[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Robert Gordon Institute of Technology[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about Aberdeen: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of Aberdeen[EULNE]. The Robert Gordon University became a university as recently as 1992, and so, after a gap of 132 years (since King's and Marischal Colleges merged to form [ULNE]Aberdeen University[EULNE]) the so-called 'Silver City' of Aberdeen now has 2 universities again. The student population of the city is large and[ITAL] RGU's students mix affably with all the others. Perhaps this is helped by where they're situated, [EITAL]because RGU is spread across 9 sites around the city (3 of which are residential sites only). Apart from the main site on Schoolhill in the city centre, the sites are on the outskirts, but all are within 31/2 miles of the centre and set in small parks or gardens.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]This is a very different place from [ULNE]Aberdeen University[EULNE] - or most universities for that matter - it is earthy, working class and has few pretensions. This is no ivory tower, more of a laminated step ladder - when all's said and done, a damn sight more realistic. The Union is the focus for social and political activity and is the bonding agent between such disparate sites. Students make the most of the limited facilities, but when they don't meet their needs, they're quick to take advantage of [ULNE]Aberdeen University[EULNE]'s local attractions, which annoys a few there. The emphasis on hard work [EITAL](mostly vocational courses)[ITAL], however, is never dropped completely. [EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Schoolhill/St Andrew Street:[EBOLD] (applied sciences, engineering, electronics, computing, maths) The largest site and home of the Union.[PARA][BOLD]King Street:[EBOLD] (337 students - health and social work, public administration and law) An [ITAL]elegant [EITAL]light stone building, 1 mile from Schoolhill near shops, accommodation and buses, but on a busy road.[PARA][BOLD]Hilton: [EBOLD](1,053 students - business, librarianship and information) 21/2 miles from Schoolhill, Hilton is a modern block set in parkland to the north of the city. This site belongs to the Northern College of Recreation who may be taking it back in the next few years. Students are being relocated to King St.[PARA][BOLD]Kepplestone: [EBOLD](989 students - food and consumer studies) A set of modern blocks surrounded by playing fields and landscaped grounds, 13/4 miles west of Schoolhill. Largely residential [ITAL]with an amiable ambience.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Garthdee: [EBOLD](1,044 students - art, architecture, surveying, management) The furthest site from Schoolhill, 3 miles to the south west, [ITAL]but possibly the most attractive[EITAL] - a large mansion overlooking the River Dee and encompassed by rolling parkland. [ITAL]Less convenient, but peaceful and conducive to artistic study. There is talk of moving the whole University here. Someone call Pickfords.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Foresterhill [EBOLD](radiography)[BOLD] and Woolmanhill [EBOLD](occupational therapy, physiotherapy)[BOLD]:[EBOLD] (210 students) Foresterhill is made up of large, grey bricked, 3 storey houses set in hospital grounds, 11/2 miles from Schoolhill and Woolmanhill is in the centre of town. [ITAL]They form a small but happy community.[EITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 201,099 [BULL] London: 410miles [BULL] Edinburgh: 103miles [BULL] Dundee: 75miles[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Aberdeen is busy to the point of being congested, but it's clean [EITAL]and is currently enjoying relative prosperity due to North Sea oil. The trade in black slippery stuff has attracted a varied cultural cocktail from all over Scotland and England, as well as industrial clusters and tankers. Consequently, the wee fishing fleet is on the wane. But Aberdeen isn't a sprawling waste, not by a long shot, and it's easy to burst out into [ITAL]splendid [EITAL]countryside and on to sandy beaches ([ITAL]coated in a thin film of pollution[EITAL]). Miles from anywhere, the city has more than enough shops to spend a student grant, which takes about 3 minutes 34 seconds since it's not a cheap town. It has bookshops and banks (most major branches) and many a muckle museum, including the City Art Gallery and the Maritime Museum (Aberdeen's oldest building).[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Despite being so far north (the same latitude as St Petersburg), British Rail connections are [ITAL]quite good, but are expensive[EITAL]. Among many Scottish and some English towns, services are offered to London (7hrs, 3/day), Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol.[PARA][BOLD]Buses:[EBOLD] National Express coach services to, among other places, London (ú31.50, 10:20hrs, 2/day), Glasgow (ú10.90, 3:50hrs, 3/day), Edinburgh (ú10.30, 3:50hrs, 3/day) and Birmingham (ú32, 9:20hrs, 1/day). Citylink and Stagecoach also run services.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] A92, A93, A94 and A96. 2 miles to the nearest junction.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Aberdeen Airport offers inland flights around the UK and to some European cities.[PARA][BOLD]Ferries:[EBOLD] There's a ferry service to Lerwick in the Shetlands.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD][ITAL] The A92 is fairly major and once hitchers have got to the M90, it's plain sailing. The hitches of hitching, though, are that it's a long, long road and going west inland is nigh impossible.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] Good bus services run anywhere in the city from 35p.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Useful late at night[EITAL], about ú1/mile.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] Despite the heavy traffic and the cold winds, many students rely on pedal power. Incidentally, bike theft is as rare as any other crime in Aberdeen which has the lowest crime rate in Britain for a city its size.[BOLD] [EBOLD]Aberdeen Station is a mile south of Schoolhill. [ITAL]Buses [EITAL]run every 20 minutes to most sites,[ITAL] but feet are the most effective way of getting around.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Design[EBOLD] 1,214[BOLD][PARA]Health/Food[EBOLD] 1,337[BOLD][PARA]Management[EBOLD] 1,591[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 1,629[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 160,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,400 [BULL] Study places: 620 [BULL] Computer workstations: 400[ESTAT][PARA]There are 9 libraries around the sites, relating to the subjects studied: Central (St Andrew's St); Hilton; Merkland (King St); Architecture and Surveying (Garthdee); Art (Garthdee); Kepplestone; Occupational Therapy (Woolmanhill); Physiotherapy (Woolmanhill); and Radiography (Foresterhill)[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 3full [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 10%[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]There is much pessimism amongst students about job prospects.[EITAL][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]In 1992, the University was awarded ú10 million by the Scottish Office for expansion and [ITAL]there are some improvements going on. However, you'd be surprised how quickly a sum like that gets spent. A penny here, another there... I don't know.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA]Undergraduate prospectus, and a Student Handbook from the Union.
