dance music. Wednesday night is Trash night where indie dominates. Time is sometimes opened on Wednesdays but as a rule most students decamp to Octagon, a club in town which runs an excellent student night. The Union is hoping to add comedy to their weekly line up. On the whole it is cheese that reigns supreme, simply due to demand, however, dance music seems to have a relatively large following as well.
The union doesn't run a huge amount of major social events, this is left to clubs and societies but there is a Christmas ball held at Reichel Hall. This is popular but quite a small event. The one Union ball is held in the University's Great Hall which forms a stunning backdrop to the fairground and dance/drink marquees that are also present.
There are currently over 25 non Athletic societies and clubs at Bangor, from international and religious societies including the Christian Union, Islamic Society and Japanese Society to incredibly varied clubs like the Beer and Ale society, People and Planet and Womens Group. If you want to get a bit dirty how about joining BASTARD (Bangor Archaeology Society: Trowllers and Research Diggers).
Due to Bangor's location there are many Outdoor Pursuits clubs, the surf club is particularly strong. In fact many students choose Bangor simply because it is so well located for climbing and other mountain sports. Other than that the Athletic union is large and powerful and Bangor performs well for its size in national leagues.
Hockey and football are both played to a high level at Bangor.
100
There are a selection of flats and single rooms, in blocks spread around the town. The new halls development, cunningly named New Halls, is modern and plush, but quite expensive. The rest of the rooms are to be found in unattractive concrete blocks. If you can, avoid St Mary's, this is the oldest hall of residence and it is not in a fantastic state. It is also situated up a very steep hill about 15 minutes from the town centre. Take care to read everything on your halls application form, as there are single sex male and female halls, aswell as all-Welsh halls!
After the first year some places are available in halls but most people live out. Upper Bangor is popular but there really aren't many places - tapping into contacts in the year above through sports and societies is the best way for first years to find something. Quite a few students end up in Maesgeirchen, an area often plagued by drugs and crime.(Although it it should be noted that the crimerate in North Wales is the lowest in the U.K.) A few students we spoke to said there was a degree of tension between the students and some of the locals, but on the whole the area is no worse than that of other cities. On a more positive note, Maesgeirchen, does offer great views of the Snowdonia Mountain Range.
Bangor is in a beautiful area, sandwiched by the sea and the mountains. The city itself is small, but has most major stores and apparently, (fact of the day) the longest High St. in Wales. For places with more to offer, Chester and Liverpool are also quite close and many students head this way at the weekends. There are a couple of clubs in town and some good pubs. The Appollo cinema shows recent releases and the Theatre presents a variety of performances. The Bangor website has a guide and maps to help you find your way about. [/external/?http://www.bangor.ac.uk/bangor/bangore.html http://www.bangor.ac.uk/bangor/bangore.html]
The University doesn't have a fantastic image in the local community and there are some problems. Three things are helping to remedy this. Firstly Bangor has become one of the major centres for Welsh language study (students can often choose whether to attend lectures in English or Welsh.) Secondly, there are a large amount of local students who choose to come to Bangor, although this probably has more to do with the costs associated with studying away from home. Finally, the SU appoints a community action sabbatical each year to work on projects with the local community. All of these mean that, slowly but surely, the city is coming to respect the university and its students.
Parking is permit based and is charged at 70p per month. Cars are not really necessary in Bangor though. If you want to go further afield, rail links are good with most trains going through Crewe.
There is a Natwest with cashpoint on site and most major banks in town.
Top marks to Bangor here. There are ramps and lifts in most places and superb facilities for dyslexia sufferers, sight and hearing impaired students. There are a lot of hills though.
There are three union shops. The main one sells stationery and groceries and is located on the main site. For those with itchy feet there is a student orientated travel shop. A smaller shop can be found at the Holyhead site.
There is a second hand bookshop in the students' union but no dedicated branch. In town there is a Bookland (a local firm) which works with the university to source out reading list texts.
Sport is taken very seriously at Bangor. The Indoor facilities are excellent, Maesglas, the main sport and recreation centre recently extended and upgraded with a National Lottery Grant. There is a gym, squash and tennis courts, a climbing wall, a CV room and a sports hall. There are grass pitches for football and rugby, astro for hockey and a modern aethltics track. A swimming pool can be found in Bangor. The local area provides anything else you could ever need. Outdoor pursuits are huge at Bangor and it has even been called the 'adventure capital of the U.K.' with rock climbing, hill walking, canoeing, kayaking surfing and sailing to mention a few. If you're after fun ways to stay fit this is the place to be!
None but local buses are inexpensive.
Bangor is situated in one of the most beautiful parts of the British Isles. The mountains are close by and the city itself is very green. Being Wales...there are sheep everywhere!
There are two main and 5 departmental libraries. They share 500 000 books which is adequate. There are 900 study places to get your head down.
Just 150 computer workstations is nowhere near enough. Obtaining your own PC by hook or by crook is essential.
There is a student services centre which brings together welfare, careers and accommmodation advice. Each student has a personal tutor and all freshers are given a 'peer guide' who is there to answer questions and give general advice. Nightline, a confidential support service run by students for students is available every night. Health care can be accessed in daily surgeries and there is a nurse who can make visits to accommodation when necessary. A creche organised by the Students Union runs throughout the summer.
