8 Things Malaysian Students Love Doing in Swansea, Wales

Being a university student can be stressful at times. With assignments piling up on top of each other and multiple deadlines to adhere to, the situation can be even more challenging if you are in a foreign land and far from family. The good news in, just because you are a student does not mean you can’t have fun or enjoy your university life.

Voted third most affordable as well as one of the safest cities in the UK, Swansea is home to plenty of beautiful attractions. With over 380 kilometres of incredible beaches, limestone cliffs, oak woodlands, rolling fields and an abundance of green spaces, this charming city ensures you will never run out of things to do. From outdoor adventures to cultural and historical activities, this vibrant city is a perfect place for university students to pick up new interests and embrace different cultures.

Outdoor adventures

If outdoor activities are your way of relieving stress, worry not because Swansea has plenty of options to choose from. This includes:

1. Learn to surf at The Gower Peninsula

The Gower Peninsula is recognised as the UK's first area of outstanding natural beauty in 1956. This iconic place of attraction has been a surfing hotspot for decades with the UK’s champion surfer, Gwen Spurlock, citing Langland as her favourite. This place is also home to several beautiful beaches including Rhossili Bay, Three Cliffs Bay as well as Caswell Bay.

2. Make a splash at LC Water Park

Welcome to Wales' largest indoor water park, complete with slides, waves, and the Boardrider, one of the UK's only indoor surf machines. With a variety of thrilling attractions to choose from, such as the Masterblaster, a roller coaster water slide, or the aqua slide and aqua tube, this park is sure to get your adrenaline pumping. If you want to unwind, you can bob around in the wave pool, rest in the whirlpool, or float down the lazy river.

3. Visit The Mumbles

The Mumbles is a bustling seaside community with more than 120 shops, restaurants, and bars lining the west side of Swansea Bay. We Malaysians love our food, so this neighbourhood is a foodie’s paradise. Here, you can find fresh seafood caught locally, visit the annual Mumbles Oyster Festival, and taste delicious ice cream produced with love from one of the many parlours.

4. Watch sports at Liberty Stadium

Nothing beats the atmosphere at the 20,000-capacity Liberty Stadium, which hosts one of the leading rugby teams in the UK, the Ospreys. If Wales is recognised for anything, it is its love for rugby, and this location provides a wonderful opportunity to experience some of that energy at a home game. Besides rugby, Liberty Stadium is also home to Championship side Swansea City Association Football Club. If sports aren’t your thing, the stadium also hosts some incredible acts throughout the year.

Art, Culture and History

If outdoor adventure is not your cup of tea, Swansea also offers other more relaxed activities that do not require much energy on your part. These includes:

5. Watch a show at the Grand Theatre

The Grand Theatre is one of the most beautiful theatres in South Wales and unquestionably one of the city's top attractions. The theatre, which frequently hosts some of the UK's biggest comedic acts, events, exhibitions, and performances, will undoubtedly have something that captures your attention. Don't miss out on one of the theatre's fortnightly behind-the-scenes excursions which delve into its fascinating history.

6. Visit the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

If you’re an art lover, then this might be for you. Swansea has a thriving artistic community, and The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is largely regarded as the city's top exhibition site. It has a unique collection accumulated over the last century, which continues to expand with new work from today's artists.

7. Learn about local history at the National Waterfront Museum

The National Waterfront Museum is a remarkable architectural monument in its own right. Inside, its exhibits commemorate Wales' industrial and maritime heritage stretching back to the 1800s. Take a highly interactive journey through time when Wales supplied the globe with coal and steel, and learn about inventions such as Richard Trevithick's pioneering steam locomotive.

8. Sample the delights at Swansea Market

Wales' largest indoor market maintains the heritage of market trading in the heart of the city and provides an opportunity to get a true sense of Swansea. Chat with locals and sample the local goods. Over 100 stalls provide a variety of goods, including traditional Welsh fayre. Pick up gifts, jewellery, leather goods, toys, and a variety of other items. You can also unwind at one of the cafés or coffee shops.

If you are hoping to find something that you are more familiar with, especially when it comes to food, Malaysian students need not worry. Southeast Asian markets, grocery stores and restaurants are spread throughout the city, meaning you will always be able to have a taste of home whenever you miss it.

Reputable institution in a wonderful city

Here’s your chance to be part of this exciting study experience as the intake for new admissions at Swansea University is now OPEN!

Founded in 1920, Swansea University is only five minutes away from Swansea Bay. This world-leading university offers a wide range of courses, including foundation, undergraduate degrees, and teaching and research postgraduate programmes in subjects ranging from business to zoology.

The reputable institution currently has nearly 20,000 students from over 90 countries enrolled across its two campuses. The university has also received a Gold rating, the highest rating possible in the UK’s Teaching Excellence and Study Outcomes Framework (TEF).

It is ranked 24 overall in the UK and was awarded University of the Year by UK’s WhatUni Awards 2019, not bad for an institution that is known to be the closest university to a beach in the world.

Swansea University offers a variety of international scholarships, including the Excellence Scholarship worth up to £6,000 (RM34,546), which recognises the academic excellence of high performing students.

For applicants from Malaysia, a guaranteed £3,000 (RM17,273) scholarship called the Thrive Bursary will be given to those who have successfully enrolled at Swansea University. This scholarship requires no criteria as it's an automatic deduction off tuition fees for both undergraduate and postgraduate applicants. Isn’t that amazing?

Like all prominent universities, Swansea University boasts various clubs and societies where students can expand their social circle and mingle with people of common minds. Among them is the Malaysian Association of Swansea University (MASU) that organises regular events such as dinners and meetups with other Malaysian students from across the UK.

Former president of MASU and final year Media and English language student, Shawn Lee shares, “Swansea University is amazing for its multicultural and diversified communities. Personally, I've met so many multicultural and friendly groups that not only welcome you with open arms and warm hearts but they're ready to care for you like family. There's nothing more important than the sense of belonging and knowing there are people who have your back, especially when you're in another country, far away from home.

“We, the Malaysian community, have been taking #kitajagakita seriously, to care and look out for our friends that may need our help. I've been on the receiving end of kindness where the senior students have looked out for us, cooked for us, brought us around and still helping some of us until this day. They've made it easier for us to call Swansea our home away from home. I'm grateful because their contribution has enriched and made my university experience even more memorable. Hence, we aspire to do the same for anyone that's heading this way.”

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