[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]The county of Buckinghamshire, stretching from the north-west [PARA]of London, contains many towns larger than Buckingham - not [PARA]least, Milton Keynes (the largest) or Aylesbury (the county town).[PARA]But for over 1,100 years, the county has been named after [PARA]Buckingham - [ITAL]Milton Keynesshire really doesn't have the same [PARA]ring[EITAL]. But Buckingham is [ITAL]little more than a village[EITAL], a retreat for city[PARA]folk. The University, based on 2 8-acre sites on the edge of town,[PARA]is unique. For a start, it is Britain's only private university - that is [PARA]to say, it gets no Government funding and so most students end [PARA]up paying over ú5,000 a year in fees (before the cost of living). [PARA]Courses are only 2 years long, though, starting in January, with 4 [PARA]10-week terms in each year. This leads some to argue that, [PARA]because students have to 'buy their degrees' and because they [PARA]take less long, that the degrees are worth less. [PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL] would, of [PARA]course, not want to be associated with such a slur and would like[PARA]to point out that UB - as the University is often called - has only [ULNE][PARA]slightly[EULNE] lower acceptance grades than other universities.[EITAL] The [PARA]Hunter Street site has the University's main facilities, the science [PARA]and law departments. Other departments are at Verney Park. [PARA]The buildings are mostly modern, but [ITAL]very attractive[EITAL]. There's a [PARA]converted mill and church, some purpose-built new blocks, with [PARA]one of the sites set amidst the banks of the Ouse. Fields, trees [PARA]and the old stone buildings of Buckingham surround, and [ITAL]it all [PARA]seems a far cry from anywhere.[EITAL][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Imagine what sort of people can afford in excess of ú17,000 over [PARA]2 years, with little time to earn money in the meantime... Students[PARA]fall into 4 groups - either, (1) overseas students, (2) mature [PARA]students, (3) rich students or (4) a mixture of the above. There [PARA]are, of course, exceptions (such as students with big bank [PARA]loans), but that rather proves the rule, doesn't it? [EITAL]Because of the [PARA]2 year courses, it actually works out cheaper for those overseas [PARA]and mature students who'd have to pay whatever university they [PARA]decided to attend.[ITAL] But these courses mean the workload is [PARA]heavy and the holidays are short. Students rise to the challenge [PARA]of the burden, often because they're footing the bill. The short [PARA]courses also mean there's a lot less time to get involved in [PARA]non-academic stuff - fine for those who believe that getting a [PARA]degree is all that being a student is about. There is, however, a [PARA]variety of extra-curricular activities and, although political activism [PARA]is zilch, political opinion comes in a bright shade of shocking blue [PARA]- appropriately, [EITAL]Lady Thatcher is the University Chancellor. [ITAL] Being[PARA]very small, it's easy to get to know almost all the other students [PARA]and staff and having so many overseas students, makes it [PARA]almost incomparably multicultural. This all makes it a good place [PARA]for coming out of shells.[EITAL][HDNG]TOWN:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 12,620 [BULL] London: 50miles [BULL] Milton Keynes: [PARA]14miles [BULL] Oxford: 21miles[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Buckingham may look pretty but it ain't up to much when it [PARA]comes to fun and convenience[EITAL]: a Tesco's; some shops, including[PARA]Mike and Marian's open till 10pm; 1 bookshop; banks, beauticians [PARA]and boutiques; and a street market. [ITAL]Milton Keynes (or, as it's [PARA]known, 'MK'), on the other hand, is all convenience, but has the [PARA]urban charm of a Fisher Price toy.[EITAL] Its [ITAL]greatest [EITAL]attraction is one [PARA]of the country's largest cinema multiplexes. Bicester is 11 miles [PARA]in the other direction, but doesn't offer much more than [PARA]Buckingham except a Tesco's and a station.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]It's not easy getting to Buckingham by public transport and a car [PARA]is about the only alternative.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] The nearest stations are at Bicester and MK.[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] You can't get to Buckingham by coach either, although [PARA]there are local buses [ITAL]which take forever [EITAL]to the closest National [PARA]Express stop in MK, from which services go all over the country, [PARA]including London (ú5.20, 1:20hrs, 1/hr), and Birmingham (ú6.50, [PARA]1:30hrs, 6/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Students who can afford UB's fees can often afford a car [PARA]as well - the car-park can look like an MG rally. Parking presents[PARA]few problems. [EITAL]Routes often involve the M1, which bypasses MK,[PARA]the A5, going straight through it, or the A43. Direct roads include [PARA]A413, A421 and A422.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Luton Airport, 36 miles away, is the closest international [PARA]airport offering flights to most major destinations.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Hitching in the home counties is like trying to eat [PARA]spaghetti through a straw - it's just about possible, but it takes a [PARA]long time and there are easier ways.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Slow local buses to Oxford and MK. The University runs [PARA]minibuses to London when there's enough demand.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] Several companies offer student discounts, but still, it's [PARA]quite a journey to MK or anywhere else that students might want [PARA]to go and distance makes the fares grow bigger.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]What with the quality and quantity of fresh air, the rural [PARA]rarity of traffic and the 1/2 mile between the 2 sites, a bike is an [PARA]asset to be wished for.[EITAL][HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Business[EBOLD] 226 13pts [BOLD][PARA]Humanities[EBOLD] 156 10pts[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 362 13pts[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 68 10pts[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 66,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 495 [BULL] Study places: 202 [BULL] [PARA]Computer workstations: 78[ESTAT][PARA]3 libraries: the Franciscan Library , Denning Law Library, and the [PARA]Science library. In this, Buckingham suffers from one of the [PARA]disadvantages of small universities: they sometimes have more [PARA]books per head, but it doesn't help choice.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 2full[ESTAT][PARA]It's difficult to assess students' job prospects, since most return [PARA]to their various far flung corners of the world. The large [PARA]proportion of law and accountancy students are well set up.[HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]Courses start at the beginning of the calendar year which [PARA]leaves the period from September to January before the 1st year [PARA]for other activities. Many students go abroad, often on [PARA]programmes in Europe arranged by the University or as far as [PARA]Japan. Overseas students often arrive early for courses to [PARA]improve their English.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Liyel Imoke (senator, Nigeria); Leo Mills (Cabinet Secretary, [PARA]Bermuda).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads.[PARA][PARA]
