[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Fettered by London's influence, Uxbridge is a [ITAL]metallic[EITAL] satellite [PARA]town with space-age offices, a [ITAL]slick, spick'n'span[EITAL] shopping mall [PARA]and a few [ITAL]quaint, genteel[EITAL] streets. A mile south of Uxbridge [PARA]proper are the redbrick and grey concrete buildings of the main [PARA]campus of Brunel University,[ITAL] designed to be more practical than [PARA]good-looking[EITAL], although grassy patches and a stream (the [ITAL][PARA]optimistically [EITAL]titled River Pinn) help create [ITAL]a feeling of space[EITAL]. It is [PARA]a university that has traditionally taught sciences and engineering,[PARA]usually in the form of so-called 'thin sandwich' courses (see [PARA]below), but has an increasing number of social sciences and [PARA]other courses. The 2nd, smaller site is a self-contained campus [PARA]11 miles south at Runnymede near Egham in Surrey. It is a [ITAL]very [PARA]tranquil[EITAL] 65 acre site with beautiful 15th century gardens and only [PARA]450 students (ie the Education and Design Faculty) and mainly [PARA]Victorian buildings, surrounded by tall trees, overlooking a wide [PARA]stretch of the Thames and s[ITAL]eeming deceptively remote.[EITAL][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]If you were to drop out, set light to your home, jump on a Harley [PARA]D and burn some rubber down the rock 'n' roll road to oblivion, [PARA]you probably wouldn't choose an engineering student to ride [PARA]pillion. Since a 1/4 of Brunel students [ULNE]are[EULNE] engineering students [PARA]and many of the rest are that way inclined, they tend not to be the[PARA]world's most crazy-assed impetuous loons. They're more [PARA]sombre and sober, career-minded and hard-working. Not being [PARA]James Deans doesn't mean they're not friendly and open, [PARA]although the considerable vocational element in courses means [PARA]that activities as a student body are incidental: Brunel students [PARA]are on their way somewhere - it isn't a destination itself.[EITAL][HDNG]THE TOWN:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 20,000 [BULL] Central London: 15miles [BULL] Slough: [PARA]6miles [BULL] Windsor: 7miles[ESTAT][PARA]Uxbridge is a modern town with all the latest mod cons, like [PARA]Tescos, Sainsbury's, banks and so forth. For a really [PARA]cosmopolitan metropolis, a trip into London is easy enough. [PARA]Egham is smaller and, [ITAL]even though Uxbridge may not be exactly [PARA]Paris in Spring, a much less attractive town. It is also singularly [PARA]unfriendly[EITAL]. It has enough shops and banks for every day use, but[PARA]Staines and Windsor and even London close by are a sight for [PARA]sore eyes and a till for ready cash. It does, however, have [ULNE]Royal [PARA]Holloway College[EULNE] nearby.[HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 6,377,900 [BULL] Birmingham: 106miles [BULL] [PARA]Manchester: 172miles [BULL] Edinburgh: 423miles[ESTAT][PARA]Places plugged hereafter, such as restaurants, are far from the [PARA]only ones or even the best, they are just some of those who [PARA]offered [PUSH]push[EPUSH] massive bribes and sexual favours. [ITAL]They're also [PARA]some of the most popular student haunts.[EITAL][HDNG]LIFE IN LONDON:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 6,377,900 [BULL] Birmingham: 106miles [BULL] [PARA]Manchester: 172miles [BULL] Edinburgh: 423miles[ESTAT][PARA]Places plugged hereafter, such as restaurants, are far from the [PARA]only ones or even the best, they are just some of those who [PARA]offered [PUSH]push[EPUSH] massive bribes and sexual favours. [ITAL]They're also [PARA]some of the most popular student haunts.[EITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]London is the centre of the network: Bristol (1:40hrs, 1/hr); [PARA]Birmingham (1:40hrs, 3/hr); Manchester (2:30hrs, 1/hr); Glasgow [PARA](5:20hrs, 12/day); Edinburgh ( 4:20hrs, 1/hr); Newcastle (2:45hrs, [PARA]2/hr); Leeds (2:30hrs, 1/hr); Norwich (1:49hrs, 1/hr). Trains come [PARA]into the 8 mainline termini and if passing through London (for [PARA]example from Canterbury (Kent) to Manchester), it is often [PARA]necessary to travel by tube (at extra expense) between mainline stations.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] London is also the centre of the National Express [PARA]system and a whole variety of other national bus services (Green[PARA]Line, Blue Line and so on). Some example National Express [PARA]journeys: Birmingham (ú9.50, 2:30hrs, 1/hr); Bristol (ú12.50, [PARA]2:15hrs, 1/hr); Edinburgh (ú25, 7:50hrs, 3/day); Glasgow (ú25, [PARA]7hrs, 7/day); Manchester (ú16, 3:30hrs, 7/day); Newcastle [PARA](ú17.50, 5:10hrs, 7/day).[PARA][BOLD]Local Trains: [EBOLD]Network SouthEast operates local overground [PARA]trains [ITAL]which are a speedy and sometimes pleasant way to travel [PARA]and are moderately efficient. The main problems are the ease of[PARA]use (a fair level of understanding is necessary), the high fares [PARA]and the early closing[EITAL] (last trains between 11pm and 1am).[PARA][BOLD]Underground:[EBOLD] The 'tube' is the largest underground train system [PARA]in the world and generally,[ITAL] it is fast, easy to use, efficient (well, [PARA]maybe not the Northern Line) and takes you just about anywhere [PARA]you want to go, although South-East London is a bit hard done by.[PARA]However, it is often crowded,[EITAL] shuts down at midnight,[ITAL] it's often [PARA]disrupted by bomb scares[EITAL] and the minimum fare is 90p. [ITAL]Talking [PARA]to other tube passengers is tantamount to threatening their [PARA]mother - the only people who do it are tourists and people who [PARA]want to talk to you about Jesus.[EITAL] Nearest tube to Senate [PARA]House/ULU Building: Goodge St (Northern Line).[PARA][BOLD]Local Buses: [EBOLD][ITAL]In the tube you can't see the real sights, so why not [PARA]take the buses which are just as efficient,[EITAL] offer even more [PARA]destinations and are slightly cheaper (50p minimum). [ITAL]But buses [PARA]are slow and, until you know your way around, it's difficult to [PARA]know which ones take you where.[EITAL] After midnight, buses come [PARA]into their own - Night Buses are London's only form of all-night [PARA]public transport and[ITAL] if you don't mind how long it takes,[EITAL] you can [PARA]go almost anywhere within 10 miles of the centre.[PARA][BOLD]Travelcards:[EBOLD] For a legal way of dodging the expense of tubes, [PARA]buses and trains, Travelcards are available at ú2.60 for a daily [PARA]pass for the central 2 zones of the network.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis: [EBOLD]There are 2 types:[ITAL] the classic black cabs which are well [PARA]regulated and enormously expensive, and dodgy merchants in [PARA]Ford Escorts which are almost as expensive. There are now [PARA]also some run by and for women. Basically though, forget all [PARA]taxis, except late at night when all else fails and/or you're in a [PARA]party of 4 or more.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Parking in Central London is impossible, and, although there[PARA]is only one rush hour every day it lasts from 6 in the morning to [PARA]midnight. Driving in London is excellent training for being a [PARA]volcano.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Air: [EBOLD]Served by 4 airports, including Heathrow, the world's [PARA]busiest. Regular flights to anywhere and back.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[ITAL] [EBOLD]Not possible from Central London, but get out a little [PARA]way on to the city's escape routes or beyond the M25 and a [PARA]thumb's a first class ticket.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles: [EBOLD][ITAL] A popular form of student travel given the pros: it's [PARA]cheap and you can get through traffic. But there are the cons: [PARA]London is big, full of exhaust fumes, lacking in cycle lanes and a [PARA]Houdini-proof lock is advisable. It's also an easy way to die.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] West Drayton and Hayes are the BR stations nearest to [PARA]the Uxbridge site (Uxbridge Tube station is closer, though); both [PARA]are less than 2 miles away. There are trains to Bristol, Cardiff, [PARA]Slough and other cities in the south-west served by trains out of [PARA]London Paddington (at least 45mins away). For other services, [PARA]the quickest route is usually via London mainline stations. For [PARA]trains to and from Egham, which is the nearest station to the [PARA]Runnymede site, see [ULNE]Royal Holloway College[EULNE].[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] National Express and London Country coach services [PARA]bypass both Uxbridge and Egham. The nearest stop is[PARA]Heathrow Airport (30mins by bus). Connections with London are[PARA][ITAL]good enough [EITAL]to make London Victoria a possibility.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Both sites are on the London escape route to the west, near [PARA]the M25 (2 miles), and on the M4, M40, A4, A40 and A30.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Heathrow, the world's busiest airport, is 4 miles from the [PARA]Uxbridge campus.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]No shortage of main roads (although hitchers have to [PARA]get on to them to start), but drivers round here are real [PARA]possession heads and pick-ups take time.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Uxbridge is still within London's local transport network, [PARA]which is convenient but expensive. Numbers 207, 222, 223, U3, [PARA]U4, U5, Express Coach 724 and Night Bus N89 (which goes [PARA]right into London's West End). On the London Underground, [PARA]Uxbridge station is the last stop on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly[PARA]Lines and offers a [ITAL]fast but expensive[EITAL] service into London during [PARA]the day, but is a mile from the main campus. The University runs[PARA]a coach and minibus service between the sites, [ITAL]which isn't quite [PARA]enough[EITAL].[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] Cabs charge London and Heathrow prices, but ú2 from [PARA]the campus to Uxbridge[ITAL] is okay between a couple of people.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Bikes are useful for local trips although the busy roads [PARA]make it hell for sorties into London.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Science[EBOLD] 1,197 [BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 1,660 [BOLD][PARA]Technology[EBOLD] 1,280 [BOLD][PARA]Ed and Design[EBOLD] 441[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 350,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,800 [BULL] Study places: 700 [PARA]Computer workstations: 600[ESTAT][PARA]1 library on each campus.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 3full/2part [BULL] Unemployed [PARA]after 6mths (1992): 8%[ESTAT][PARA]Since most students go on placements (see above) they have a [PARA]highly employable mix of qualifications and experience with [PARA]engineering jobs obviously a top option.[HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]The University's academic year is in 2 long semesters rather [PARA]than 3 shorter terms.[PARA][BULL]Most students study 'thin sandwich' courses which are made [PARA]up of a slice of industrial placement for 2 semesters out of the 6 [PARA]in the first 3 years of 4-year courses, and slices of academic [PARA]study for the rest of the time. [ITAL]Unfortunately, [EITAL]during the [PARA]recession, placements have been a bit scarce on the ground, but [PARA]for students who manage to secure themselves a position, [PARA]possibly the best part is that they get paid. [ITAL]As a result, poverty at[PARA]Brunel is rarer than the baked bean broke state of most other [PARA]students.[EITAL][PARA][BULL]The University is renowned for scientific research in all areas.[PARA]The Runnymede site is well known for industrial design and for [PARA]being near where the Magna Carta was signed. So when asked [PARA]where the Magna Carta was signed, you can say, 'At the bottom'.[PARA]And when? '1215 - I missed it, I only got here at half past.' [ITAL]Hmm, [PARA]maybe not.[EITAL][PARA][BULL]Heinz Woolf, [ITAL]the archetypal mad professor[EITAL], is a professor at [PARA]Brunel and Lenny Henry is Honorary President of the SU.[PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA]Jo Brand (comic).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads.
