[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] The College is part of University of London and students are entitled to use its facilities.[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about London:[EBOLD] see [ULNE]University of London[EULNE]. New Cross, 5 miles south east of Trafalgar Square, is a [ITAL]shabby [EITAL]part of London, with traffic trundling through interminably. [ITAL] It's a bit like a tattered teddy bear, torn at the seams, but still with character. Some nearby areas, such as Greenwich, are lively cultural toy boxes, but most are busted Airfix models and broken Tonka toys, such as Lewisham, Catford, Deptford and New Cross itself.[EITAL] Goldsmiths' College, in the midst of all this, is [ITAL]a walking, talking doll[EITAL]. The main building is [ITAL]clean (considering its location), attractive,[EITAL] 3 storeys and redbrick with a big, busy, white pillared, entrance at the front and ivy covered walls and a flat lawn to the rear. The rest of the College's buildings are more modern and in keeping with the surrounding urban sprawl, [ITAL]but unassuming enough to be ignored[EITAL]. Most of the students are arty types from a collage of different backgrounds.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Being A Student In London: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of London[EULNE]. [ITAL]Goldsmiths' is unique in London. It combines a buzzing and vividly vibrant student culture with local community links. The College is friendly, open and crucially cool, just bristling with fun. There's every type of trendy student: the pierced punk, the dippy hippy, even the rare square. Most are doing courses because they're interested - interested and interesting. [EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]LIFE IN LONDON:[EHDNG][EITAL][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]NEW CROSS, LEWISHAM, GREENWICH:[EHDNG][PARA]New Cross and most of the surrounding areas are [ITAL]dingily [EITAL]residential, London's multi-racial inner city suburbs with shops on every corner and paving stones cracked and littered. Lewisham is one of south London's largest shopping centres but has little else to offer. Greenwich provides culture: the famous park with the Observatory and Planetarium; the Maritime Museum; the Cutty Sark; a [ITAL]fun[EITAL] Sunday market; and [ITAL]one of London's best theatres outside the West End.[EITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][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] Trains from New Cross and New Cross Gate go straight into Waterloo and Charing Cross in less than 1/4 hour.[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] 21, 36, 36B, 142, 171 (to the West End), 225 and Night Buses N53, N62, N72, N82, N85 and N86. Bingo![PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Close to the South Circular (the bottom bit of London's inner ring road), which helps, and [ITAL]parking is easier than in some parts of London, but a lot harder than brie in sunshine.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Underground:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Oddly ill-served [EITAL]by the tube, although the East London Line does end with stations at New Cross and New Cross Gate, but it's not a very direct route into London.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]A lot of theft and pollution, but many students use bikes because they're more sound (and cheaper) than cars.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 1,914[BOLD][PARA]Education[EBOLD] 340[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci/Maths[EBOLD] 1,208[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 200,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,500 [BULL] Study places: 420 [BULL] Computer workstations: 120[ESTAT][EBOLD][BOLD][HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 2full/2part [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 23.2%[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]Students also have access to the University's careers service.[HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]The College offers Access Courses - a sort of part time taster - aimed at potential mature students and non-traditional applicants without the standard entry qualifications. Access courses can lead to full time degrees.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon (Blur); John Cale (Velvet Underground); Mel Calman (cartoonist); Vic Charles (karate champ); Julian Clary (comedian, part-time PA to Norman Lamont); Derek Hatton (Militant politician); Damian Hirst (notorious artist); John Illsley (Dire Straits bassist); Tom Keating (artist); Linton Kwesi Johnson (dub poet); Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols manager, manipulator); Mary Quant (designer); Lord Merlyn-Rees (former Home Secretary); Julian Opie (artist); Jenny Smith (PR exec, Mrs Will Carling, star of Quorn adverts); Graham Sutherland (artist); Colin Welland (playwright/actor).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads, and students on the College's PGCE course and short course programme.
