[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Loughborough is a small, industrial market town, set amongst wandering countryside and small suburban villages. The University is set about a mile west of the town in green and [ITAL]pleasant [EITAL]parkland. The campus buildings are mainly [ITAL]inoffensive[EITAL], low-rise blocks on a landscaped, 216-acre site. [ITAL] It's perfect for[EITAL] the various playing fields and sporting facilities, [ITAL]the University's chief extra-curricular preoccupation.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]Don't believe what they say about 'it's not the winning but the taking part'. At Loughborough University, it's the winning that matters, and the training beforehand and the celebration and analysis afterwards. A pity, then, that the teams aren't quite hitting the heights they managed over the last few years, although this hasn't dampened the mood of raucous, towel-flicking blokedom. Half of Loughborough students are engineers or scientists and students feel more at home with calculators and computers than with easels or grease-paint (although the Arts School is significant). The powers that be have indicated that they would like [EITAL][PUSH]push[EPUSH] [ITAL]to put less stress on the sporty side, which we'll do when the students do it. Let's just say that if you're not particularly sporty, you can have a good time, but if you're actively hostile to the whole idea, think hard before applying.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE TOWN:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 51,000 [BULL] London: 100miles [BULL] Leicester: 15miles [BULL] Nottingham: 20miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]Loughborough is not big enough to fit in more than a few sites of historic interest, but it gives its money's worth[EITAL], including a few old churches and museums (eg the Bell Foundry Museum - which makes bells - the Military Museum and the Ancient Monuments Museum). Apart from all the usual shops and public amenities, there is a twice-weekly street market, some [ITAL]good [EITAL]independent record stores and some ethnic jewellery shops. The town is surrounded by the ancient Charnwood Forest - so ancient that there's not much forest left - and various waterways flow through the area. Of local note is the Grand Central Railway, still steaming its way cross-country and there's the Quorn Hunt, the group of fox-killers who were embarrassed by having their antics caught on video. Ladybird books also have their HQ here, [ITAL]which should give a warm feeling to anyone brought up on 'Peter and Jane', although it's not much help if you've got an essay crisis.[EITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Loughborough station, on the main Inter City line north from London King's Cross (1:25hrs, 1/hr) to York, Newcastle and Edinburgh, is 2 miles from the campus. Direct lines also to Leicester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] Served by local coach company 'Paul Wilson' and National Express, which offers services to, among other places, London (ú11.25, 2:45hrs, 4/day), Nottingham (ú1.70, 30mins, 3/day), Manchester (ú10.75, 2:50hrs, 3/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] The A6 goes straight through Loughborough, and the M1 is less than 2 miles west of the campus.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] East Midlands Airport (inland and European flights) is 51/2 miles from the campus.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The M1 is good, but it's a bus ride to the junction.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Local buses skirt the campus. For 45p students can get across town, or for a bit more they can catch a ride into Leicester or Nottingham.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] ú2-ú2.50 from the campus to the station (2 miles).[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Useful for getting into town. The theft situation is improving, but don't bring an expensive mountain bike; you won't take it back.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Engineering[EBOLD] 2,250 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 1,325 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Human Studs[EBOLD] 3,000 22pts[BOLD][PARA]Educ/Humanities[EBOLD] 925 20pts[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 600,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 4,000 [BULL] Study places: 420 [BULL] Computer workstations: 1,500[ESTAT][PARA]The large white library is in the centre of the campus. There's also a fibre-optic network, linking all those computers.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 8full/3part [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 9.5%[ESTAT][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Steve Backley (javelin chucker); Sebastian Coe MP (Con, ex-athletics hero); David Moorcroft (athlete); Carole Tongue MEP (Lab); Bob Wilson (commentator, ex-Arsenal goalie).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads, postgrads and some individual departments.
