[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Robert Gordon Institute of Technology[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about Aberdeen: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of [PARA]Aberdeen[EULNE]. The Robert Gordon University became a university as[PARA]recently as 1992, and so, after a gap of 132 years (since King's [PARA]and Marischal Colleges merged to form [ULNE]Aberdeen University[EULNE]) the[PARA]so-called 'Silver City' of Aberdeen now has 2 universities again. [PARA]The student population of the city is large and[ITAL] RGU's students [PARA]mix affably with all the others. Perhaps this is helped by where [PARA]they're situated, [EITAL]because RGU is spread across 9 sites around [PARA]the city (3 of which are residential sites only). Apart from the [PARA]main site on Schoolhill in the city centre, the sites are on the [PARA]outskirts, but all are within 31/2 miles of the centre and set in [PARA]small parks or gardens.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]This is a very different place from [ULNE]Aberdeen University[EULNE] - or most [PARA]universities for that matter - it is earthy, working class and has [PARA]few pretensions. This is no ivory tower, more of a laminated step[PARA]ladder - when all's said and done, a damn sight more realistic. [PARA]The Union is the focus for social and political activity and is the [PARA]bonding agent between such disparate sites. Students make the [PARA]most of the limited facilities, but when they don't meet their [PARA]needs, they're quick to take advantage of [ULNE]Aberdeen University[EULNE]'s [PARA]local attractions, which annoys a few there. The emphasis on [PARA]hard work [EITAL](mostly vocational courses)[ITAL], however, is never [PARA]dropped completely. [EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Schoolhill/St Andrew Street:[EBOLD] (applied sciences, engineering, [PARA]electronics, computing, maths) The largest site and home of the Union.[PARA][BOLD]King Street:[EBOLD] (337 students - health and social work, public [PARA]administration and law) An [ITAL]elegant [EITAL]light stone building, 1 mile from[PARA]Schoolhill near shops, accommodation and buses, but on a busy road.[PARA][BOLD]Hilton: [EBOLD](1,053 students - business, librarianship and information) [PARA]21/2 miles from Schoolhill, Hilton is a modern block set in [PARA]parkland to the north of the city. This site belongs to the Northern[PARA]College of Recreation who may be taking it back in the next few [PARA]years. Students are being relocated to King St.[PARA][BOLD]Kepplestone: [EBOLD](989 students - food and consumer studies) A set [PARA]of modern blocks surrounded by playing fields and landscaped [PARA]grounds, 13/4 miles west of Schoolhill. Largely residential [ITAL]with an[PARA]amiable ambience.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Garthdee: [EBOLD](1,044 students - art, architecture, surveying, [PARA]management) The furthest site from Schoolhill, 3 miles to the [PARA]south west, [ITAL]but possibly the most attractive[EITAL] - a large mansion [PARA]overlooking the River Dee and encompassed by rolling parkland. [ITAL][PARA]Less convenient, but peaceful and conducive to artistic study. [PARA]There is talk of moving the whole University here. Someone call [PARA]Pickfords.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Foresterhill [EBOLD](radiography)[BOLD] and Woolmanhill [EBOLD](occupational therapy,[PARA]physiotherapy)[BOLD]:[EBOLD] (210 students) Foresterhill is made up of large, [PARA]grey bricked, 3 storey houses set in hospital grounds, 11/2 miles [PARA]from Schoolhill and Woolmanhill is in the centre of town. [ITAL]They [PARA]form a small but happy community.[EITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 201,099 [BULL] London: 410miles [BULL] Edinburgh: [PARA]103miles [BULL] Dundee: 75miles[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Aberdeen is busy to the point of being congested, but it's clean [EITAL][PARA]and is currently enjoying relative prosperity due to North Sea oil. [PARA]The trade in black slippery stuff has attracted a varied cultural [PARA]cocktail from all over Scotland and England, as well as industrial [PARA]clusters and tankers. Consequently, the wee fishing fleet is on [PARA]the wane. But Aberdeen isn't a sprawling waste, not by a long [PARA]shot, and it's easy to burst out into [ITAL]splendid [EITAL]countryside and on to[PARA]sandy beaches ([ITAL]coated in a thin film of pollution[EITAL]). Miles from [PARA]anywhere, the city has more than enough shops to spend a [PARA]student grant, which takes about 3 minutes 34 seconds since it's [PARA]not a cheap town. It has bookshops and banks (most major [PARA]branches) and many a muckle museum, including the City Art [PARA]Gallery and the Maritime Museum (Aberdeen's oldest building).[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Despite being so far north (the same latitude as St [PARA]Petersburg), British Rail connections are [ITAL]quite good, but are [PARA]expensive[EITAL]. Among many Scottish and some English towns, [PARA]services are offered to London (7hrs, 3/day), Birmingham, [PARA]Edinburgh and Bristol.[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] National Express coach services to, among other places, [PARA]London (ú31.50, 10:20hrs, 2/day), Glasgow (ú10.90, 3:50hrs, [PARA]3/day), Edinburgh (ú10.30, 3:50hrs, 3/day) and Birmingham (ú32, [PARA]9:20hrs, 1/day). Citylink and Stagecoach also run services.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] A92, A93, A94 and A96. 2 miles to the nearest junction.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Aberdeen Airport offers inland flights around the UK and to [PARA]some European cities.[PARA][BOLD]Ferries:[EBOLD] There's a ferry service to Lerwick in the Shetlands.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD][ITAL] The A92 is fairly major and once hitchers have got to [PARA]the M90, it's plain sailing. The hitches of hitching, though, are that [PARA]it's a long, long road and going west inland is nigh impossible.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Good bus services run anywhere in the city from 35p.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Useful late at night[EITAL], about ú1/mile.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] Despite the heavy traffic and the cold winds, many [PARA]students rely on pedal power. Incidentally, bike theft is as rare as[PARA]any other crime in Aberdeen which has the lowest crime rate in [PARA]Britain for a city its size.[BOLD] [EBOLD]Aberdeen Station is a mile south of [PARA]Schoolhill. [ITAL]Buses [EITAL]run every 20 minutes to most sites,[ITAL] but feet [PARA]are the most effective way of getting around.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Design[EBOLD] 1,214[BOLD][PARA]Health/Food[EBOLD] 1,337[BOLD][PARA]Management[EBOLD] 1,591[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 1,629[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 160,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,400 [BULL] Study places: 620 [PARA]Computer workstations: 400[ESTAT][PARA]There are 9 libraries around the sites, relating to the subjects [PARA]studied: Central (St Andrew's St); Hilton; Merkland (King St); [PARA]Architecture and Surveying (Garthdee); Art (Garthdee); [PARA]Kepplestone; Occupational Therapy (Woolmanhill); [PARA]Physiotherapy (Woolmanhill); and Radiography (Foresterhill)[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 3full [BULL] Unemployed after [PARA]6mths (1992): 10%[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]There is much pessimism amongst students about job [PARA]prospects.[EITAL][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]In 1992, the University was awarded ú10 million by the Scottish[PARA]Office for expansion and [ITAL]there are some improvements going on.[PARA]However, you'd be surprised how quickly a sum like that gets [PARA]spent. A penny here, another there... I don't know.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA]Undergraduate prospectus, and a Student Handbook from the [PARA]Union.
