University of Bristol Avis 4

After a disastrous year (Sept 1990 - May 1991) at Kingston Polytechnic (where I had applied for a place on the BEng Electrical & Electronic Engineering course there, and I was not getting any support there at all because they had no support services in place for deaf students, I was the only deaf student there so I was very lonely and very miserable there because I had no-one to talk to), mum and I both went to the Centre For Deaf Studies at Bristol University in August 1991 and she explained the whole situation to this Deaf Studies researcher called Dr. Jim Kyle who assured both of us that Bristol would have no problem taking me.

So I then applied for a place on the BSc Computer Science course at Bristol through UCCA.

The following month, in September 1991, I was asked to wait for a year as support services for deaf students were not quite in place yet. So I said "OK".

In Spring 1992, I met with Dr. Bencie Woll in the Centre For Deaf Studies at Bristol. She now works in the Centre For Deaf Studies at University College London (UCL).

In July / August 1992, I went to the Centre For Deaf Studies (CDS) at Bristol again. Met with a few deaf people, including this old man (with white hair). He tried to explain where he came from which I didn't quite understand at the time, but I think he had tried to explain that he came from Weston-Super-Mare.

I then met with Clark Denmark in the CDS there. He had seen on the UCCA application form that I had applied to study BSc Computer Science at Bristol.

He then suggested that I do Deaf Studies in addition to Computer Science.

The problem is that I had zero interest in doing Deaf Studies at Bristol. I only wanted to study Computer Science, not do Deaf Studies. He did not even bother to ask me if I was interested in doing Deaf Studies at all. I had zero interest in doing Deaf Studies because getting a degree in Deaf Studies does not guarantee / get you a good job in computer science which is what I all wanted.

His suggestion was racist. His attitude was like, if you are deaf, you have to do Deaf Studies. Same as if you are female, you have to do Gender Studies, and if you are black, you have to do Black Studies.

There is no law that says that you have to do Deaf Studies if you are deaf, no law that says that you have to do Gender Studies if you are a woman, and also no law that says that you have to do Black Studies if you are black.

Then Clark said that he was sorry that Bristol couldn't take me. Which was not what Dr. Jim Kyle had said to mum and I the previous summer.

The people at Bristol have treated me most shabbily, by wasting a year of my life for nothing which I will never ever get back.

This university deserves 0 stars! 1 star still overrates it!
My experience with this university as a postgrad was very negative. Admins at this university are very bad - they don't want to help student, and they procrastinate a lot and cause you lots of troubles. Their attitudes were also arrogant. Lots of lots of bureaucracy and hypocrisy. The academics who hold positions of power at this university are the worst people I've ever met in my life. They're ignorant and arrogant beyond description. They treat postgrads like rubbish. By no means do they care about postgrads' struggles. They always brush problems under the carpet. And they cause lots of mental health problems to students.

i worked for bristol uni for almost 1 year with two different roles.
it was an awful experience working there as a cleaner where managers did not do any action against a female supervisor who was bullying and discriminating people if they were not their friends and Bristoliums.
Obviously supported by a few female cleaners in her restricted circle.
I had to ask the help of the union trying to stop this bullies and discrimination towards me and other people who were not English.
Even worser the union told me they knew perfectly this supervisor because everyone complained about her but nobody moved an official complaint because scared to loose their job . Moreover
Team leaders were pushed by this supervisor to bully those cleaners who were telling around the truth about her .
No manager tried to stop this
Avoid as a worker and as a student !

Curriculum is good as expected. Other than that, many downsides, and it keeps drowning through COVID. Most students are taking supplementary years and dropped out due to the very bad management of assessments and pressure distribution on students (from ALL my friends and course mates perspective). They don’t believe what students say. Also, discrimination, especially towards Arabs and Muslims from both poor AND RICH countries (as if they do not deserve support since they are rich), is found (although not direct, but can be sensed from staff).