[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Northampton Square, 13/4 miles north-west of Trafalgar Square, is just too far north of the square mile of the City of London - Britain's financial heartland - to be part of it and is just too far south of Islington to be part of that either. This is the site of City University's main buildings with the rest dotted around the area, fragmented but all within a mile of the Square, which is [ITAL]the University's most attractive part[EITAL]. Its redbrick buildings surround a small tree-lined grassy patch, space enough for students to sunbathe in summer (if they can find room between the dog turds). The University's other buildings are[ITAL] less good-looking:[EITAL] urban concrete.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The work ethic is strong at City University. Number one priority is to get a degree and preferably a good one (although the flunk rate suggests the pressure doesn't work for everyone). Other activities, such as entertainments, take second place and political posturing comes last and definitely least. With the University physically fragmented, a broad diversity of students with more interest in their books than each other and competition from the strong draw of London's own entertainments, the social profile is poor. But the common cause does create a certain sympathy and a lot of friendliness around the halls of residence. [EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]LIFE IN LONDON:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]Samuel Johnson wrote 'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.' Obviously, he wasn't living on a student grant at the time; for there is only a certain amount in London that a student can afford. SJ was right in that London is second to none in its diversity, but you can't do it all. It's easy to feel that you're not making the most of London if you're not spending every waking minute at the theatre, ballet, opera or cinema, in clubs or fashionable markets, and in museums and galleries, sports grounds and parks. However, if the truth be known, even taking advantage of the many freebies you can dig up if you try, you'd be broke within a week if you tried to keep up with the tearaway pace. When it comes to opportunity, choice and life in the fast lane, London is the turbo-boosted Porsche. London is supposed to be the city that never sleeps, leaving the bright lights burning all night long. In fact, as international metropolises go, this one tends to shut down when the pubs close. Getting more than a cheeseburger after midnight can be as difficult in London as it is in a Turkish jail. Not everyone likes the pace or the impersonal atmosphere that many find in London. Whilst it's hard to be alone, it's easy to be lonely, and most students in London find this at some time. London can be oppressive and if you're not streetwise, or at least street sensible, it can be a dangerous place. Bomb scares are usually just that, but violent crime is on the up. [EITAL][PARA][ITAL] There are a number of responses to the high cost of living in London: (1) burst into tears; (2) mug someone; (3) live on credit; (4) ask daddy for lashings of cash. Alternatively, if these don't appeal, you can always use the following methods: (1) Limit your spending by only going out when and where you can afford it (ULU fits the bill, offering cheap events for students). (2) Buy second hand - for books, there's ULU, Charing Cross Road and Waterloo and, for clothes, try Camden Market, Greenwich, Brick Lane and Portobello Road. (Many a London student falls prey to fashion, but not always at vast expense.) (3) Get a job - [EITAL]more London students have part time jobs than anywhere else.[ITAL] [EITAL][PARA][ITAL] London also has more overseas students than almost anywhere else, which, in Britain's most international city, is an appropriate addition to the already spicy variety of life. The extent of London's cosmopolitanism is unique. Nowhere else are there as many students of every different shape, colour, vintage, creed and flavour.[EITAL][PARA][ITAL] To be young in London and have flexible demands on your time is an ideal recipe. The daily downers such as the time spent travelling have a minimal effect, whereas the opportunities are all there. If you happen to live in London, it's good to be a student, but if you're a student, London isn't necessarily a good place to happen to live.[EITAL][HDNG]THE CITY AND ISLINGTON:[EHDNG][PARA]The City is full of big business and big buildings, Britain's closest competitors to Manhattan's skyscrapers. The Bank of England, the Lloyds Building, the NatWest Tower - they're all here. [ITAL]There's money lust in full spandex body-suited underwear: power dressing and cell phones.[EITAL] The City is so busy making money in phallic towers, that property prices are too sky-scraping high for anything else to get a look in. There is the barest minimum of extremely expensive wine bars, East End [ITAL]theme park[EITAL] pubs and sandwich bars which provide so much packaging you never know whether it may be part of the sandwich. Recent developments like the Broadgate Centre (near Liverpool St Station) are[ITAL] urban playgrounds for pinstripes on their lunch break[EITAL]. [ITAL]But to get right away from stocks and shares, the shocks and stares of the West End are still the best bet. Thankfully[EITAL], it's just a bus ride or brisk walk.[PARA]Islington, on the other hand, is a horse of a very different hue. It is one of the [ITAL]trendy [EITAL]bits of north London: wholemeal cafes; antique shops; the Chapel Market; hip pubs. It is largely residential and,[ITAL] if students keep their ambitions on a leash, even affordable[EITAL].[PARA]Other local attractions worth noting are the [ITAL]labyrinthine[EITAL] Barbican Centre, one of the largest arts centres in the country, and,[ITAL] for a good hard laugh at capitalism up the proverbial creek[EITAL], Canary Wharf and Docklands.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]London is the centre of the network: Bristol (1:40hrs, 1/hr); Birmingham (1:40hrs, 3/hr); Manchester (2:30hrs, 1/hr); Glasgow (5:20hrs, 12/day); Edinburgh ( 4:20hrs, 1/hr); Newcastle (2:45hrs, 2/hr); Leeds (2:30hrs, 1/hr); Norwich (1:49hrs, 1/hr). Trains come into the 8 mainline termini and if passing through London (for example from Canterbury (Kent) to Manchester), it is often necessary to travel by tube (at extra expense) between mainline stations .[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] London is also the centre of the National Express system and a whole variety of other national bus services (Green Line, Blue Line and so on). Some example National Express journeys: Birmingham (ú9.50, 2:30hrs, 1/hr); Bristol (ú12.50, 2:15hrs, 1/hr); Edinburgh (ú25, 7:50hrs, 3/day); Glasgow (ú25, 7hrs, 7/day); Manchester (ú16, 3:30hrs, 7/day); Newcastle (ú17.50, 5:10hrs, 7/day).[PARA][BOLD]Local Trains: [EBOLD]Network SouthEast operates local overground trains [ITAL]which are a speedy and sometimes pleasant way to travel and are moderately efficient. The main problems are the ease of use (a fair level of understanding is necessary), the high fares and the early closing[EITAL] (last trains between 11pm and 1am).[PARA][BOLD]Underground:[EBOLD] The 'tube' is the largest underground train system in the world and generally,[ITAL] it is fast, easy to use, efficient (well, maybe not the Northern Line) and takes you just about anywhere you want to go, although South-East London is a bit hard done by. However, it is often crowded,[EITAL] shuts down at midnight,[ITAL] it's often disrupted by bomb scares[EITAL] and the minimum fare is 90p. [ITAL]Talking to other tube passengers is tantamount to threatening their mother - the only people who do it are tourists and people who want to talk to you about Jesus.[EITAL] Nearest tube to Senate 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 take the buses which are just as efficient,[EITAL] offer even more destinations and are slightly cheaper (50p minimum). [ITAL]But buses are slow and, until you know your way around, it's difficult to know which ones take you where.[EITAL] After midnight, buses come into their own - Night Buses are London's only form of all-night public transport and[ITAL] if you don't mind how long it takes,[EITAL] you can go almost anywhere within 10 miles of the centre.[PARA][BOLD]Travelcards:[EBOLD] For a legal way of dodging the expense of tubes, buses and trains, Travelcards are available at ú2.60 for a daily 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 regulated and enormously expensive, and dodgy merchants in Ford Escorts which are almost as expensive. There are now also some run by and for women. Basically though, forget all taxis, except late at night when all else fails and/or you're in a party of 4 or more.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Parking in Central London is impossible, and, although there is only one rush hour every day it lasts from 6 in the morning to midnight. Driving in London is excellent training for being a volcano.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Air: [EBOLD]Served by 4 airports, including Heathrow, the world's busiest. Regular flights to anywhere and back.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[ITAL] [EBOLD]Not possible from Central London, but get out a little way on to the city's escape routes or beyond the M25 and a thumb's a first class ticket.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles: [EBOLD][ITAL] A popular form of student travel given the pros: it's cheap and you can get through traffic. But there are the cons: London is big, full of exhaust fumes, lacking in cycle lanes and a Houdini-proof lock is advisable. It's also an easy way to die.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Liverpool Street and King's Cross mainline stations are both within 20 minutes walk of the University.[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] 4; 19; 30; 38; 43; 55; 56; 73; 171; 171A; 196; 214; 243; 279; and 505. Night buses: N19; N21; N73; N92; and N96.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD][ITAL] Parkers beware: a whole clump of clamps.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Underground:[EBOLD] Angel (Northern Line), Farringdon or Barbican (both on the same lines: Hammersmith and City; Circle; Metropolitan; and Thameslink).[HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Engineering[EBOLD] 645 20pts [BOLD][PARA]Business[EBOLD] 763 22pts[BOLD][PARA]Maths[EBOLD] 215 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Informatics[EBOLD] 209 18pts[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 146 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Music[EBOLD] 83 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Journalism[EBOLD] 106 20pts [BOLD][PARA]Health[EBOLD] 314 18pts[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 325,140 [BULL] Periodicals: 68,000 [BULL] Study places: 565 [BULL] Computer workstations: 230[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]2 main libraries - the Skinners Library and the Frobisher Crescent Branch Library - as well as various departmental libraries. [HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 5full/1part [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 10%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]City University got its name not merely from its physical proximity to the City, but also because it grew up (and finally became a university in 1966) with strong attachments to high finance and big business. 70% of courses are professionally accredited. Its motto is 'To Serve Mankind' - [PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL] wonders how the women students feel about that.[EITAL][PARA][BULL]Free language training is available for all students.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Eric Ambler (writer); Tim Devlin MP; Michael Fish (weatherman); Charles Farnecombe (conductor - musical, not bus); Dermot Murnaghan (newsreader); Jack Warner (Dixon of Dock Green). The University also runs one of the country's top postgrad journalism courses and so a lot of hacks are City alumni.[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads.
