Postgraduate Reviews of Courses at University of Essex

The campus is very pretty! Lots of cafes, restaurants etc. Perhaps, if these places were a bit less expensive (and more student friendly it would be better). The student support is very good- there are lots of course representatives, so it is easy to get your voice to be heard. Of course, there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment (with the planned university cuts), which is distressing for both students and staff. I hope a resolution comes through soon, as it’s not really fair on anyone. But, overall, an excellent university; with lots of support and resources available. read full review

Food and drink in uni a bit expensive. It should be cheaper than outside the uni. read full review

Supportive lecturers. Great library and sports facilities. Nice grounds. read full review

One of the best aspects of my university experience has been the supportive learning environment. The campus is welcoming and well-resourced, creating a positive space to study and socialise. The lectures are well structured, engaging, and delivered by staff who are approachable and genuinely invested in student success. I have felt encouraged to ask questions, seek support when needed, and develop both academically and personally, which has made my overall experience rewarding and motivating.

However, the most challenging part of university has been managing the workload and adjusting to the academic demands, particularly during peak assessment periods. Balancing deadlines, independent study, and personal responsibilities can be overwhelming at times, especially when expectations are high. Despite this, these challenges have helped me develop resilience, time-management skills, and a stronger sense of independence, ultimately contributing to my growth as a student. read full review

BEST ASPECTS:

Campus life, library, professors, Pizza U

WORST ASPECTS:

Hard to meet new people when not in halls. read full review

The student support are very supportive and are there to help out with the students' needs. The food at the SU store has high prices . This is the only down side to the institution read full review

As an Art History PhD student at the University of Essex, my experience has been very positive overall.

The strongest aspect by far is the support from my School. There is dedicated funding for extra training (such as courses or summer schools) and for conferences, including attendance even if you’re not presenting. Over the course of the PhD, this covers travel, accommodation, and fees in the UK or abroad. I’ve also benefited from fieldwork funding and support for external academic events, which has been invaluable for my research.

That said, there are some downsides. I’m not a big fan of the campus environment—the brutalist architecture feels more depressing than inspiring to me—and Colchester is quite quiet, although London being just an hour away helps a lot. I’m also not especially impressed by campus services, particularly the value for money in student housing and the limited affordable healthy food options.

Overall, though, I’d rate my experience a strong 4+ out of 5. The academic support, funding opportunities, and supportive research culture more than make up for the negatives, and I feel taken seriously as an overseas student. read full review

The University of Essex is extremely international with students from 140 different countries.
As an international students this makes me have a sense of community as there are a lot of students going through the same situations as me.
The university also has a students union on the Top 10 in the UK.
The students union is extremely active organising several events on the same day from arts and crafts, Thursday food markets, movie nights and much more.
There is also the sport teams and gym on campus that students can join but to be honest as someone that does not like fiscal activity this are some facilities that I do not use often.
The students union also advertises part time jobs for students which is very helpful as you can work around your studies and still make some extra cash and get some work experience.
The library section for PG students is open 24/7 which is very handy when you are pulling an all-nighter. Students can also rent for free an individual study pod or a group study room.
The reading for the modules are mostly online and free to access on the library website.
There are computers all around the university that students can access at any time of the day to study or do some Python coding assignments in my case.
I am part of the EBS department and all the academics are very helpful, you can always email with questions and they are quite quick in responding. The lectures are small which means you can have debates in class and also gives the teacher the opportunity to get to meet all the students an be able to help them with their specific needs. The teachers also have specific academic office hours on a weekly bases that students can attend if they which to discuss something in private or even if they want to continue discussing topics from lectures in depth.
There are a number of talks organised by the departments where students can listen from industry professionals and get the chance to get to know more on how they should approach job applications to get into the industry.
The university has the Languages for all programme where students can learn a new language for free, in my case I am learning Mandarin. So far I am still very green and I still not understand much but it it a fabulous language and it is quiet fun to draw the characters.
There is a lot of societies students can join and get to meet new people. I myself am part of the Economics Society and the Women in Finance Society. So far we had events to meet up all the members but I know we are going to have an event with an external speaker to talk about training and also there is going to be a winter ball from the economics society, and lost more events that I am still not aware off.
The university has a lot of green spaces, two lakes and it is amazing to go for a walk when there is no rain.
We also have a 4 star hotel on campus where students can get discounts on their services.
The university is only 30 minutes in the fast train form the central London which is very good to go out for a shopping day.
Now the not so good part, I have to say the careers team that helps students with their CV gives very general advice and each student wants to apply to different industries and so we need specific advice and I do not think there are equipped for that.
The Well-being Team even thought they can help lease with the departments if students need help, they are still not helpful as for example you have right to only two therapy sessions and sometimes I found that they do not respond to emails quickly and during my undergrad that I did at Essex as well I had one therapy session from the university at the campus and no one was there to receive me.
Overall I think the university is very great, they have a great student community and for most topics they are ranked very high. I recommend attending an Open Day to check the campus and talk with students to see if Essex is for you. read full review

The best that on my 4th year here, already masters after bachelor, that I finally got job in very good team, however, all the previous years it was hard to find job. Sometimes hard to deal with services.
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Nice read full review