[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Despite its somewhat clinical name, the London Institute is the largest Art School in Europe, comprising five separate institutions, all of which have excellent reputations in their own rights. Although the Institute awards its own degrees, you apply to the individual colleges.[PARA][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The sites vary, and there's not that much contact between them, but the students have a tendency to trendiness, radicalism and commitment to their courses. The days of absinthe and syphilis may have passed, but many want to keep the image going, if not the actuality.[EITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Camberwell: [EBOLD]A large[BOLD] [EBOLD]mixed modern/Victorian building, next to the South London Art Gallery, with an annexe near Camberwell Green. [ITAL]South London, shabby, but friendly enough.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Central Saint Martins: [EBOLD]HQ in Holborn, near Bloomsbury; further sites at Clerkenwell, nearer the City, in Covent Garden, and on the Charing Cross Road ([ITAL]Nirvana for bookworms[EITAL]).[PARA][BOLD]Chelsea: [EBOLD]3 sites [ITAL]in and around Sloane country[EITAL], with a fourth further west, at Lime Grove.[PARA][BOLD]London College of Fashion: [EBOLD]3 sites around the western, [ITAL]posher[EITAL] stretch of Oxford Street. 2 more in the City, [ITAL]amongst the financial whizzkids.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]London College of Printing: [EBOLD]Based at the Elephant and Castle (see [ULNE]South Bank University[EULNE]). Also at Clerkenwell and Davies Street.[HDNG]LIFE IN LONDON:[EHDNG][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]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][PARA]Nearest Underground/ rail links to the various colleges:[PARA][BOLD]Camberwell:[EBOLD] Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill BR; Oval Tube (Northern Line).[PARA][BOLD]Chelsea: [EBOLD]Manresa Rd: South Kensington (Circle, District, Piccadilly Lines). Bagley's Lane and Hugon Rd: Putney Bridge (District ). Lime Grove: Shepherd's Bush (Central).[PARA][BOLD]St Martin's: [EBOLD]Holborn (Central and Piccadilly) for Southampton Row. Farringdon (Circle, Hammersmith and City) for Clerkenwell. Covent Garden (Piccadilly) for Long Acre. Tottenham Court Road (Central and Northern) for Charing Cross Rd.[PARA][BOLD]LCF: [EBOLD]Oxford Circus (Central, Bakerloo and Northern) or Bond Street (Central and Jubilee) for Oxford Street sites. Barbican (Circle and Hammersmith and City) or Old Street (Northern) for City sites.[PARA][BOLD]LCP: [EBOLD]Elephant and Castle: Elephant and Castle (Bakerloo and Northern). Davies Street: Bond Street (Central and Jubilee). Clerkenwell: Farringdon (Circle, Hammersmith and City).[PARA]Yes, there are buses, and no, we're not going to list all of them.[PARA][BOLD] [EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 330,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,365 [BULL] Study places: 593[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA][PARA][BOLD][HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 6full/1part[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA][PARA][BOLD][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA]Lionel Bart (composer); John Berger (writer); Dirk Bogarde (actor, writer); Neville Brody (designer); Terence Conran (designer, restauranteur); Elizabeth Frink (sculptor); John Galliano (designer); Katherine Hamnett (designer); Anish Kapoor (sculptor); Linda Kitson (war artist); Henry Moore (sculptor); Bruce Oldfield (designer); Rifat Ozbek (designer); Fiona Pitt-Kethley (rude poet); Zandra Rhodes (designer); Alexei Sayle ([ITAL]funny fat bastard[EITAL]).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses from individual colleges.[PARA][PARA]
