[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Portsmouth Polytechnic[EBOLD][PARA]Portsmouth sits by the Solent within champion spitting distance of the Isle of Wight. Built on Portsea Island, it is one of Europe's most densely populated cities. For 400 years, Portsmouth has been one of Britain's foremost naval ports and [ITAL]the maritime influence is still unavoidable[EITAL]. [ITAL] Sailors, students and locals all walk the same streets but remain virtually oblivious of each other[EITAL]. Many of the university buildings are converted military establishments, [ITAL]but some are decidedly prefab, blending starkly with the confusion of concrete carbuncles and more elegant architecture [EITAL]which stretches north into the heart of the city. The other main campus, at Milton, is 21/2 miles from the Guildhall site.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The transition from polydom has been more natural than in many of the other new universities and it has retained its exciting and energetic atmosphere and student life continues to revolve around the battle of beer and brains. [EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA]The Guildhall campus is definitely the dominant site and students at Milton, which merged with the then Poly in 1976, can feel like lesser cousins (business studies and information science are based there). A ú30m building project is underway at Milton though, providing more teaching space and accommodation which may well shift the balance.[HDNG]TOWN:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 174,700 [BULL] London: 70miles [BULL] Southampton: 21miles[ESTAT][PARA]Portsmouth is compact, [ITAL]if not bijou[EITAL]. Small enough to walk around town: down to the beach or to pay a visit to all sorts of maritime sights: The Mary Rose; The Warrior; The Royal Marines Museum; The Victory and so on. [ITAL]More useful but much more ugly[EITAL], there's the Tricorn shopping centre. You can find most major branch stores here and in the other shopping streets and centres. There's also a daily fruit and veg market, plenty of supermarkets and late-night corner shops.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Main-line connections to, among other places, London Waterloo (1:24hrs, 1/hr), Southampton (20mins) Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol and Edinburgh.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] National Express services to many destinations including London (ú9, 2:20hrs, 8/day), Manchester (ú23.50, 7:45hrs, 1/day), Bristol (ú10.25, 3:30hrs, 1/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] The A27, which runs along the south coast, becomes the M27 between Portsmouth and Southampton. The A3 connects the town with London.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Southampton Airport is 22 miles away.[PARA][BOLD]Ferries:[EBOLD] Regular ferries to the Isle of Wight, Spain and France (St Malo, Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre), and the IoW hovercraft.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Good opportunities from lorry drivers coming off the ferries on to the A3.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Bus services are [ITAL]quite good[EITAL], but most distances are walkable.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] [ITAL]An unnecessarily extravagant way of getting around, but it doesn't work out too expensive since the town's so small.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The University is investing in 150 bikes for student use, and the Council is well into cycle lanes.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Business[EBOLD] 2,608 16pts[BOLD][PARA]Engineering[EBOLD] 1,454 10pts[BOLD][PARA]Environment[EBOLD] 1,589 15pts[BOLD][PARA]Humanities[EBOLD] 4,032 12pts[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 2,170 10pts[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 500,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 3,000[ESTAT][PARA]The Frewen Library is on the main site with the smaller Goldsmith Library at Milton. Satisfactory computer provision, [ITAL]although they seem to have lost count[EITAL].[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 8full/4part [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 9.5%[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Efficient and effective [EITAL]service at University House on the Guildhall campus and an information room in Milton.[HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]The University operates a 2-semester rather than a 3-term system.[PARA][BULL]Dyslexic students are allowed to do their exams on PCs.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Phil Newport (cricketer); Clive Norley (Rugby referee).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads, postgrads and part-time students.
