Experience in Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom by Lucy

Generally, what is Liverpool John Moores University like?

Liverpool John Moores University does not have the village feel of campus Universities, but it has the feeling of being totally entwined with Liverpool itself. Fantastic city with a lively atmosphere, and top quality learning.

What are the facilities like?

The facilities are unparalleled, with award winning science research, free access to gyms and olympic swimming pools, and integrated accessible facilities for every course.

What are the tutors like?

The tutors I encountered were a rambly mixture of humans that were not afraid to show their personalities, were able to exercise their ambitions, and shared a dedication and excitement about the course.

Are the lessons easy in Liverpool John Moores University?

I studied Fine Art, which seeks to instil a questioning nature and a dogged persuit of what interests you. So for this you do not want easy lessons, you want rigorous, critically precise and relevant lessons. The BA art course was broad and ambitious, but the MA surpassed it in critical quality by a long way.

Does the University organise activities? If so, what are they like?

The University does not have a campus, and therefore there is not really a desire for the University arrange trip or social events. The students at LJMU are adventurous and would invariably steer away from anything centrally organised, and get embedded in what the city has to offer, whether that is the music scene, the sports competition or the nationally applauded art scene. There were several international trips arranged which were awesome (Berlin and Athens)!

Do you think there is a good quality of teaching?

The teaching is human, and relevant, and real. This means it can vary in quality- everyone can give bad advice. But I think the assessment of art teaching is very different to any normal teaching styles. The art teaching standards were great on the BA, but revolutionary on the MA.

Are there any stories you can share?

Errrr, sleeping on the roof terrace and getting woken up by security alarms? Drinking too much wine at the Uni screening of Pink Flamingo, and proceeding to paint-fight in our studios? The 40ft Pyramid of free beer found on a Uni trip to Berlin? Tiptoeing past people doing heroin in the street while visting galleries in a totally messed up Athens?
Too many.