Currently, I am a Cardiff University student who has just entered my second year on my course – Media, Journalism and Culture. Upon this review I will provide an honest account, acknowledging the current climate in regards to both strikes and the global pandemic.
Granted, life has, for the most part, returned to a social sense of normality with few exceptions, yet I will say that Cardiff University has been very acknowledging of the pandemic and hope it may have effected our studies. There remains to be hand sanitiser, tissues etc. at hand throughout the facilities.
On the topic, the facilities are slick and very hygienic and the university offers very good services such as 24 hour libraries which are crucial to benefitting studies, especially due to the experience being largely independent learning in my experience.
Adhering to honesty, the teaching strikes and marking strikes hugely took a toll on my core in first year. I was getting hardly any teaching in the second semester, even without lecture slides as it apparently ‘defeated the point’, yet I was still expected to d the exams based on the lecture content that I was not provided.
Additionally, my exams were then not marked due to the marking strike, therefore my tuition in that sense was not of equal value to my teaching.
The teaching is fairly balanced, a few of my lectures are enthusiastic and kind, whilst others seem to only provide their own opinions and articles as readings, lacking any enthusiasm or encouragement and communication. Yet of course, that does not speak for all staff, especially the seminar tutors who, for the most part, are very helpful and kind.
Going into my second year, one week in, already there is more of a demand to get the course in its peak. I believe following last year’s disruptions staff would really like to see a more productive year which I can appreciate.
Being a Russell Group university, I am excited to have a greater experience this year and am excited for then opportunities already being offered to be such as placements and study abroad opportunities.
Currently, I would give Cardiff three stars out of five as I am sure that many universities in the UK have suffered just as much in previous years and I am willing to experience the hopeful change in experience.