[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]We'll get in trouble with the Glaswegians if we describe their city as Scotland's 2nd, so we'll just say it's the largest and the unofficial capital of the west of Scotland. A few years ago, Glasgow tried to do something about its downbeat reputation with the slogan 'Glasgow's Miles Better', begging the question, 'better than what?'[ITAL] It depends what you're looking for.[EITAL] Glasgow's an industrial city with a ring of tower blocks and factories around the outside, but more up-market in the city centre with a spattering of large busy parks. To the north of just such a park, 2 miles west of the city centre on Gilmorehill, is the campus of Glasgow's oldest and the UK's 4th oldest university. (There are also [ULNE]Strathclyde University[EULNE], [ULNE]Glasgow Caledonian University[EULNE] and, a few miles out of town, [ULNE]Paisley University[EULNE]). Some campus buildings were erected in the 50s and 60s, but many date back to when the University relocated to its present site in 1870. The older buildings[ITAL] of particular note[EITAL] include the [ITAL]splendid [EITAL]chapel (bult in 1921), set by [ITAL]secluded [EITAL]quadrangles. It is next to the administrative centre, which also houses the Hunterian Museum.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Glasgow students are almost as much people of this city as the Glaswegians. Both groups get on famously, partly because 40% of the students live at home and partly because the University happens to be in a formerly middle-class (now fairly declasse) area - it'd be interesting to see how students coped in Glasgow's rougher areas like the Gorbals. However, we don't want to give the impression there is any pretentiousness about the students - there isn't. The University has the odd advantage of being very near the city centre whilst at the same time being an exclusive haven, which makes for a friendly campus community. There's also the Garscube site, at Bearsden, about 4miles away, which houses the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 654,542 [BULL] London: 367miles [BULL] Edinburgh: 52miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA]The Clyde flows out to sea from Glasgow to its Firth and towards the Isle of Arran. Inland, the city is surrounded by the rolling hills of Strathclyde. It used to be a centre for shipping and steel, before the city dropped into a recession as deep as a saying by Confucius. [ITAL]With enormous effort in recent years, Glasgow has been dragging itself up from the gutter, and has shown itself to be a thoroughly cultural, modern European city. [EITAL]In fact, in 1990, it was declared Cultural Capital of Europe ([ITAL]more by way of encouragement than appreciation[EITAL]). [ITAL]Glasgow is again beginning to deserve the pride that its people never lost. [EITAL] In the city centre ([ITAL]ignore the outskirts which are still fairly depressing[EITAL]), there is some [ITAL]magnificent [EITAL]architecture (with many buildings designed by home-grown Charles Rennie Mackintosh) and there are 35 museums and art galleries, including [ITAL]notably [EITAL]the Art Gallery and Museum in Kelvingrove Park, the Burrell Collection, the McLellan Galleries, the Tobacco Lords House and many National Trust properties. You might expect a city of this size to have loads of shops, public amenities and stuff like that - you wouldn't be wrong. [ITAL]Fed up with the sniping about Glasgow being miles better, the new catchphrase is 'Glasgow's Alive'. Crass, but true.[EITAL] [ITAL]In the under-belly of Glasgow life, there is a massive amount of drug abuse with both hard and soft drugs easily available. There is a considerable problem with related crime. [EITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]Queen's Street and Central Stations are the mainline stops, and run regualr services to Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Carlisle.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches: [EBOLD]National Express Services to London (ú25, 7hrs, 6/day); Edinburgh (ú6.30, 1:10hrs, 9/day); Newcastle (ú13.75, 4hrs, 1/day); Liverpool (ú13.25, 4:45hrs, 1/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Good connections all over the country by road, including the M74, A8/M8, A80/M80, A82, A77,and A736.[PARA][BOLD]Air: [EBOLD]Direct flights to Europe and the US, as well as shuttle links to Heathrow and Gatwick, from Glasgow Abbotsinch Airport, 8 miles from the city centre.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching: [EBOLD][ITAL]If you bus it out to the main roads, you may be OK, but it's not a thumber's paradise.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local: [EBOLD]Buses are frequent, cheap and comprehensive - fares from 45p. The trains are fast and efficient, but there aren't many stops around the city.[PARA][BOLD]Underground: [EBOLD]There's an underground system costing 50p a trip.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis: [EBOLD][ITAL]Only worth it late at night.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles: [EBOLD]Glasgow is hilly, and traffic is heavy. [ITAL]Bikes are useful, but not essential.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 3,200[BOLD][PARA]Divinity[EBOLD] 156[BOLD][PARA]Law/Finance[EBOLD] 940[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 3,460[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 1,355[BOLD][PARA]Engineering[EBOLD] 1,485[BOLD][PARA]Vet Med[EBOLD] 360[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD] 1,820[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 1,750,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 5,950 [BULL] Study places: 1,790 [BULL] Computer workstations: 600[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]There is something over 50 libraries in departments around the University (notably the Modern Languages, the Adam Smith Social Science, Chemistry, Dental and Veterinary Libraries) as well as a main library.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 9full [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 14%[ESTAT][PARA]Many politicians come from Glasgow - however, that's not to say many Glasgow students become politicians. They're more likely to end up accountants or lawyers. [ITAL]Then politicians.[EITAL][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]Teaching week from Monday to Saturday.[PARA][BULL]The Daily Telegraph described Glasgow as top of the polls in terms of 'academic opportunity, social mix and ambience'.[PARA][BULL]Past Rectors include the godlike Johnny Ball.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]William Boyd (writer); Menzies Campbell MP (Lib Dem); AJ Cronin (writer); Donald Dewar MP (Lab); Dot (One Dove); James Herriot (vet); Pat Kane (Hue and Cry); Charles Kennedy MP (Lib Dem); Joseph Lister (pioneer of antiseptics); Anne Louise McIlroy (pioneer of women in medicine); Adam Smith (economist); John Smith MP (late Labour leader); Teddy Taylor MP (Con).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Undergraduate prospectus, handbooks from Union offices.[PARA][PARA]
