Hannah Nguyen

Swansea University’s affordable tuition, accommodation, and accredited, rigorous academic program were the top combination of factors that convinced me to study here. Additionally, the overwhelmingly positive student reviews praising Swansea University’s commitment to diversity and strong research resources contributed to my decision.

The ready support from my professors and mentors, as well as meeting a diverse community of peers is the best part of the course. I have met people in my cohort who I’m sure will become lifelong friends and perhaps even future collaborators.

The overall teaching quality is outstanding at Swansea University. One of my favorite things about Swansea University is that professors aim to respond to student queries in a prompt 48 hours. I’ve gone to many of my professors for guidance and they have all been happy to help. Additionally, the feedback professors give has been incredibly insightful and helpful for encouraging growth, critical thinking, and fostering my learning.

The expectation to meet once a week for seminar and then do most of the heavy reading and writing outside of class fits really well with my preferred independent style of learning. It makes me feel like I picked a university and course that fits really well with my goals and workflow. My favorite module thus far has been Empirical Projects, since students get to pursue a topic they’re specifically interested in, but I’ve found there’s substantial material of value to learn from all my modules regardless. I expect that my upcoming dissertation will be my favorite before long, since I will get to pursue a project tailored to my own interests then as well.

I have attended an employability session on how to prepare for a career fair, as well as an actual career fair. I found the networking advice given by the careers team incredibly helpful. Attending the career fair led me to join a mentoring program, which I have found to be extremely enlightening and fruitful for my future career goals. I would advise prospective students to look into the abundant opportunities offered by the careers team and attend some of them time allowing. The investment now may seem like a small step, but from my experience, those investments, efforts, time, and connection can build up towards a rewarding career- the rewards of which may come later, but are worth seeding early.

I love that I’m researching information that is relevant to my career and that I’ve found a discipline I’m genuinely excited to commit a sizeable part of my future to. The material and methodology I’m studying is closely married to the exact sort of work I want to do later, and I am confident I will be able to apply these skills to the job market back in my home country.

Coming from the Pacific Northwest region of America, the weather in Swansea felt like home to me. I love the atmosphere of camaraderie at the University. Finally, I love that there are amenities like groceries and local libraries within walking distance.

I would suggest to thoroughly look into the academic program of interest to see if it’s a good fit with where you want your future to be. I personally felt the fit between my experiences, skills, and goals with my program of choice have been one of the biggest contributors to my overall positive experience here, as this then informed my experience in my modules, interacting with my professors, mentors, and peers.