More commonly known as UWIC, this was my university. I studied English and Popular Culture here for…read more3 years and had an awesome time doing it.
My course was based on Cyncoed campus which is mainly a sports campus with the NIAC at the back.
All of the Campuses are modern and clean, and filled with helpful people to point you in the right direction when you inevitably get lost during the first week. The School of Art, Howard Gardens, is right next to the city centre, with Colchester Avenue is a little further down the road. Llandaff and Cyncoed are the biggest of the campuses and are a lot further away, but there are regular buses from town, and a dedicated bus service called the UWIC rider that goes to them all and Plas Gwyn halls of residence.
The accommodation on the UWIC campuses aren't the best I've ever seen, but they are by no means the worst, either, and you are provided with everything you need. However, it's worth checking out the Liberty Living halls of residence in Cardiff which, while slightly more expensive and some are a pain to get to uni from, are much nicer and most have rooms reserved for UWIC students.
The two big disappointments about UWIC, for me, were the library facilities, which leave a lot to be desired (although they are gradually being updated) and the Students Union. The UWIC SU hardly compares to that of other universities. Because sport is such a big thing at UWIC, it is the main interest of the SU and there are hardly any other clubs or societies. However, the SU bars (Centro and Tommy's at Cyncoed and Howard Gardens respectively) aren't at all bad, and the convenience stores and copy shops provide a good and valuable service to its students.
Some things do seem like a work in progress, but overall this is a great university with a lot of fantastic lecturers and courses, and shouldn't be overlooked if you're thinking of studying in Cardiff.