[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Lancashire is typified by the industrialised urban landscape of the south of the county,[EITAL] but the county town, Lancaster, to the north, is quite a different proposition and only a few miles south of the [ITAL]luscious [EITAL]Lake District beyond. Lancaster is hemmed by countryside on most sides and reaches out to Morecambe and Heysham on the north-west coast, 4 miles away. [ITAL]The town itself is as quaint as a Laura Ashley valance,[EITAL] with cobbled streets, old fashioned cottages and fast food shops designed to look like listed buildings.[PARA]The University is 31/2 miles from Lancaster and is situated on a large greenfield campus on a hill in the middle of [ITAL]stunning [EITAL]countryside. Despite the surroundings however, many of the buildings were put up during the 60s [ITAL]and are now looking decidedly naff[EITAL]. At the centre of the campus is Alexandra Square, a large paved area with a few trees and surrounded by light-coloured brick buildings. It has steps all down one side where the trendier students sit and chat in summer. Around this square, there are 250 acres of spacious landscaped woods, fields and geometric buildings, including 9 of the University's 10 colleges. The 10th is Charlotte Mason College, which teaches primary education courses in Ambleside, 40 miles away in the Lake District.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The campus is small and seems isolated and can feel very claustrophobic (even though it's not far from Lancaster's outer reaches). This can be made worse, or better, by the smaller 'communities within a community' in which most students live: the colleges. [EITAL] The colleges don't conduct admissions (although students can voice a preference),[ITAL] which means that, in atmosphere, they don't differ enormously. The main difference between them is size,[EITAL] varying from 450 to 800 undergrads. [ITAL]The college system is not as strong as, say, Oxbridge, they're not that much more than glorified halls of residence. However, most (non-clinical) teaching is based in colleges, so there are many academics around the place, and students, even if they no longer actually live in their college, are still members and can always treat it as a kind of home. The college system is one that owes more to boarding schools than trendy rave culture and students can't expect to be on the leading edge of fashion's latest fad. There is, however, plenty of enthusiasm for being flat out on the playing field or flat out under the college bars. Recently, local relations have taken a dive, but the SU have opened their doors to the public as much as possible and soothed a few savage brows. Climatically, the atmosphere is wet, windy and woeful in winter.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]CHARLOTTE MASON SITE:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA]Charlotte Mason College (CMC) is a primary school teacher-training college with 600 students (only 18% male), based in the mostly traditional slate covered Victorian buildings in the small lakeside town of Ambleside, although they do spend their 2nd year at the main campus. Most students are out in schools all day and preparing classes most evening [ITAL]and so it's very quiet and even, some say, lonely. But what it lacks in social buzz, it makes up for in the sheer breath-taking beauty of the south Lakeland setting[EITAL], which can accommodate 200 students in catered rooms. There is a JCR (housed in 'The Overdraft') which provides a bar, disco, small shop, the Barn Theatre (a stage in a room), a TV room and offices. [ITAL] Nothing elaborate, though. Nor does Ambleside provide more than ambling entertainments -[EITAL] a few pubs, a cinema and a pizzeria.[HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 125,600 [BULL] London: 223miles [BULL] Manchester: 48miles [BULL] Blackpool: 20miles[ESTAT][PARA]Lancaster is a [ITAL]quaint [EITAL]tourist centre dominated by the Ashton Memorial on one hill and the castle on another. At the moment, parts of the castle are used as a high security prison, however, there are plans to convert it into a tourist attraction. Until then, some parts are open to the public, including the dungeons, but not the prison cells. The rest of the city goes up and down all over the place and is battered by wind and rain, [ITAL]but is lovely when the sun dares to shine.[EITAL] It has the usual facilities like a public library, supermarkets, late night shops, bookshops and the Maritime Museum.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Lancaster Station, 3 miles from the campus, has direct connections to London (2:55hrs, 7/day), Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Edinburgh and Birmingham - but not Liverpool.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] National Express services from the campus all over the country including London (ú19.50, 5:40hrs, 3/day), Birmingham (ú12.25, 3:10hrs, 4/day), Windermere (for Ambleside, ú6, 1:07hrs, 4/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] The M6 bypasses Lancaster from north to south slicing past the edge of the campus. The A6 and A683 go right into the centre. [ITAL] A car is useful around town, especially for students who live out - they may find themselves as far away as Morecambe.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Ferries:[EBOLD] Service from Heysham to Douglas on the Isle of Man.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] Students have set up a [ITAL]great [EITAL]hitching system. There is a special shelter on the campus and an established point in town for pick ups, but these are for trips to and from the University. [ITAL]For longer journeys the M6 is a good bet.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] There is an [ITAL]unreliable [EITAL]minibus shuttle service to campus every 10 minutes (90p return) and a double decker that runs via the local estates.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] There are ranks at the rail and bus stations, [ITAL]but they work out expensive[EITAL] at about ú3.80 to the campus.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]A bike is even better than a car (the fuel is free) although the squash factor from traffic is high. [EITAL] There are a number of cycle paths.[HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Science[EBOLD] 1,745 22pts[BOLD][PARA]Management[EBOLD] 524 23pts[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 1,401 22pts[BOLD][PARA]Humanities[EBOLD] 1,822 23pts[BOLD][PARA]Education[EBOLD] 749[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 850,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 3,000 [BULL] Study places: 820 [BULL] Computer workstations: 1,150[ESTAT][PARA]Students complain that the library on Alexandra Square is poorly stocked and that the opening hours are too short. [ITAL]Another problem is the close dribbling fountain, the sound of which constantly drives students to the library loos[EITAL]. The small Music Library houses 15,384 scores. [ITAL]Good computer access.[EITAL][HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 7full[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]The 1st year of study is very flexible; students study 3 subjects. By the 2nd year, 30% do a course other than the one for which they originally applied.[PARA][BULL]Students claim that Alex Square (as it is known) was named after famed hurricane-tempered snooker player Alex Higgins. In fact, it get its name from Princess Alexandra, the University Chancellor. [ITAL]Yawn.[EITAL][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Roger Ashton-Griffiths (actor); Robert Fisk (journalist); Green (Scritti Politti); Michael Hindley (Euro MP); David McMaster (former editor, 'The Correspondent'); Simon Smith (England Rugby Union); Susan Tirbutt (journalist, 'The Guardian'); Gary Waller MP (Con); Peter Whalley and Marvin Close (Coronation St writers).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads, postgrads and mature students, as well as a video. Alternative Prospectus available from SU Welfare Department.[PARA][PARA]
