L-Università ta' Malta — Local services in Msida

I came to the university of Malta last year for an exchange. I was deeply disappointed by the whole university whether it is the facilities or the personnel. The classrooms are not suitable for studying: there are no desks or tables but small chairs with a small tray on its side. Most of the trays are broken or uncomfortable to take notes on. The issues concerning the facilities of the classroom have been communicated to the university for years, but nothing has changed. The toilets are disgusting and broken as well. Often, strong and disgusting odors emanate from them. It is clear they had not been changed for years.

The methods of teaching are pointless. Teachers speak an hour long without repeating themselves, and without having any support (like a presentation). Students are expected to take notes in these conditions, while it is not possible. No material on the VLE is available to base your notes on. Only further readings are put online, but there is no time to read, as at least 2 novels are expected to be read for each unit. Since each unit is worth 2 credits only, you end up with 10 novels to read for each semester, which is clearly impossible ! Teachers are aware of the issue and still nothing has changed. The teaching itself lacks of organization and clearness. Teachers are able to talk about everything but the book we are studying. Clearly, the classes don't bring enough knowledge to be prepared for the examination. I had to re-do the entirety of the classes by myself, which contradicts the whole concept of a university.

As a foreign student, I didn't feel supported or helped by the teachers during this year. They treated us the same way as they treat locals students, because it would be "unfair" to locals students. But how is it not unfair to us ? Teachers didn't pay attention to us at all, and we were being completely ignored by them. We didn't get any favors despite being in a foreign institution which is deeply regrettable.

Finally, the Erasmus office that was supposed to help us in our procedures, was everything but helpful. I didn't get any answers from them for two months, even if they saw my emails. When trying to meet their deadlines for the registration, I asked my teacher to urgently contact them for answering my emails, but they never contacted him back ! This is a crucial lack of respect towards the students and the teachers. The international office is only opened from 10 to 12 pm for foreign students which is an unfortunate time as we often have class during these hours. The worst is during this time, the members of the office are most of the time absent because they are out to take a coffee ! I am greatly disappointed by the service of the Erasmus office which didn't help me enough in my procedures. I am greatly disappointed by the university and its...

🌟 Honest Review – University of Malta (International Student Perspective)

My experience at the University of Malta was extremely disappointing, especially as an international student who arrived full of expectations. From the first day, it was clear that this university is far from what it presents online.

🔹 Campus & Facilities: The physical environment was honestly miserable. The buildings are old, poorly maintained, and do not reflect a modern university atmosphere. It felt like stepping into a past era, where technology and innovation are completely absent. Classrooms are outdated — it’s like learning under a tree with nothing but paper and pens. For a university claiming to welcome a new generation of students, the infrastructure is unacceptable.

🔹 Academic Quality: The lecturers were unhelpful, disengaged, and lacked the ability to control or guide a classroom. I’ve witnessed graduates walk into active classes, erase the board, and interrupt lessons — and the lecturer acted as if it was completely normal. That kind of chaos should never be acceptable in a higher education environment. Respect for education starts with structure and discipline, and unfortunately, that’s missing here.

🔹 Treatment of International Students: What shocked me the most was how international (especially GCC) students were treated. During orientation, staff openly advised us to save money in case we fail, because “it’s common” — suggesting they know how to exploit funded students. It felt like we were being seen as walking wallets, not as learners. Failing students as a strategy to generate income is unethical and must be questioned.

🔹 Faculty Attitude: Some of the faculty and administrative staff were rude and dismissive, especially if you’re not local. There is little to no support, and communication is often vague or unhelpful. Instead of supporting students through challenges, they seem to profit off them.

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🚫 Final Verdict:

If you’re considering the University of Malta as an international student — especially from the GCC — think twice. You deserve a university that respects your investment, supports your growth, and offers a real academic experience. Unfortunately, this one felt like a trap, both academically and...

Worst institution I have ever attended in my life. If you are an international student, (CAUTION), don’t even consider going here. It is the only university in the country and nobody discloses how corrupt it is. Because it is the only largest higher education institution, Maltese have nothing to compare it with. The foundation program is set up to weed out a big number of students and save places for few, especially in the medical program. Isabel Stabile, the program director, had a very unpleasant and unwelcoming attitude. Stabile along with the international office, they couldn’t care less about international students success and their backgrounds. They would always make offensive comments about religion and the different culture. Academically, they would make students fail courses for silly reasons to take advantage of their money as they repeat the year without providing any support or guidance. The staff are arrogant, lazy and not as cooperative. I had feelings that they didn’t want to work at all or be there. The professors are impersonal and the school depends on passive learning environment, just like the obsolete British system. The culture is not as friendly, Maltese are on their own and exclusive to foreigners. You feel like the professors, staff, and the university system work against you, not to support you. I could count as many students who failed when I was there, not necessarily because they were not working hard enough, but because of the horrible bureaucracy at UoM. They would make you feel incapable of dealing with the system and barely succeed. I heard some students would pay professors just to pass the exams! Lack of professionalism and low work ethics at this institution....