[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Polytechnic of West London, Ealing College.[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about London: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of London[EULNE]. In 1991, Ealing College, Thames Valley College Slough, London College of Music and Queen Charlotte's College of Healthcare Study amalgamated to form the Polytechnic of West London, which consequently had 4 sites. 1 year later it changed again and became Thames Valley University. There was a bit of fuss about this - a considerable faction preferred the name 'University of West London'; [ITAL]we preferred 'Cedric', but no-one asked us[EITAL].[PARA]Most students are in Ealing, 10 miles from Trafalgar Square, with Slough (pronounced to rhyme with 'cow'), currently housing 20% of courses.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]There is no gloss here, what you see is what you get. There is a good buzz and the students sure know how to party, even the 69% who are oldies (ie mature students). Notice boards are packed with things going on. Being in London makes bigger ents less viable, but who ever said that size matters? [EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Ealing:[EBOLD] (5,952 students - most courses) The [ITAL]airport lounge-style[EITAL] reception area hides more[ITAL] decrepit and crumbling [EITAL]brick-work. [ITAL] The corridors and class rooms are reminiscent of old Grange Hill sets[EITAL]. [ITAL]Odd building work has given rise to a space age effect[EITAL].[PARA][BOLD]Slough: [EBOLD](1,275 students - Hotel and Catering, Science, Construction, Computing, Accounting, Business and Finance, Engineering) The Slough site, 17 miles away, has much more available space and a lot fewer students (although almost as many part timers). Slough itself, a commuter satellite town,[ITAL] is probably best described by poet John Betjeman: 'Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough. It's not fit for humans now'.[EITAL][HDNG]LIFE IN LONDON:[EHDNG][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]EALING:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Ealing is a usefully accessible part of west London[EITAL]. [ITAL] It is mostly affluent with designer dress shops and patisseries along side the more sensible, basic shops. This part of Ealing is renowned as a haunt for would-be celebs with the BBC studios just opposite the College. South Ealing, however, is much less well-to-do.[EITAL] The main campus is between these 2 parts, amidst a [ITAL]busy [EITAL]private estate, [ITAL]which has led to a bit of local friction. Matters are improving following a threatened ents and bar ban by the University authorities. [EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][EITAL][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][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] The nearest station is Ealing Broadway (10mins walk).[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] The nearest stop (No 65 and others) is a few walk minutes from the Ealing site. Minibus between sites.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Not too useful - there's not that much parking and better ways of getting around. A lack of parking have been the cause some of the problems with the local community.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Underground:[EBOLD] Nearest stations are Ealing Broadway (District and Central Lines) and South Ealing (Piccadilly Line).[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]There are no steep hills, bike sheds are available and planet earth is suffering from global warming, so cycling is a good idea.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Accountancy[EBOLD] 650[BOLD][PARA]Business[EBOLD] 1,580[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 545[BOLD][PARA]Creative/Soc[EBOLD] 1,020[BOLD][PARA]Tech/Info[EBOLD] 825[BOLD][PARA]Health/Sci[EBOLD] 779[BOLD][PARA]Hospitality[EBOLD] 725[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 209,100 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,900 [BULL] Study places: 705 [BULL] Computer workstations: 250[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]The main library at Ealing has been the focus of much friction between the University and the SU, because of a lack of space and books.[EITAL] There are [ITAL]serious [EITAL]plans to provide a better library with longer opening hours - [ITAL]'serious' as in optimistic[EITAL]. There are currently 8 libraries altogether, many of which are linked to Schools (faculties). There are 4 general computing laboratories and 5 specialist School-based labs.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA]Careers centres at both sites and careers tutors in each School.[HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]There are 10 'Schools' at TVU: Accountancy; Business; Creative, Cultural and Social Studies; English Language Teaching; European andInternational Studies; Hospitality; Law; Management; Queen Charlotte's College of Health and Science; Technology and Information Systems. Courses are basically vocational with many flexible approaches available.[PARA][BULL]There are plans to create an 'electronic campus'. [ITAL] Many students are afraid this may mean they are taught by robots.[EITAL][PARA][BULL]Mike Fitzgerald, the University's Rod Stewart look-alike Vice-Chancellor, stresses that students study [ULNE]with[EULNE] TVU, not [ULNE]at[EULNE] it, [ITAL]which could be seen as an excuse for the lack of space.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA]Emma Anderson (Lush guitarist); James Larlett (British hockey captain); Freddie Mercury (of Queen); Pete Townshend (of The Who); Ron Wood (of The Rolling Stones).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Undergrad and postgrad prospectuses, compendium of part-time programs.
