[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Okay, no Essex Girl jokes. Well, maybe one... Why is there a [PARA]university in Essex? So Suffolk Girls can study there. [EITAL]Actually, [PARA]the University isn't even in the famously maligned part of Essex, [ITAL][PARA]full of parked Ford Capris and peroxide blondes. [EITAL]It's 21/2 miles [PARA]from Colchester, a thoroughly modern Roman town, a bit further [PARA]from London. It's the smallest university in England and Wales (if[PARA]you count places like [ULNE]Lampeter[EULNE] as university colleges), set amidst[PARA]3 large lakes in 200 acres of [ITAL]scenic[EITAL] parkland designed to hold a [PARA]much larger institution - the University slowed its ambitious [PARA]expansion a few years after it was founded. It has remnants of [PARA]the big plans, though: the campus contains shops, eating places [PARA]and facilities [ITAL]which betray the grander designs for the place[EITAL]. [PARA]They're all set in a [ITAL]confusing [EITAL]series of interlinked courtyards and [PARA]modern concrete buildings, flanked by towering multi-storey [PARA]residential blocks[ITAL]. [EITAL][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Being such a small university, based in a big campus (if you [PARA]include the parkland), there's a big sense of community. This can[PARA]either be seen as friendly solidarity or as busybody nosiness, [PARA]close knit groups or cliques. Whichever, most of it is tightly [PARA]focused on the 2 bars. Less gregarious students can have a [PARA]hard time. Many of the population have some connection with the[PARA]local garrison which during the Gulf War, at any rate, led to cold [PARA]shoulder rubbing with the more right on students. Provided they [PARA]keep their mutual distance, things are OK now.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE TOWN:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 88,847 [BULL] London: 40miles [BULL] Ipswich: 16miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA]Like we said, Colchester is a thoroughly modern Roman town - [PARA]that is to say, the Romans started the place, although they went [PARA]home some time ago. It's the oldest recorded town in the country[PARA]-[ITAL] and the town plan hasn't been greatly changed since[EITAL]. But, as [PARA]when all the bits of a car have been replaced so many times that [PARA]you have a new car, Colchester has established many modern [PARA]pockets: shopping centres and light industry, busy roads and [PARA]modern architecture and now a new leisure centre. There are [PARA]still many [ITAL]pretty [EITAL]parts, old houses and ancient buildings, not least [PARA]the original Roman Wall and the castle (built by William the [PARA]Conquerer) which houses the town Library and Museum.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] The nearest mainline station to the campus is Colchester [PARA]North, 3 miles from the campus (there are 2 other stations in [PARA]town). Direct services run into London Liverpool Street (ú7.05, [PARA]55mins, 5/hr). Connections via London are possible all over the [PARA]country including Birmingham (ú21.80), Bristol (ú24.40) and [PARA]Edinburgh (ú43.55).[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] National Express services to, among other places, [PARA]London (ú6.25, 2:10hrs, 4/day), Birmingham (ú16, 4:55hrs, 1/day); [PARA]Cambridge (ú5.25, 2hrs, 1/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Colchester is visited by the A120, A12, A133, and A604.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Stansted International is 32 miles west on the A120.[PARA][BOLD]Ferries:[EBOLD] To the continent from Harwich and Felixstowe, 16 miles away.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The slip roads of the A12 are the best bet, but trying to [PARA]get a lift in Essex is like sucking an iron bar.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Buses are [ITAL]expensive [EITAL](80p to the town centre),[ITAL] but they are[PARA]reliable[EITAL] and they tour the local villages [ITAL]which can be useful for [PARA]those living there. [EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] Some firms are less expensive than others,[ITAL] but we [PARA]wouldn't use the word 'cheap' for any of them.[EITAL] From ú2.90 from [PARA]the station to the campus.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] The Romans didn't have bikes and no-one has thought [PARA]of putting in bike lanes since. Then again, Essex is quite flat[ITAL] and [PARA]distances are cycle-able.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Comparative[EBOLD] 1,002[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 985[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 274[BOLD][PARA]Maths[EBOLD] 326[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 677[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 525,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 3,000 [BULL] Study places: 700 [PARA]Computer workstations: 350[ESTAT][PARA]The Albert Sloman Library has a Paternosta lift - just step on and[PARA]step off while the open lift keeps moving[ITAL].[EITAL] [ITAL]If you ever get bored of[PARA]that[EITAL], there are computer terminals in the library and in 9 [PARA]departmental libraries, [ITAL]however access is not always easy. [EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 3full [BULL] Unemployed after [PARA]6mths (1992): 8.7%[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BULL]Essex is not usually students' 1st choice, many come here [PARA]through the clearing system.[ITAL] Although it has a downbeat [PARA]reputation, it does have a number of prestigious departments.[EITAL][PARA][BULL]There are a lot of ducks on the 3 lakes and around the [PARA]campus there are more rabbits than students. Each year, much [PARA]to the distress of the students, the University carries out a bunny [PARA]cull.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Oscar Arias (former President of Costa Rica and Nobel prize [PARA]winner); Virginia Bottomley MP (Health Secretary); Brian [PARA]Hanrahan (BBC reporter); Rudolpho Neri (1st Brazilian astronaut);[PARA]Ben Okri (writer, Booker Prize winner).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads.[PARA][PARA]
