[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Sheffield, England's 4th largest city, is the closest city to the [PARA]north-east corner of the Derbyshire Peak District and one of the [PARA]furthest places from the coast in the whole of Britain. Most [PARA]people immediately connect it with the steel industry - knives, [PARA]forks and razor blades. Fair enough, that's what made the place [PARA]famous and to the east, there's still a [ITAL]sordid [EITAL]reminder of industrial[PARA]demise. Now the city is[ITAL] a busy and bustling, but friendly, city[EITAL] with[PARA]a modern centre and compact Victorian suburbs. The University [PARA]is 15 minutes walk (3/4 mile) due west from the city centre on a [PARA]campus extending over about a mile of buildings massaged into [PARA]the surrounding urban setting. Almost all the buildings are less [PARA]than a century old and have been constructed with some thought [PARA]and care. Mostly they're [ITAL]attractive [EITAL]redbrick buildings, although [PARA]there are a few more modern structures - the arts tower and [PARA]library, which have just been given a Grade II listing, are [ITAL]quite [PARA]appealing[EITAL] glass high rises. The SU is mostly concrete.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Nearly 1/3 of students stay in Sheffield after graduation which [PARA]can't be bad. That's probably because, unlike some cities, being [PARA]a student in Sheffield is to 'live' here for 3 years rather than just [PARA]'stay' here. The University accommodation has its limitations so [PARA]students go out into the community which welcomes them. It [PARA]also means students form family groups for the purpose of [PARA]sharing a house, so they form strong friendships. Student life is [PARA]hectic and full of opportunities - the SU is wide awake - buzzing [PARA]with a heady mix of town and gown activities. Sheffield has a [PARA]good cultural and racial mix which is reflected amongst the [PARA]students, who willingly jump head first on to any bandwagon in [PARA]the belief that their actions might actually make a difference.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 499,700 [BULL] London: 147miles [BULL] Manchester: [PARA]35miles [BULL] Birmingham: 67miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA]Sheffield is the cultural core of a wide catchment, offering all [PARA]sorts of entertainments and diversions. Cars too are diverted [PARA]from pedestrian parts of the modern city centre. It's a hilly, clean,[PARA]litterless city, threaded by 3 rivers. The old industrial area has [PARA]recently been redeveloped and includes the site for 1991's World [PARA]Student Games, which may have been a financial farce, but left [PARA]Sheffield well-stuffed for leisure and sports facilities. The [PARA]suburbs in the south-west, where the University accommodation [PARA]is based, were described by John Betjeman as one of 'England's [PARA]prettiest suburbs' (and he [ITAL]rightly[EITAL] advocated the bombing of [PARA]Slough). [ITAL]As far as amenities are concerned, Sheffield has it all, [PARA]or almost:[EITAL] [ITAL]local luxuries[EITAL] like late-night shops, 52 parks, street [PARA]markets, museums and galleries (the City Museum, The Mappin [PARA]Art Gallery and so on). [ITAL]There are fewer bookshops than might [PARA]be expected,[EITAL] although 4 big ones and many 2nd hand.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Sheffield Station offers many routes nationally, including [PARA]London (2:20hrs, 1/hr), Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] Sheffield is served by South Yorkshire Transport as [PARA]well as National Express whose services go to London (ú12.00, [PARA]3:20hrs, 6/day), Birmingham (ú9, 2:05hrs, 6/day), Newcastle [PARA](ú13.75, 3:55hrs, 2/day), Manchester (ú4.25, 1:35hrs, 6/day) and [PARA]other destinations.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] 10mins off the M1, Sheffield is also visited by the A57, A61, [PARA]A616 and A631. 20mins off the end of the M18.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Manchester is the nearest international airport.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]For getting out to the M1 a bus is needed, but then [PARA]students can cruise by the rule of thumb.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Local buses run till about 11pm, but before then, they're [ITAL][PARA]frequent, reliable and quite cheap.[EITAL] The local minibuses are[ITAL] even [PARA]better[EITAL], not because they run any later, but because they go [PARA]everywhere .[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Worthy wheels for after 11pm[EITAL]. Private companies are [PARA]cheaper than the black cabs. Either way it's over ú1 per mile.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Everything may be within thigh power, but it's quite hilly [PARA]and pedal pinchers prowl.[EITAL] Endsleigh is considering withdrawing [PARA]its insurance cover on bikes in Sheffield.[PARA][BOLD]Others: [EBOLD]The [ITAL]eagerly anticipated[EITAL] Supertram should be in action by [PARA]the time you read this.[HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 1,941 22pts[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 1,846 24pts[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 795 26pts[BOLD][PARA]Architecture[EBOLD] 370 22pts[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 2,805 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Engineering[EBOLD] 1,478 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD] 1,226 24pts[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 1,000,000 [BULL] Study places: 2,000 [BULL] Computer [PARA]workstations: 800[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]The 4 main libraries have [ITAL]a rocket load[EITAL] of books and many of the[PARA]63 departments also have their own mini collections. The [PARA]computer hardware includes 100 Apple Macs.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 18full [BULL] Unemployed after [PARA]6mths (1992): 10%[ESTAT][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]David Blunkett MP (Lab); Willie Hamilton (ex-MP, [PARA]anti-monarchist); Amy Johnson (aviator); Sir Peter Middleton [PARA](ex-Secretary to the Treasury); Jack Rosenthal (screen [PARA]playwright 'London's Burning', Mr Maureen Lipman); Richard [PARA]Roberts (Nobel prizewinner); Helen Sharman (Britain's first [PARA]astronaut); Dave Weatherall (Leeds Utd footballer).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads. Commercial to the [PARA]hilt, the SU produces an Annual Report, which, although it's no [PARA]kind of prospectus, is a good guide to student activities.[PARA][PARA]
