[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Kingston Polytechnic[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about London: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of London[EULNE].[BOLD] [EBOLD]The address may say Surrey, but don't be fooled - London doesn't stop between the suburban [ITAL]petty prettiness[EITAL] of Kingston and Trafalgar Square, 10 miles to the north east. But Kingston is one of London's [ITAL]pleasantest [EITAL]parts with 2 large parks breaking the alternating streets of homes and shops. Local highlights include the famous Hampton Court, one time home of Henry VIII, and its deer-infested park. But to get to such delights from Kingston University, a trip across Kingston's [ITAL]handsome [EITAL]Bridge is required. The University is based on 4 main sites all within 3 miles of each other, 3 of which are in Kingston town centre. They are composed of a mangled mix of different buildings, from the new Roehampton Vale site to the [ITAL]white washed charm [EITAL]of the Kingston Hill site (the slightly separate one) set in 50 acres of [ITAL]delightful [EITAL]parkland. There's old, there's new, there's [ITAL]ugly [EITAL]blocks and [ITAL]attractive [EITAL]towers.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE and SITES:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Each site is very individual (different faculties are based at each one). Although there is a stronger identity than most split site colleges, it's not easy to pin it down: well-to-do and solely from the South would be a bit too harsh. Penrhyn, [EITAL]the largest site with 6,000 students[ITAL], for example, is lively and noisy - lots of drinking and prankish japes, finding any excuse to dress up and get wasted. Knight's Park [EITAL](1,000 students)[ITAL], though, is much more sober and sombre, full of trendy arty types in the throes of creativity. Roehampton Vale [EITAL](1,000 students)[ITAL] has the engineers who work hard and when they're not working hard, they're sitting around just chatting. Kingston Hill [EITAL](3,000 students)[ITAL] is the only one with halls of residence on site and so has a much stronger community unity - Sloanier too.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][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]KINGSTON:[EHDNG][PARA]Kingston-Upon-Thames is about as historic as places get in this country (if it were any older, it'd have to be nearer Rome). [ITAL]Its village-like character is alive and well and living[EITAL] in the centre of the town where there's an old daily market. [ITAL]But time has left its ticks and tocks on Kingston[EITAL] and recently it has been swamped by new developments: a huge shopping centre; a great many car parks and even more cars. In retaliation, many of its streets have been pedestrianised and now it has a monster one-way system ([ITAL]one way in - no way out[EITAL]). Still, it does offer a trolleyful of shops (including a bookshop in Brook Street) and a thoroughly civil serving of civic services.[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][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Trains from Kingston station go into London Waterloo (38mins; 2/hr).[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] Kingston's close enough to London's centre to be inundated by its buses - its red buses, its green buses, and its night buses: 57; 85; 131; 152; 213; 371; 741 and N14.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] The A3 is 3 miles away, the M3 8 miles and the M25 12 miles. [ITAL]Parking is available at a price but there's no need to drive, nor any justification what with the environment and all...[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Ferries: [EBOLD][ITAL]Really only for tourists and rich romantics[EITAL], but there are ferries up the Thames to Westminster during the day in summer.[PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] The University runs a half hourly shuttle between the sites.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD][ITAL] A bit busy for bikes.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Technology[EBOLD] 2,109[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 2,275[BOLD][PARA]Human Science[EBOLD] 2,049[BOLD][PARA]Design[EBOLD] 1,448[BOLD][PARA]Business/Law[EBOLD] 1,395[BOLD][PARA]Education[EBOLD] 918[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 331,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 4,492 [BULL] Study places: 997 [BULL] Computer workstations: 1,000[ESTAT][PARA]There are 4 libraries, 1 on each site, devoted to the faculties based there: Knights Park (art and design); Roehampton Vale (engineering, fine art); Penrhyn Rd (science, computing, human science); Kingston Hill (business, law and education).[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 4full [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 18%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]The University has over 2,000 undergrads on sandwich courses who do 4-year courses with 1 year spent working in industry.[PARA][BULL]Kingston offers the only HND Golf Studies course in the country.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Glenda Bailey (editor, Marie Claire); Angie Bowie (David's 1st wife); Trevor Eve (actor); Wendy Perriam (writer); Nick Coleman, Richard Nott, John Richmond and Helen Storey (fashion designers).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]General prospectus.[PARA][PARA]
