The University of Manchester
speciality: Politics

Amazing university. The facilities on campus (mainly the library and learning commons) are great places of learning. It has the largest prayer hall for students in the UK (over 500 capacity) which is regularly used and filled on Fridays and provides a place of worship. Everyone can continue with their interests or find new ones with over 300 societies that one can sign up for. The social life is great. The campus is aesthetic.

As a student in the University of Manchester I had the opportunity to come across many students with diverse cultural backgrounds, something celebrated and promoted by the university itself, and be taught by professors who are experts on their respective fields. Overall, I was offered good quality of education in a vibrant environment with lots of activities for students, organized by the university and the student union.

The University of Manchester has a beautiful campus. The variety of people with international backgrounds makes it a very interesting place to study. Manchester itself is a very diverse city, with a lot of cozy as well as stylish bars and pubs.

I am currently studying for my Masters in Politics at UOM. Having studied elsewhere at my undergrad I wanted to branch out and try a different University in a new city. Manchester certainly didn’t disappoint. There is a wide range of module choices on my programme, so there is plenty of option to study something you are interested in. The lectures can be quite academically intense and challenging but the lecturers have tutorial hours and there are a range of student support services to help if you find you are still struggling .

The city of Manchester itself has plenty of fun things you can do for example attending gigs, going to the aquatic centre or having a round of mini-golf. Being in a new city can be quite daunting at times and sometimes can feel lonely however UOM has wide range of social events which helps to meet new people and make friends.

I would highly recommend my programme but would suggest that you need to take advantage of all the services and activities offered in order to get the most out of your experience here.

My experience at UoM was ultimately very mixed. The facilities and academic support you receive are outstanding. I was able to choose the modules that I felt I would most engage with and was also supported exceptionally well by my supervisor when I completed my dissertation. The negatives of the university from my time there focus primarily on the communication and pastoral support. After first year, I was given very little communication or guidance and at times I felt somewhat isolated. I also felt that the organisation of the university was somewhat underwhelming, and you were left to figure where events were happening or what was ongoing at the university on your own, which was challenging at times. I believe the academic aspect of UoM certainly vindicated my decision to study there, but the pastoral support received beyond first year leaves much to be desired.

During my time at UOM I had the opportunity to learn from world renown intellectuals, politicians, economists and entrepreneurs… a valuable experience I will never forget. The availability of resources both online and in the libraries is excellent and up to date. Unfortunately, during the pandemic the university had some difficulties in carrying out online lessons, but still a great experience overall!

I loved my time at the University of Manchester, I cannot fault the teaching staff or the content of my course, nor can I complain about the Students Union or extracurricular activities. The one thing which soured my wonderful experience is how the University and it’s policies affected students, it is clear that us and our wellbeing were not their priority. Over my time at the University of Manchester there has been at least 3 major strikes by staff, which in my personal experience have been backed completely by the students, we support the strikers and want to see our teachers, lecturers and those employed by the university paid a fair wage, with a fair pension and job security. The University of Manchester continuously over my 4 years at the university failed to do this, and therefore failed the students too. Not only this but a series of policies created by the university during the 20/21 academic year saw an increased police presence on campus, with students being subjected to intimidation and distress within the place they were calling home. This is wholly unacceptable and went on for far too long, until the struggles of these students finally received media attention. It is clear that the university was out of touch with how their policies were affecting students, and they didn’t care. Finally the vice chancellor Nancy Rothwell is not supported by the majority of the student body, and in a referendum held in 2021 89% of voting students declared they had no confidence in her leadership, following on from the University staff voting the same. Unfortunately nothing has changed because despite this vote of no confidence being the first in the Universities 200 year history, the university itself refuses to abide by the will of the students and change with the times.

I really enjoyed my time at the University of Manchester despite my many qualms with the administrative departments, it is clear how deeply many of the academic staff care both about their students and their subjects, by how they choose to go above and beyond what is required, yet the behaviour of those in charge of the university and their refusal to change has left a slightly sour taste in my mouth.

Don’t let this stop you from applying or even going to UOM just keep in mind that to the University leadership, you don’t matter that much.