Bangor University

I moved to Bangor at the age of 19 from India, to study electronic Engineering. This was the first time I would stay away from my parents. Moving to Bangor was smooth journey the staff the university were incredibly helpful. I'll be honest the couple of days I felt home sick. But the friendly staff and the neighbours at the halls of residence made sure you felt at home. The curriculum was excellent. I went on complete my master and spend 6 years in Bangor. The place is full of love, fun and adventure. There is a lot to do while you're not glued to your book. I would 100% recommend Bangor University.

I got the chance to study abroad at Bangor University a few years ago and the experience was absolutely amazing. The folks at Bangor University made the whole process super easy and provided us with great accommodations and a delicious breakfast every day. They also set up a few events for us that really gave us an inside view on Welsh culture. The campus is beautiful and it was a lot of fun getting to explore the town of Bangor and the areas around it!

Highlights: The academics in Wales were a bit different to what I was used to in the US. Many of my classes consisted of just lectures and our take home requirements were mostly reading and writing essays. Because of the difference in the US school schedule and that of Great Britain, we were given the opportunity to complete our final exams earlier than the other students. All of my finals included writing an essay or reflection on what we had learned in the class. My favorite part of the academics in Wales was being able to study along side Welsh students. In some of my classes, the professor was Welsh, and oftentimes, the Welsh students would ask questions in Welsh and the teacher would answer back in Welsh before translating for the rest of the class. I found this very fascinating and exciting! The highlight of my trip would most likely be my opportunity to participate in an outdoor pursuits class provided through our program. I was able to take part in activities I never thought I'd be able to, especially not in another country! My favorite activity was sea cliff traversing. Sea cliff traversing is when you climb across the sea cliffs right above the ocean. A bit like rock climbing, because you have to find footings and hand holds but at the same time very different. There were parts where you had to cross through the water and swim and other parts where you head to time your jumps so that a massive wave didn’t hit you. Being able to immerse myself in the beauty and nature of Wales was an amazing experience! Morning: If it happened to be a school morning (which fortunately, was not very often!), I would wake up and get ready for the day. The ensuite bathroom was a treat to have, but was also very small. When you showered, you literally ending up taking a shower in the entire bathroom! It took about 5 minutes to walk through town for my classes at the university. The walk was beautiful! Except when it was raining, then it was horrendous (a lot of rain in Wales, but when it isn't raining, it is spectacular!). My breakfast almost always consisted of toast and Nutella spread... and yes, you can get sick of Nutella! Afternoon: Most days consisted of a lunch of potato and leek soup (leeks are the national vegetable of Wales) and a grilled cheese. Once the semester was a couple of weeks in, I would take the afternoon to work on essays and do some reading. Many of us in the group would get together and plan for our next excursion or night out. Evening: Bangor has many different pubs to choose from. Most of our nights out were spent gathering in the communal kitchen, making an "American" dinner (usually nachos or tacos) and preparing for the night. We usually ended up somewhere on High Street, either at the Varsity (a favorite place for many of the students) or the Kings Inn. We also frequented the Belle Vue which was just down the road from our dorms.

10/10. I had the best time of my life! I fell in love with the UK- the land, the people, and the school. Bangor is one of the best places I’ve ever been. I want to go back as soon as I can. The history is stunning, along with the landscape. I wish this trip for everyone that wants to expierence something new.

I have adored my time at Bangor. My Masters program in Marine Biology has been incredible; hard work but I have loved every second. I also couldn't imagine a better location for a degree in Ocean Sciences, as the ocean is right on our doorstep.

You always hear about how amazing studying abroad is, but a simply explanation never really does justice to the experience. There's nothing I can say that will make you feel the way i felt, the way I still feel, but I'll give it a shot. Now before i start waxing poetic, keep in mind this is a young program in its own right, so there are certain growing pains that are to be expected. But honestly, in the grand scheme of things, a small annoyance is hardly something to allow the experience to go sour. Likewise, it's still considered a course and therefore has the appropriate amount of coursework, but if you manage your time appropriately you'll find little problem in keeping up with journals and pre-paper planning. You might even find you enjoy the whole journal-keeping process. Okay. Ready for me to start gushing? Good. I suppose it’s a bit of a cliché but I’m not sure where else to start other than, this has changed my life. You never really know yourself until you’re dropped into an unfamiliar environment with people you don’t really know and told to survive for three-and-a-half weeks. Coming from a country that’s still relatively young, nothing makes you feel more insignificant than standing in the middle of a circle of rocks that are unarguably older than your own county’s existence. There’s a magic to this land. You can feel it in the sound of the ocean meeting the cliffs, in the firmness of the ground underfoot and the grass that tickles when caught by the breeze, in the sun that rose to meet us that morning. We don’t have magic like that back home. It’s a different kind of wild, an old one, one that knows its own power. There's also a fundamentally different grasp of time here than back home. I guess it counts as a form of culture shock but I like to think it goes deeper than that. I think it has to do with the land itself. We met a man once, born and raised in Boscastle. He had been there his entire life, never left, not once. He was eighty years old. His family had lived on that land for possibly centuries. Can you imagine, finding a place where you are so intimately connected with your surroundings that you have no desire whatsoever to leave? As a college student with wanderlust up the wazoo, I certainly cannot. In short. You wanna create your own Fellowship? Travel conveniently doubles as a source for team building. Looking for novel fodder? Try and name one wildly famous series that doesn't draw inspiration from British folklore. Want to take a class that's so immersive and engaging that you forget you're taking a class? Well, have I got the course for you.

My time in Bangor was my favorite time in college. The small town really makes it easy to get involved and feel part of the community. the teachers were also very friendly and helpful. I miss it so much!

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Wales? Bangor? Why study abroad there? Is that even a place? Yes. Yes, it is. And it is worth a consideration. I'm just going to list off the reasons, to save you time. 1. Bangor is a small town, run by a small-ish college. It is on the coast, and it feels like it is on the country side. Parks, trees and easy access to nature everywhere. 2. The people. You get to integrate with all of the student body. The transition is smooth, and you feel like you're a transfer student rather than a study abroad student. Much credit to the international office and Mr Andrew Griff. He's the best. You are also placed in a flat where people want to meet you, and become friends with you. I will keep in touch with my flatmates for years to come. 3. The course. You pick your courses, you pick the school(s) of which you want. You get what you want, and everything is in your own power. 4. The nightlife. The nightlife is run by the college students of Bangor. Pubs are popular around the town, and everyone ends up at Academi at the end of the night. Best college night life out of all 30+ of the other people I know abroad all over the world. 5. Serendipity. Sere-what? This is when you get introduced to the student clubs. You get to join clubs and you are treated like a regular student. I joined the basketball team, for example. This is where you really start to meet people from all over. Try and find another study abroad program with that. 6. Travel. With the 18-26 railcard, you get cheaper access to the rail system, and travel is still (somewhat) easy. It just may take a long time in some cases. The schedule of classes also lets you travel. (you can miss a few as well ;)) I went to Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Munich, Athens, Prague and Milan. 5/6 over weekends. 7. People speak english, yet you hear the local language, Welsh, a lot. Still a vastly different culture. 8. The food. College cafes, local food, are all superb. Grocery shopping is also cheap. Just don't live in St. Mary's. It is not located where you want to be as a student. You'll know why when you get here. Best of luck with this process!