Samuel Luke Jackson
I chose to study at Aberystwyth University after visiting on an open day and being really impressed by the department. All of the computer science staff at Aberystwyth are friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and have a good open door policy. There are a wide variety of modules offered here that suited exactly what I wanted to do and I was also keen to take the opportunity to do an integrated industrial year as part of my course (Software Engineering MEng) which I'm excited about starting in a few weeks!
Aberystwyth is a beautiful place to live and study, especially coming from a town that doesn't have the sea nearby! It's a very laid back, student orientated place to live where there's always something going on and you can't walk around town without bumping into someone you know.
Catrin Jones - 3rd Year Internet Computing
The department has been brilliant, when I started I had not done any programming, but I found the transition easy as the tutors are always really friendly and happy to answer any questions. Also the advisory service every afternoon is an absolute life saver when it comes to assignments.
I love going out in Aberystwyth, it's cheap to get around and it's so easy to meet new people on a night out, even if your friends go home early you're almost guaranteed to either meet new friends or see some of your existing ones out!
There's so many good things about Aberystwyth, but I like the fact that it's a smaller town compared to most universities, because it means bumping into your friends more often and there's so many students around,it really is like a student town It's much more pleasant and more personal than other universities. Aberystwyth is far more friendly.
Connor Goddard (Third Year - IY placement)
Really right from the start, Aber stood out as one of the best. I initially chose to come here over other universities mainly because of the department's exceptionally high employability rates, and the fact that all the computer science courses are accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS), this to me, was an important aspect to consider especially in the current job climate.
Two years on, and I am extremely pleased that I made that decision. I can now fully understand why the university has such high employability rates for graduates, as literally from day one the department has been teaching and developing those "extra" skills that really matter when trying to land a job in the real world.
One of the schemes that really stood out and impressed me was the two-day employability training weekend at Gregynog, Powys. The department took us all away for the weekend to a lovely manor house in the welsh countryside, where there were real-life industry experts and employers (from companies such as Oracle and Portaltech Reply) waiting to give us advice and training on what they were looking for, and how to impress them. The weekend covered a wide-variety of different aspects, from structuring your CV and interview techniques, to marketing yourself online, everything that you would need to get the job was discussed.
This advice and training became priceless when actually trying to find an industrial placement, and helped me to secure an internship with Renishaw, a global R&D company based in Gloucestershire.
The department itself is fantastic, and I would challenge anyone to find a friendlier selection of staff than what we have here in Aber. With every member of staff operating an "open door" policy, no problem or issue if too large or small to be dealt with. The department also offers employment opportunities, and I myself am employed as a departmental demonstrator and ambassador (which certainly helps with the bills..).
If you're wanting to go to a university that cares about it's students, has a unique and fantastic social life, and is five minutes from the sea, then Aber should be a serious consideration.
