[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Birmingham, midway between Manchester and Bristol and almost as far from the coast as it's possible to be in Britain, is arguably the 2nd largest city in Britain.  This depends on how you count, because, together with the surrounding towns, the Birmingham conurbation covers an expanse of land not small even by the standards of London.  [ITAL]Until recently, it was famous for its urban splat and sprawl: platefuls of spaghetti junctions; heaps of scrappy factories; and stagnant stews of fetid canals.  But now the city's moving on, moving up, developing and redeveloping and consequently, with only a little hesitation, we would actually go so far as to say it's an... an... attractive city[EITAL].  The landscaped University Campus is about 21/2 miles from the centre of Birmingham in Edgbaston in a little island of green trees and grassy banks, close to an abundance of shops, pubs and markets.  The buildings are redbrick and red brick, although there's some more modern concrete [ITAL]thrown in for bad measure[EITAL].  The campus is dominated by the Old Joe clock tower, nicknamed after Chamberlain, who was a local hero turned politico.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]If variety is the spice of life, Birmingham University is the vindaloo.  Being a large University, the students are from a wide range of backgrounds and, Birmingham, being a large city, provides a varied foreground.  Students are never short of distractions and attractions whatever their whim.[EITAL][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 2,200,000 [BULL] London: 105miles [BULL] Manchester: 75miles [BULL] Bristol: 75miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]Birmingham is best known for being ugly and run down - the Handsworth Riots and the Birmingham Six (you can still visit the pub they didn't blow up - The Tavern in the Town by the Odeon).  And there's the vowel-boiling accent sent up by everyone as the hallmark of the typical ignorant oik and Frank Skinner.[EITAL][PARA][ITAL]But (courtesy of EC cash) Birmingham is on the up, like a phoenix rising from the fag ash of the Industrial Revolution, coughing and spluttering and spreading brand new space age wings.[EITAL]  The canals (of which there are more in Birmingham than Venice) have been cleaned up.  Grotty alleys have been cobbled or paved and pedestrianised ([ITAL]and often dehumanised as a result[EITAL]).  The Broad Street area in the centre now has the New Convention Centre, [ITAL]one of the best venues for miles with some of the best acoustics.[EITAL]  It has the Birmingham Rep Theatre, Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, a new indoor arena and a modern modish piazza full of [ITAL]cache [EITAL]cafes and [ITAL]chic [EITAL]shops.  Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has the kind of collection (particularly Pre-Raphaelites) that turns Lloyd Grossman's drawl into a drool.  The Sadlers Wells Ballet has moved back to 'Brum' (as those who know it, know it) and the D'Oyly Carte Opera has joined them here.  The Bull Ring shopping centre, [ITAL]the ugliest ever spewed onto Britain's streets[EITAL], is destined for demolition and monstrosities are being replaced by [ITAL]swish [EITAL]shopping centres like the Pallasades (incorporating New Street Station), the Pavilions and City Plaza, which usually has a man playing Grand Piano at the bottom of the escalator.  [ITAL]If you haven't got the idea by now, the message is: forget your prejudices, Brum is breaking into brilliance.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD][ITAL]Being the belly button of Britain, Brum is brilliantly placed for rail links.[EITAL]  Inter City links from London (1:40hrs, 3/hr) and just about every city in the country all come into New Street Station, from where there are 4 Cross-City Line trains every hour to the University Station.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches: [EBOLD]National Express services to London (£9.50, 2:30hrs, 1/hr), Manchester (£7.00, 2:20hrs, 8/day), Leeds (£12.00, 3hrs, 6/day), Bristol (£9.50, 1:50hr, 7/day), Cardiff (£11.25, 2.20hrs, 5/day), Stoke (£4.75, 1hr, 7/day) and all over.  Also West Midlands Travel and London Liner.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] From the north-west and north Wales: M6, M54 and A41.  From the south-west and south Wales: M5, A38 and A456. From London and south-east: M6 (to the M1), M40, A45.  From north-east: M42 and A38.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Birmingham International Airport, 9 miles from the campus to the east of the city, operates flights to the USA, Europe and Ireland as well as inland services.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Well located for branching out to the whole country - plenty of traffic and a motorway ring road all round the city as a launch pad.  [EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Bus services are very comprehensive, but all too often crowded (especially in rush hour).[EITAL] [ITAL] However, while there are plenty of services from the outskirts to the centre, it's quite difficult to skirt the edge. [EITAL] They run late into the night and are quite cheap (65-70p anywhere and £6.50 for a 2 week pass).  Overground trains run around the city -[ITAL] they're faster than buses, but more expensive and very unreliable.  Not worth using, except by students who live in Selly Oak.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The cowboy outfits are cheaper than the black cabs (minimum charge £2) but when God invented taxis, she wasn't thinking of students.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Routes are juggernaut jungles and a cyclist's life expectancy has got to be about the same as James Bond's girlfriend's.  If a cyclist is lucky, their bike might well get nicked first.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD]  2,895  22pts[BOLD][PARA]Commerce[EBOLD]  1,637  23pts[BOLD][PARA]Engineering[EBOLD]  1,876  20pts[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD]  632  26pts[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD]  1,333  24pts[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD]  2,631  21pts[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 2,000,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 5,000 [BULL] Study places: 1,770 [BULL] Computer workstations: 2,500[ESTAT][PARA]The Main Library is massive and there are various other faculty libraries.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 6 full[BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): %[ESTAT][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Hilary Armstrong MP (Lab); Andy Comyn (footballer); Philippa Forrester (Children's BBC presenter); Dr Lynne Jones MP (Lab); Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran); Desmond Morris (author of 'Manwatching'); Ian Prosser (Chairman, Bass plc); Chris Tarrant (TV and radio presenter, who was severely chastened for killing a noisy goose when he was a student); Sir John Vane FRS (nobel prize winner); Sir Peter Walters (Chairman, BP); Victoria Wood (comedienne).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads.  For £1.50, an alternative prospectus is available from the Guild.[PARA][PARA]