[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] The College is part of University of London and students are entitled to use its facilities.[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about London: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of London[EULNE].[BOLD] [EBOLD]The College is part of London University, despite being 20 miles away from the capital, a mile from Egham in Surrey, near Thorpe Park and Hampton Court. It is sometimes called London's country campus -[ITAL] it's certainly as green as the University gets, even if it is all manicured and tamed splendour[EITAL]. The [ITAL]extensive[EITAL] park grounds on a [ITAL]steep [EITAL]hill on the fringe of Windsor Park set off the College's original Founder's Building which is [ITAL]as impressive as catching a shark with a bent pin and a piece of thread (at least on the outside)[EITAL]. [ITAL]It's a really ornate red brick and stone structure[EITAL], based on the Chëteau Chambord in the Loire Valley in France, arranged as a square around grass courtyards with turrets, domes and ornamental carvings all over.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The SU is trying to shake off Royal Holloway's safe, middle-class reputation with increased interest in politics, and all that demo type stuff, and they're having some success. The problem they face is that people often come to see the college as a semi-secure home-from-home, close-ish to the thrills of the Big Smoke, but not [ULNE]too[EULNE] close. The main enemy, as anywhere, is cosy apathy. At holidays and weekends, the place is almost totally deserted as students flock home or to London.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]LIFE IN LONDON:[EHDNG][EITAL][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]EGHAM:[EHDNG][PARA]The closest town to the campus is Egham, about 1 mile away. [ITAL]It's a typically suburban, commuter place.[EITAL] For more details, see [ULNE]Brunel University[EULNE].[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][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Trains to Waterloo from Egham every 1/2 hour (ú2.95).[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] [ITAL]They are infrequent and dear - [EITAL]75p single for a 5min journey to the station - but there's a College service every half hour (25p for the same trip) and the SU bus is free to livers out.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches: [EBOLD]Egham's just a hop from Heathrow (which is useful if you want to catch a plane anywhere, oddly enough), and coaches go from there into London (ú4, 35mins, 2/hr).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Egham is just outside the M25 London ring road, north of where the M3 crosses it on the way south west. The A30 goes right through the town. [ITAL]A car is obviously handier than at other London sites.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD][ITAL] If cycling up the slight hill does not put students off, bikes are useful.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 2,375 20-24pts[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 1,595 18-24pts[BOLD][PARA]Management[EBOLD] 247 24pts[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 500,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,800 [BULL] Study places: 630 [BULL] Computer workstations: 325[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]The new Bedford library, opened in 1993, has greatly improved provision. 24 hour access to computers all year round with an easily obtained card. Strong emphasis on computing in Arts courses.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 3full/2part [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 7%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]Royal Holloway owns some of Britain's most valuable works of art. In 1993, amidst much controversy, it flogged a Turner painting to the Getty Museum in the USA for ú11million. This money has been put in a trust, the interest will be used to pay towards the up-keep of the [ITAL]beautiful [EITAL]Founder's Building.[PARA][BULL]The Drama Department has the only stage for Japanese Noh theatre in the UK.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]David Bellamy (naturalist); Richmal Crompton (writer, 'Just William'); Emma Freud (broadcaster); Felicity Lott, Susan Bullock (opera singers); Jean Rook (journalist, prototype for Private Eye's Glenda Slagg).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads.[PARA][PARA]
