[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Reading is unfortunately pronounced 'redding' which somewhat [PARA]scuppers those witticisms that friends of students' parents will [PARA]come up with such as, 'So, what are you reading at Reading?'. [ITAL][PARA]Apart from the potential for jokes about the name, there is little [PARA]remotely remarkable about the town.[EITAL] It's a [ITAL]nondescript [EITAL]place [PARA]close enough to London to be popular with commuters. [ITAL]The [PARA]surrounding area is more attractive, lots of pleasant Thames-side[PARA]villages and small towns[EITAL], such as Henley, Hurley and Goring. [PARA]The University is based on the large Whiteknights campus, just [PARA]under 2 miles from the town centre, set in 300 acres of parkland,[PARA]lake and wood. The buildings are a varied mixture, ranging from [PARA]19th century houses, to the new microbiology building opened by [PARA]the Queen as recently as March 1992. There is a small 2nd [PARA]campus about 11/2 miles away at Bulmershe, housing about [PARA]2,000 students in the departments of Education and Film and [PARA]Drama. [ITAL] It has a closer knit community atmosphere, but less [PARA]good facilities.[EITAL][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The University has a cosy, self-contained atmosphere with a [PARA]large proportion of students living on the campus or close to it. [PARA]The students are fairly well to do, occasionally well off, and [PARA]usually from southern England and Wales. Relations between [PARA]students and locals can be disinterested at best and sticky at [PARA]worst. 1st years get very het up about their FUEs (First [PARA]University Exams) and, unlike most universities, the 1st year is as[PARA]academically demanding as any other. However, many students [PARA]don't see another exam paper till their finals.[EITAL][HDNG]THE TOWN:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 122,600 [BULL] London: 40miles [BULL] Oxford: 25miles [PARA]Bristol: 74miles[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Students often say that if they had their chance again, they [PARA]wouldn't apply to Reading University a second time, simply [PARA]because the town is boring.[EITAL] It is a large country town [ITAL]with little [PARA]more to recommend it than good shopping and opportunities for [PARA]business. [EITAL]There's a vast range of supermarkets, bookshops [PARA](including a very big Blackwells) and plenty of shops open into the[PARA]night. Reading does have tourist attractions [ITAL]- well, there has to be[PARA]something to do on rainy bank holidays[EITAL] - 3 museums (English [PARA]Rural Life, Reading Museum and Blakes Lock Museum) and the [PARA]River Thames, the River Kennet, the Avon Canal and Reading [PARA]Abbey ruins.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Reading station, about 11/2 miles from campus offers [PARA]direct services to London Paddington (23mins, 5/hr), London [PARA]Waterloo (1:15mins, 2/hr), Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, [PARA]Cardiff, Bristol, Penzance and Birmingham.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] National Express services all over the country, [PARA]including London (ú4.25, 1:15hrs, 9/day), Bristol (ú10.75, 1:15hrs, [PARA]12/day), Birmingham (ú10, 2:20hrs, 2/day). There are also the [PARA]Reading-London Link (Reading Transport) and Bee-Line Coaches.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] The M4 and A4 run west out of London. Also, the A33.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Regular 45-minute coach service to Heathrow International [PARA]Airport, the busiest airport in the world.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] The SU doesn't recommended it after recent attacks [ITAL][PARA]and the area's not that good for getting lifts anyway. [EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Buses between the University and town are reasonably [PARA]good. [EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] Many taxi companies, but beware of those offering [PARA]so-called 'student fares' - [ITAL]they can be even more expensive.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The campus is bikeably flat. Bikes are especially [PARA]useful for early morning lectures or for getting to Bulmershe.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 3,508[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 1,435[BOLD][PARA]Agriculture[EBOLD] 553[BOLD][PARA]Urban Studs[EBOLD] 821[BOLD][PARA]Educ/Community[EBOLD] 973[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 900,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 5,000 [BULL] Study places: 350 [PARA]Computer workstations: 350[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]Apart from the main University Library there are various [PARA]departmental libraries (eg Music, Bulmershe (education) and [PARA]Agriculture) as well as some in halls of residence.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 8full [BULL] Unemployed after [PARA]6mths (1992): 10.3%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]A flexible 1st year course structure is operated, giving [PARA]students in some faculties a chance to experience other subjects[PARA]and even change.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Jim Bacon (weatherperson); Suzanne Charlton (BBC [PARA]weatherperson, daughter of Sir Bobby); Nigel de Gruchy (general[PARA]secretary NASUWT); Prof Juliet Lodge (European Woman of [PARA]the Year and lecturer at [ULNE]University of Hull[EULNE]); Andy McKay (Roxy [PARA]Music saxophonist). Gustav Holst, the composer of 'The Planet [PARA]Suite', lectured here.[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads, postgrads and part-timers. 'An [PARA]Unofficial Guide to Reading University' is available for ú2.50 from [PARA]the SU.[PARA][PARA]
