Student Life in Wales
With a strong Celtic heritage, and plenty to offer in terms of social, leisure and sightseeing activities, Wales is quickly becoming a popular location for university students. The country is famed for its rural landscape, boasting stunning scenery littered with historic buildings. Although the majority of student activity is based in and around the country’s capital, Cardiff, other university cities such as Swansea and Bangor also have plenty to offer students.
As one of the smallest cities in the UK, Bangor (situated in North Wales) has an extremely student-friendly feel, with almost half of its 23,000 strong population made up of students from the city’s university. Built in the shadow of Bangor mountain, actually a hill, the city is an ideal place for students who want a quiet, easy-going study experience. The social scene in the city caters almost exclusively for the student population, while Bangor’s surrounding scenery is ideal for walking, jogging, cycling and other outdoor sporting pursuits including rock climbing.
Situated in the south of Wales are Cardiff and Swansea, respectively the country’s largest and third largest cities. These cities represent the two biggest student areas in Wales, and while the social atmosphere here is more lively than in Bangor, the region still offers beautiful natural scenery and historically significant places of interest.
Students living in the Swansea area have access to some of Wales’ most desirable coastal scenery, with the city boasting a number of attractive marinas as well as the famous Three Cliffs Bay, which provides visitors with spectacular sea views in addition to a number of historical structures and ruins. The city is also home to Oystermouth Castle, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Wales. The social scene in Swansea, although not as vibrant as in Cardiff, is still impressively lively, with students of the city able to enjoy a wide range of bars, clubs and restaurants during their studies.
Further down the coast from Swansea is Cardiff, the capital of Wales and the centre of much of the cultural, social, and tourist based activity in the country. As well as its vibrant and student-dominated night-life, the city also offers excellent sports, leisure and entertainment facilities, such as the Welsh national sports stadium, The Millennium Stadium and the Cardiff Millennium centre, home to numerous arts galleries, music studios and theatres. In terms of culture, the city is home to the majority of the major media industries in Wales, including several famous radio stations and the Welsh offices of the BBC and ITV, making the city an ideal location for students interested in media-related subjects. There are also a number of well respected music venues, museums and art galleries in the city, providing visitors with plenty of entertainment opportunities.
In terms of tourist attractions, Cardiff castle remains the city’s most popular draw, especially in summer when its extensive grounds play host to the free, live music festival ‘the Big Weekend’, which features internationally famous artists as well as local talent. Cardiff is also one of the greenest cities in the UK, with around ten percent of the city made up of parkland.
Wales itself is probably most famous for its natural beauty, with the country boasting a number of spectacular and popular national parks, which contain everything from mountain ranges and spectacular valleys to historical ruins and castles. Brecan Beacons in the south of the country and Snowdonia in the north are probably the two most famous parks. Snowdonia is particularly popular with tourists and students, offering access to Snowdon, Wales’s biggest mountain.
Students living in Wales may be surprised that the cost of living is not too high. Despite the country’s beautiful scenery and busy cities, the cost of living is much lower than many places in England and Scotland. Even Cardiff, the country’s capital and a tourist hot spot, offers reasonably inexpensive accommodation and entertainment options: affordability is one of Wales’ main appeals for students.
Crime rates in the country are also relatively low, with national averages below those in England. However, Cardiff and Swansea both have fairly high crime rates and students living in these areas should always be vigilant when it comes to their safety. There is no reason however why students cannot enjoy a crime-free experience while studying in Wales, no matter where they are based.
Despite being a rural country, public transport links in Wales are extensive, with numerous train and road links operating around the country, enabling students to access all major towns and cities without much trouble. As the nation’s capital, most roads and train lines run to and from Cardiff, either directly or indirectly, although other towns and cities offer links to England and Scotland. The road networks, the most notable of which is the M4, offer connections throughout Wales and further afield. The M1 runs along the south coast of Wales, through to England, eventually finishing in London.
Although there are a number of airports in Wales, only Cardiff has an international airport, while the airports in Swansea, Rhoose, Haverfordwest and Holyhead offer internal UK and local flights. There are also a number of ferry ports in Wales; the port at Holyhead is particularly popular for ferry journeys to Ireland.
