UKC

Hi all

I have just applied for university and currently my main choice is Bangor for Adventure Sport Science. Just wondered if there are any current/past students who have taken the course or gone to Bangor. Just curious of your thoughts and if you have any advice or warnings?!?!

I'm not too worried about the course but the small scale of Bangor is a bit daunting and I don't want to be stuck in a sh*thole. 

Let me know what you think, Thanks

I don't know the uni but Bangor is a bit of an average place, I neither love it nor hate it particularly, I'd happily live there if it suited my purposes but I don't feel massively drawn to want to live there either.  It is however very near mountains, which is the big selling point - even within cycling distance if you're quite fit so getting there costs you next to nothing, or there's the bus.

However what I would say is that 99% of being at uni is about the people you're with and the course and related support, and 1% is the actual place.  If you go somewhere like Manchester (as I did) you're pretty guaranteed to be spending your second year (at least) living in a sh*thole (the likes of Rusholme, Fallowfield and Longsight in Manchester's case), but that doesn't really matter.

Personally haven't been to Bangor, but my ex partner's brother did Marine Science for the Undergrad and Masters there. He loved it, and had a very booming social scene. He was really into hiking and found a lot of likeminded people there.

I'd also say, although it seems monumental at the time, deferring or transferring is always an option. I regret not doing it, and staying on a course I didn't enjoy because I thought it would be too much effort. I know a lot of people who swapped courses, moved cities etc after realising a course wasn't for them.

Talking of Manchester, if you did want to consider changing because you feel you really want the feel of a big city and a small place like Bangor might be claustrophobic, it's not a terrible one for outdoorsy people as the Peak is in very easy reach by train, and the Lakes and North Wales aren't *that* far away.  That's one of the great things about the North West cities compared with down South where I'm miles from any decent hills or crags.  I could even see the hills of the Peak from my halls of residence in the third year when I was on the top floor.

My nephew graduated from Bangor uni in 2018 from the Sports Science and Outdoor Activity course, which I think may have been rebranded into the one you have applied for. He enjoyed the course and thought the lecturers were excellent with diverse research interests in extreme and adventure sports and sport psychology. The outdoor adventure practical part was excellent and he really loved they were out in Snowdonia one day each week doing either land or water based sports - climbing, kayaking, scrambling etc. and with instruction from mountain leaders from nearby training centres. Plenty of opportunity to work towards certification in the sports too. The course attracted likeminded people who wanted to be active outdoors, so there were always plenty of students to do active things with at weekends, so long as someone has a car to get to the hills as the bus service isn’t great. The course attracted more mature students too so there were usually plenty with transport. The ski, surf, wakeboard, mountain biking and climbing clubs are very active with a good social scene, trips etc. This is still true because another nephew is currently studying there and has joined them. Bangor itself is a small place which has suffered after pandemic but still has plenty of student friendly cafes, pubs and is still very cheap to live there as a student compared to big cities. If you are after big clubs, diverse nightlife or music scene then it might be a bit limited compared to a city but there are some venues. Students in Bangor make their own fun which seems to mean they get to know bigger groups of fellow students with likeminded interests. It’s up to you to get involved. Five years on, and twenty of my nephews friends just got together there last weekend, which must say something about how they all feel about their student experience there. 

Bangor was great. It's as fun as you want it to be. You put in the effort, you'll be rewarded. You wait to be spoonfed, you won't enjoy it.

Hmm... Re-read the above, comes across as a bit harsh. But Bangor really was fun.

I was at UCNW in Thatcher's 80s: the locals hated us cos we lazed around on govt handouts; it rained a lot. On the other hand, the uni had great gigs; students had great parties; all the outdoor sports were available in/on water/mountains; Llanberis was a bus ride away. And the student vote opened the pubs on Sundays.

The university experience is what you make it, wherever you may be.

Go - it'll change you life.

Think not what Bangor can do for you. But what you can do for Bangor.

I didn't Bangor, but I had mates who did, and I kipped in mates halls there once or twice when I was a student and drank in the students union. It was a good place back then, but having a car would be helpful (not essential) to get to crags and so forh

More recently, like end of 2021 or something I heard some students/club got a rope stuck somewhere I was going anyway and recovered it for them. They seem a lively lot still doing outdoor stuff.

But back in the day, and disturbingly... still do from what I hear... they drink hideous things like pints with blackcurrant and a shot of Bailey's in the top which curdles like vomit.

If you go student drinking Bangor it might get messy.

Enjoy!!

you might already have marked your cards that that respect. I don't imagine the locals will appreciate scrotty students airing that sort of opinion.

Also, have you looked at the employment requirements for the industry you want to work in? How far along that path will the degree course get you? As an alternative I imagine that for £27000 you'd be able to get all the way to international mountain guiding qualification. Be sure that the course really does provide relevant qualifications because you migth well be have to study and pay all over again as the industry is highly accredited. 

Only you can answer this. Where are you from?

If you're from London/Birmingham/Manchester etc then it's not going to have all the facilities that you may be used to.

If you're from a rural part of the country then it may be all the city you ever need. It has pubs.

Being from Anglesey it was my closest City so I always thought of it as a busy big place. Went to Liverpool Uni and now live in London, and I doubt you're missing anything in terms of location being in Bangor as a student.

As a student you shouldn't be able to afford to go to champagne bars or the theatre so whether it's a big city or a small one shouldn't be any different.

What does a sh*thole place mean to you? I can then tell you if Bangor matches your description.

mostly agree but I went to the theatre fairly often when a student, often very cheap last minute tickets offered to students & the unemployed (Aberdeen as a postgrad), similar for classical music. Think I paid something like & pound for a seat at  His Majesties Theatre in the mid 1980s. Earlier I was an undergrad at Stirling which was pretty small at the time but there was a theatre on campus with both touring & student productions,again student reductions often available.

Only visited Bangor a couple of times (conferences at the university by coincidence) but I'd be surprised if there was no drama or music, even if just student productions.

Personally I really enjoyed my years at Stirling, at the time maybe 3000 students partly because it was quite small.The good access to the Scottish hills was just a bonus, &  had nothing to do with my choice of university

Ever been to Aylesbury?  Or Skelmersdale?

I possibly wasn't civilised enough to do this at Uni. 

I haven't. What am I missing out on?

This. If you’ve thought this out fully then good for you, I’m sure you will have a great time. However a better paid career in another area may give you more time and money to do the adventures you want to do. Whereas an entry level instructor won’t be much above minimum wage maybe with a lot of time looking after beginners.  The most successful guides, coaches i’ve met build on experience rather than academic qualifications. The discipline specific qualifications you will need (short of IAGM guide) are not difficult to do alongside a normal job. A good option may be to combine an outdoor pursuits course with something like environmental science to add another string to your bow working in outdoor education

bangor university has produced top climbers such as tom livingstone and tim emmet.

I went there to do a PGCE. Bangor itself was just OK I guess but I didn't spend a lot of time in town to be honest. When you have all those hills just down the road why would you?

I lived in Bethesda and loved it. Spent many happy hours in the Douglas Arms, but that probably says more about my taste in pubs rather than anything else.

In terms of drama and music Pontio sometimes have plays. There’s quite a vibrant open mic scene at the moment, and a few local bands do occasional gigs. Bangor doesn’t provide a draw for big name bands, so that would involve a trip to Manchester, or Liverpool. Late public transport back from those locations doesn’t really exist. 

Hi, I’m a third year student on the Adventure Sports Science course at Bangor! 

I think the course is good, but is very dependent on the individual. If you put plenty in, you’ll get loads out. Make sure you know what practical outdoorsy content you’ll be doing before you sign up (some find it a surprise that it mostly stops in 3rd year). I’d recommend it overall
 

As a place, Bangor is an interesting one. The city itself is a bit of a sh*thole, and if you’re coming here for a typical city university experience you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re keen for adventure, the most diverse climbing in the UK, and a pretty good “alternative” experience at uni; you’ll have a great time. If you want good nightlife I’d personally recommend swerving Bangor and getting involved with the Llanberis scene, always a party to be had  

BUMS (mountaineering soc) is pretty active, and it’s usually fairly easy to find a partner for any sort of climbing you’re keen for 

Totally agree with Neil that uni is about the people, and I’ve always managed to find a bunch of weird, adventurous souls to hang out with, I’m sure you will do

Happy to answer any questions you’ve got, feel free to shoot me a PM

Just not being exceptionally nice places!

Thanks all for all the info very nice to hear the opinions!! Will have to see if Bangor is for me in the end I’ll keep you updated

Have you actually been there, jacobb? It might be worth contacting the course or admissions  tutor and asking if you can have a chat, combined with a day looking round campus and the area. I’d go with a definite list of questions prepared in advance.

Get a regular work schedule. 5 hrs per weekday of concentrated work isn't too onerous, but if you stick to it will see you keeping up with your course, rather than getting behind.

Treat women like human beings with feelings that are important and thoughts that are interesting and you will avoid being a d*k like 90% of the other "lads" and might actually make some meaningful friends.

Be interested in what is going on and join in. Join the Mountaineering Club. And go places. You will make a lot of good memories. It's not all about boozing, which just gets boring and expensive rather quickly.

Enjoy!

Oi! 

Blimey, that's a statement and a half!

I suspect they were already very keen and being at Bangor facilitated them going climbing lots rather than the uni being responsible for their capabilities.

If the person is super keen and knows they are targeting guiding qualifications they can possibly use the time to ensure that they build the skillset alongside the degree. If they decide in third year that they want this they will have wasted the opportunity.

Jeremy Brown did a few videos about his route to being a climbing instructor: https://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/post/how-to-become-a-climbing-instructor

If the course won't get OP to the level required for the qualifications they need it's worth considering how they will get to that point, especially given that a lot of the equivalent to grad jobs from this course will not be particularly well paid.

University is far more about life experiences and developing as a person than it is about making someone a productive member of the capitalist economy. 

An overstatement, for sure. But, only just.

wtf -  you are misrepresenting my words. par for the course I suppose.

There's already a lot of great feedback here, most of which is going to be much more recent than my own experiences, but from the gist of what I've read it sounds much the same as it was when I was there from 2003-2006.

Bangor as a town/city is, I think it's fair to say, underwhelming (and that's probably a kind way of wording it); however, Bangor and North Wales as a climbing scene is absolutely off the scale. There's nowhere quite like it. To a large extent the people make the place I'd say that's very much the case in Bangor. Many of the people I met whilst studying, and in the years I lived in the area after graduating, have become lifelong friends. I attribute a lot of the climbing I've done to those people, because the cross-pollination of psyche meant I ended up doing a whole bunch of different things I never thought I'd do. This isn't something to be underestimated, because as another posted as said "it'll change your life" and it most definitely did mine.

Bangor student from 2011-2016 and enjoyed North Wales so much that I stayed for over a decade. It still feels like home. Bangor itself is an odd sort of a place. If you're the kind of person who makes their own fun, you'll probably have a blast. I did also know people who didn't connect (either with the place, the people, or their course) and ended up dropping out.

There certainly used to be a decent amount going on, enough open mic nights to fill the weekly calendar, more pubs than you can shake a stick at, 3+ big nights out a week, and a huge number of societies doing their own activities. I was a terrible student, but I had an extremely fun time there.

And of course, North Wales is North Wales. The Welsh language, culture, and history is fascinating. There isn't a better corner of the UK for climbing and scrambling adventures. There's BUMS. The UKC forums can be a good way to find partners, and if that fails, grab a copy of Scrambles in Snowdonia, and get on the direct bus to Ogwen Cottage. Seriously, there's nowhere else in the country where you can roll out of halls in the morning and be scrambling up something like the East face of Tryfan in a couple of hours, without a car.

I got beaten up rather badly in freshers week. Had to have an operation to have my face put straight. But it's going back a bit. And after that i had a good time. 

The course is really fun and challenging. You get to learn about the science behind adventure sports. You also get to develop your practical skills in various outdoor activities, such as climbing, kayaking, hiking, and skiing. If you want to know about the downsides, one thing is that the city is not very well-connected to the rest of the UK.

Someone suggested contacting the admissions tutor and arranging a campus visit. If you're made an offer you will be invited to an Open Day for offer-holders. This is standard for university admissions and it's well worth taking up these offers (whilst understanding that not all applicants can afford the time or money to get to all the Open Days they're invited to - so if this is the case, be strategic about which ones you go to, prioritise your first choice and insurance choice). Open Days are a great opportuity to meet other applicants to your course, meet some of the academic staff and have a look round campus and the town itself. Ask yourself if you're going to be happy living there for three years. Students make a big contribution to the atmosphere of a place, especially a small place like Bangor, and if you go there and think you're not going to be able to stand it for three years, consider your other options - it's hard to focus on your studies when your existence is miserable.

Go with questions - these may well be answered in Open Day talks but there's a lot to think about, and not just about the nature of the course.

What are the accommodation options, especially after your first year? How easy / difficult is it to find private accommodation, what is the approx weekly rent for private accommodation? Accommodation pressure is one of the most significant problems for students in many towns and cities at present - you do not want to be commuting very long distances of roughing it on a friend's floor when you're trying to study and have a student life.

What's the Student Union like?
How good are the student support services (especially important if you have something that affects your learning like dyslexia, ADHD, a medical condition).
Do you need any advice about Student Finance? There should be opportunities to find out about this at a good university open day.

There's a website called The Student Room which has sections about individual universities plus a forum to ask questions and meet other applicants online - though be advised some views are coloured by individual experiences and perceptions.

Good luck on the journey.

Read the above many time over before making your decision. Also evaluate the earning potential when qualified, how will you pay back your debt in a min wage instructor job.

By all means go to Bangor/Sheffield or wherever the latest cool city for rad outdoors dudes is and enjoy the scene but consider doing a more traditional degree and collecting outdoor quals along side it. 

Keep your options open.

It's worth pointing out that student loans are only paid back at 9% of what you earn above £27,295 and written off after 25 or 30 years, I doubt most people will wind up even covering the interest on the loans so repayment of student loans taken out via Student Finance is not really OP's problem (massive issue for the UK, but that's off topic).

I'm currently a student there studying that course at the moment I'm in my second year. These are a couple of my observations I have noticed.

The night life in an evening with pubs and clubs is very samey as there is only two clubs and 15 pubs the students will visit doesn't take long for it to become samey. The Uni sport clubs and people there at Uni though are amazing so it is a good night all the same. There is a good amount of raves and other evening entertainments. You don't go to Bangor for the nightlife but it is still enjoyable.

If your a climber it is a legendary place to be as the mountains are literally next door. A car is useful but not essential depending on your climbing style. 

The school adventure sport science sits in includes the rest of the sports science degrees and psychology. Psychology being the bigger department can be annoying as the shared lectures on basic scientific principles like how to wright an essay and how to analyze data that kind of thing. The assignments for these modules are more psychology oriented for me at least I think this year the sport science people have more sport sciency assignments. so be prepared to potentially to psychology style assignments.

The practicals for the course are amazing full stop, definitely the best bit.

The course is very small there are only 11 of us left right know which isn't a bad thing. If you include the rest of the sport scientists there's probably 50 people that will come to lectures year 1 so it is a very small group but that works for some people.

The lectures at Bangor as far as I can tell are the same as any other Uni so academically theres nothing to worry about in terms of quality.

So Yeah hope that helps. I am willing to answer more questions if and when you get them.

I lived in the area in the 80s after being at uni in London and Hull, loved Bangor. 

I wish I had gone there first.

I love the outdoors so small and surrounded  by mountains  suits me well.

I ended up in Sheffield, it was a great compromise. But Bangor is a bit more into the wild, which I really like. 

I personally really disliked London, however, I did make some great friends there, like Bat, Rat, Donger, Jugless...

Have fun in Bangor. 

I had a great time in Bangor and would happily make the same choice again if I had a restart. As a student, the town (city only by name) is like one big campus. Full of enthusiastic sporty types of all flavours. You'll know half the people in the town after a few months and you will endlessly bump into friendly faces as everyone is going up and down the same hill and to the same pubs etc. When I was there it was a bit like Neighbours(show) with people just wandering in and out of each others houses. Nobody had or even needed a TV. Bangor students make the most of the limited nightlife by creating a good scene and I expect (hope) there is still a great house/beach party scene. I'd say go for it and bring what you want to find.