Bangor University through the ages.

Yesterday I drove Tom back to his digs in Bangor for the start of his summer term. Before returning home I did a brief tour of the city and reminisced over my time there as a student in the 1980s. In fact Tom is the third generation of our family to study at Bangor as my Dad studied Physics there in the late 1950s.

Comparing the experiences of the three generations enables one to view the changes that have taken place in higher education in the past half century or so. I will try to return to this theme in future blogs, but for the time being I can identify three changes to the student experience at Bangor: first, there has been a steady increase in student numbers; the university has more than tripled in size since my Dad's time there. Secondly, there is a much greater choice of degree programmes, ranging from IT and Computing, to many areas of health care. However, the 'traditional' subjects have been reduced: for example, Maths, Physics, and Theology are no longer available for undergraduates. Thirdly, the student experience is far less elitist; the academic ceremonial associated with the wearing of gowns and formal dinners has long gone.

This blogger on Bangor mountain (c1984).