Uni life as an international student

Everyday life at Bangor Uni

The most important thing to be said about an exchange in Bangor: you will have tons of opportunities to get to know people, and there are many events and activities for international students to help you find your footing and friends.

My time in Bangor started with ten days of first internationals week and then UK Fresher’s week. During this time, multiple events took place every day: from bus and walking tours through the area to compulsory information events to bingo and karaoke nights. Even though there is a lot to figure out in the first weeks (student registration, module changes, getting settled), there is support to be found everywhere. 

At Bangor Uni, all societies are free of charge, and most societies host weekly socials during the semester. You can choose anything from dozens of sports clubs, creative societies, and political groups to fan clubs and quidditch. Furthermore, the international office continues to host events for international students throughout the semester with bus tours to castles, Manchester, or Liverpool. And if you are staying in one of the campus villages, you can also attend free events during the week – such as Sunday Roasts, karaoke or even excursions. 

For me, the classes at Bangor Uni were very similar to the ones at the FSU. I attended literature seminars (in person), which usually included weekly readings, introductory input from the lecturers, and class discussions. For my Welsh class, I had to hand in assignments every other week and attend an online oral exam at the end of the semester. For most modules, however, you will have to hand in essays of about 1,500 to 2,500 words. Usually, you have to write two essays, one is due in the middle of the semester and one at the very end. 

At the beginning of the semester, everyone gets contacted by their personal tutor, who will check in with you regularly and is there to help with any struggles you might be facing at university. Furthermore, you can make use of multiple student services, e.g., academic training or mental health, finance, and discrimination support. For any academic queries, you can always approach your lecturers or tutor, and there are even reading weeks during the semester (usually before essay deadlines) when no classes take place. 

Overall, there are many ways to get involved in uni life at Bangor, even if you are only staying for one semester. You can meet new people and try out societies at any time during the semester, and you are explicitly encouraged to reach out to student services :)