[ByronicHero]

University of Reading

Introduction

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Hello everyone,

There are a few current and previous students of the university on the site and, as such, to ensure they are able to see questions you may have that they can answer I thought it prudent to create this thread.

I will try and update it with responses to questions that I feel many people will have an interest in knowing the answer to and various information over time but don't shoot me for taking my time with this.

People can't promise to provide subject-specific information (although I can recommend general books for most Arts/Humanities subjects that I've read if this is what you're after) but they will, I'm sure, do their best.

If anyone has any suggestions for anything that should be included then please feel free to post it here or PM me because ultimately this should be useful for all of us and input from anyone and everyone is welcome.

I have duely recognized the authors of the two old stickies and would also here like to recognise foswissle as the original creator of an "ask a current student" type thread that I merged here in its infancy for the greater good

General Information

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Useful Links

Programme Specifications: Here

Accommodation Information: Here

TSR Student Guide: Here

Wikipedia Article: Here

Departments etc: Here

Unistats (where you can find statistical information): Here

Library Site: Here

Student Union

Written and presented by: Tommy Gilchrist

Hiya!

Firstly, well done and congratulations to all of you for getting your A-level results! Hope you celebrated hard and enjoyed yourselves... I know I did three years ago!

For those of you who got the grades to get into what is clearly the best University around, fantastic! Only three weeks to go until Freshers' Fortnight kicks off... hope you're getting excited! If you've already received your Freshers' Handbook, you can find my cheeky face on page 17... but for those of you who haven't, I'll give a quick intro.

I'm Tommy, and I'm your Vice President Education for the upcoming year! I fit into the RUSU structure as one of the five elected Student Officers who are here to make sure you have an amazing time and enjoy yourself, as well as getting the most out of your degree at Reading. As one of your Student Officers, I'm here to help defend and extend the rights and opportunities of our members...our students. We want you to get involved in anything and everything - tell us what you want to happen and what you want us to do!

If you haven't already done so - take a look at the following links:

RUSU homepage
Facebook - Official Reading University Students' Union Freshers' Group
RUSU blog

If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Facebook - I'm one of the Admins of the group so you can find me that way!

If you're interested in seeing what your Student Officers are up to before you arrive (no, we're not just sipping coffee!)... have a look at our Student Officer blog!

Can't wait for you all to arrive - it's a little bit quiet without the students here! Hurry up!

Tommy
VP Education, RUSU

Pictures

Sports Hall(s)

Map

View from the air

Accommodation Information

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Written by Foo.MP3

For those of you who can't/couldn't be arsed to go see the halls you are curious about, here's my take on them - I've lived in/visited a couple but this should by no means be taken as gospel. In rough order of preference:

1.a Mackinder, if you like the colour orange

1.b Stenton, if you prefer the colour green, the sound of construction work and a smaller hall (only one block complete as yet, compared to Mackinder's two)

2.a Windsor, if you're poor and unable to cook for yourself but don't mind sharing the sexy Park Bar facilitados with your less 3rd world contemporaries

2.b St. Patrick's, if Windsor appeals but you fancy an additional 5 min walk to lectures - good student community mind

3.a Wantage if you didn't get what was funny about gap year the first time you saw it - nice buildings/grounds mind

3.b St George's, Student Village or Wessex, if you're a middle of the road kinda guy/gal

4.a Sherfield, if like me you're a bit older, or more of a serious/studious character, or an international student, or some combination of the above

4.b Hillside Court or Martindale Court, if Sherfield appeals but you'd like to live exclusively with mature students and a bit further away from campus

5.a Bulmershe, if you fancy a shlep to the main campus and effective refugee status among normal freshers (though Bulmershe does have a kickass JCR, decent buildings and arguably a good community)

5.b Sibly, if you'd rather live a little nearer to campus than Bulmershe and don't mind living in a tower block not unlike Del Boy's abode

Thread Questions and Answers

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If I miss my offer will they accept me anyway?

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This depends on a variety of things including: how many people received offers for the course, how much you missed it by, how well you did in relevant subjects, how many other people missed the offer, how much they liked you and if they think they have a better chance of finding a quality applicant in clearing. This year (2011/12) competition is likely to be higher than in previous years but it is certainly not uncommon for people at Reading to be admitted with lower grades than the standard offer, or than were asked for.

How do I get to the campus from the station?

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You can walk, run, taxi or bus. Walking probably isn't a great idea until you know your way but the distance isn't huge at all. Buses (9) will take you there, but beware the buses in Reading operate a universal fare system and do not give change so make sure you have some money in coins. A taxi can be £5 - £10 depending on exactly where you are going.

Where and how do I do my shopping?

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Good. This means you're probably not a poncey catered student. Different people have different methods from having their shopping delivered to sharing a taxi back from the supermarket. Some do big shops and some do regular small ones. There is an Asda not too far from the university, and very close to Sibly (wehey) and your usual shops scattered around town. There is also an SU run show on the main campus with enough stuff to keep you going in between shops, presumably.

What is the nightlife like?

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This always strikes me as a rather nothing question because it is so rare that the person defines the parameters under which they wish to receive an answer. Are there various clubs in town and on campus such that students have a choice of where to go? Yes, of course. Will lots of people be out? Often guaranteed on campus as students prefer the easy option haha but of course it will depend on the night. Is the nightlife comparable to large cities? Yes, but not favorably. There are places to chill, places to skank and places to do most things but obviously the diversity and scale is not going to match that of the larger places.

League Tables/University Rankings

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The Times Good University Guide

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I know some of you care about this nonsense, and some o the statistics are useful so I thought I would put some of it up for those who don't wish to pay to use the site and so on.

Statistics

The Times Rankings:

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Rank: 33
Student satisfaction:79
Research quality: 2.1
Entry standards: 370
Student-staff ratio: 15.5
Services & facilities spend: 1,243
Completion: 91.0
Good honours: 67.3
Graduate prospects: 66.3
Score: 649

QS rankings:

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Rank:185
Academic Reputation: 46
Employer Reputation: 57
Faculty Student: 47
Citations per Faculty: 38
International Faculty: 81
International Students: 80
Overall: 50

Students:

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Undergraduate Full-time: 8,850
Undergraduate Part-time: 485
Postgraduate Full-time: 2,560
Postgraduate Part-time: 2,585
Percentage who are mature: 13
Percentage of overseas students: 13
Applications per place: 7
Percentage from state schools or colleges: 82
Percentage from working-class homes: 26

Undergraduate Fees and Bursaries:

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Fees UK/EU students: £9,000
International student fees: £10,896-£12,996
Bursary on full grant: A package of financial support and widening participation activity to be announced.
Bursary on partial grant: Awaiting OFFA approval. Check the university's website for the latest information.
Scholarships: scholarships based on circumstances or by competition
Student finance website: www.reading.ac.uk/life/life-moneymatters.aspx

What do they say about Reading?

Reading is another of the medium-sized campus universities that have demonstrated their appeal through the National Student Survey. Consistently in the top 20, it again satisfied almost 90 per cent of its final-year undergraduates in the results published in 2010. Agriculture, chemistry, classics, food science, history, Italian, law, maths and zoology produced the highest satisfaction rates. The university has said that to sustain the level of support and investment needed to produce such scores, it will need to charge the full £9,000 for all subjects in 2012. It claims that a package of financial support will ensure that ability and potential are the only criteria for entry.

The university is ranked among the top 200 in the world and did well in the latest Research Assessment Exercise, despite entering a much higher proportion of its academics than many of its peers. More than half of their work was considered world-leading or internationally excellent, with archaeology and art and design doing particularly well. Archaeology was the source of the last of three Queen’s Anniversary Prizes, being rewarded for a unique combination of research, teaching and enterprise. There are international centres of research excellence in areas such as agriculture, biological and physical sciences, meteorology, European histories and cultures.

There are three main sites within Reading, including the original 320-acre parkland site, and the university also owns 2,000 acres of farmland at nearby Sonning and Shinfield, where the renowned Centre for Dairy Research (CEDAR) is located. To these has been added the former Henley Management College, which became the university’s Business School in 2008. The Greenlands site, on the banks of the river at Henley-on-Thames, houses postgraduate and executive programmes, while undergraduates are taught in the new £35-million Business School on the main Whiteknights campus. An £11-million home for film, theatre and TV opened on the campus opened in the spring of 2011, while an Enterprise campus is scheduled to open in Shinfield in the summer, bringing together academic expertise with local and international technology-based businesses.

Reading was the only university established between the two world wars, having been Oxford’s extension college for the first part of the last century, but the attractive main campus now has a modern feel. A multimillion pound student services building provides a one-stop shop for student support and welfare, and sports facilities have been extended. Watersports are a strong focus, with off-campus boathouses on the Thames and a sailing and canoeing club nearby. Representative teams have a good record in inter-university competitions and the campus was chosen as a pre-Olympics training camp for basketball and fencing.

The university’s location, a bus ride away from Heathrow Airport, and an international reputation in key areas for developing countries have always ensured a healthy flow of overseas students. Overall applications were up by 4 per cent at the start of 2011, the latest in a long series of increases. About one undergraduate in six is from an independent school and more than a quarter come from working-class homes, both somewhat below average for the university’s subjects and entry qualifications. The retention rate is slightly better than the university’s bench-mark, with 8 per cent of undergraduates expected to leave without a qualification.

Reading has been involved with a number of centres of excellence in teaching and learning, including one focusing on career management skills. All undergraduates take career management skills modules that contribute five credits towards their degree classification. The online system, which has 200 web pages of advice, exercises and information, has been bought by 30 other universities and colleges. Sessions are delivered jointly by academics and careers advisors, with input from alumni and leading employers.

The town – only a short walk from the campus – may not be the most fashionable, but it has plenty of nightlife and an award-winning shopping centre. It also offers temporary and part-time employment opportunities for students. London is easily accessible by train, but the cost of living is on a par with the capital. Two new halls of residence opened recently and there are plans for a private company specialising in student accommodation to redevelop some of the older stock. Students praise the social scene, although the high proportion of students from the southeast of England means that many go home at the weekends. The large students’ union had a £500,000 refit in 2007, improving and extending its popular main venue. The union has been voted among the best in Britain, and has won numerous awards including Best Bar None status for encouraging safe drinking. It has also been known to attract some big-name bands. Students who live in town can make use of the free night bus service to take them back into Reading.

Individual Subject Rankings

Accounting and Finance: 18/77
Archaeology: 9/50
Biological sciences: 40/87
Chemistry: 38/49
Classics and Ancient History: 19/23
Business Studies: 26/116
Computer Science: 38/105
Economics: 41/68
Education: 8/72
English: 27/101
French: 29/49
History: 43/90
Geography: 25/75
German: 24/37
Law: 8/95
Maths: 36/67
Philosophy: 22/47
Politics: 37/71
Psychology: 39/104

Links to other tables

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The Guardian: Here

The Independent University Guide: Here

QS World University Rankings: Here

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[ByronicHero]

Bear with me.

This is still being created and if anyone has any suggestions then please let me know.

This should be by the people for the people and all that jazz

[foswissle]

Hey dudes,
So I am a 2nd year Reading Uni. student studying Politics & International Relations. I lived in Old Court at St. Patrick's Hall. I'm not English, but I "survived" my 1st year at Reading Uni!

If you have any questions regarding anything about campus life, pubs, clubs, halls, or Reading itself feel free to ask!

[kfo91]

Hello!

I actually do have a question about school organized trips. Can't seem to find anything on group travel. A link would be most appreciated!

Thank you
Kristen

[foswissle]

Hi there,
Well to my knowledge the University itself doesn't really have any trips they organize. As far as I know, it's normally the departments, or clubs (societies) themselves. For instance, the Environmental Science Department would plan an academic trip to Sommerset. Different clubs also regularly plan trips throughout the year. They tend to advertise it during Freshers, enticing you to join their society.

Hope this helps. If you need anything else, just ask.

[teshnit]

how much of a difference is it if you are in old or new court of st pats? and what are the differences

[Prithviraj]

how is sibly hall I have got offer

[foswissle]

Hey bud,
Old Court has larger rooms and it's quieter. Aesthetically it's definitely better. Old Court is separated into blocks, and each block has 12 rooms, 1 Kitchen, 3 Bathrooms. New Court on the other hand has corridors, with up to 30 rooms, I think 1 large kitchen for each corridor, and communal bathrooms (it more resembles the dorms in the U.S.).
Of the two sections, New Court is definitely more sociable. Expect loud music, people being loud before and after clubbing, and always having something to do (if you're a sociable person). I was in Old Court, and had a great time. I should say though that it really depends on all the people you're grouped with. If you don't get along with your roommates from your block, you might find yourself spending the majority of your time in another block / new court.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them!

[teshnit]

Thanks i got a place at st pats this year woooo Would much rather new court, i kind of asked for it in my application and pointed out on purpose i was loud and outgoing so hopefully i get new court. Corridors does sound mroe sociable than more secluded kind of flats to be honest.

Also is the jcr committee active usually in st pats? and hows the food?

[foswissle]

Teshnit, the JCR this year is great! I know each member very well and they're a great bunch of people. You're in good hands. As for food...well, it was pretty crap. It's a great bonding experience though. You'll make loads of friends complaining about how bad the food is - it might get better next year though. I try to stay optimistic when it comes to St. Pats food.

Prithviraj, I don't know much about Sibly I'm afraid. I haven't heard any complaints of my friends that lived there last year though. As long as it's not Bulmershe, you're good

[natalie1313]

(Original post by foswissle)
Teshnit, the JCR this year is great! I know each member very well and they're a great bunch of people. You're in good hands. As for food...well, it was pretty crap. It's a great bonding experience though. You'll make loads of friends complaining about how bad the food is - it might get better next year though. I try to stay optimistic when it comes to St. Pats food.

Prithviraj, I don't know much about Sibly I'm afraid. I haven't heard any complaints of my friends that lived there last year though. As long as it's not Bulmershe, you're good

What's wrong with Bulmershe? :/

[FTstudies]

(Original post by natalie1313)
What's wrong with Bulmershe? :/

I think the fact that they won't be teaching anything on Bulmershe in Oct and that it is a good 20-30 minute walk from the main campus will be a put off.

[ribbon]

(Original post by foswissle)
H!

how leniant are they with grades?
in particular for psychology

[natalie1313]

(Original post by FTstudies)
I think the fact that they won't be teaching anything on Bulmershe in Oct and that it is a good 20-30 minute walk from the main campus will be a put off.

Hmm I'm living there next year...don't think a 30 min walk should be too bad! Apart from the location, is the actual accommodation nice?

[FTstudies]

(Original post by natalie1313)
Hmm I'm living there next year...don't think a 30 min walk should be too bad! Apart from the location, is the actual accommodation nice?

Hmm, obviously I don't want to be pessismistic, the only reason I mention the distance is that I had to walk there almost everyday as I was in Mackinder Halls on Whiteknights, and my lectures/seminars were on Bulmershe, it was ok for the first 2-3 weeks, but then I ended up getting buses/taxis there hah. Facing the prospect of a 30 minute walk after a night out is... challenging to say the least!

Yeahh the accommodation is decent enough and you'll no doubt have a great time there, but I personally couldn't stand not being on the main campus.

[ByronicHero]

(Original post by ribbon)
how leniant are they with grades?
in particular for psychology

It's dependent on many variables. There is a reasonable chance that some people who miss their offer well get in but whether you're among them or not is another question.

[ByronicHero]

(Original post by foswissle)
QFA

Hey mate.

Just so you don't wonder where your thread has gone I thought to quote you and let you know that it's been moved in here, something I'm sure you don't object to. I was wondering if, similar to the other guy, you would write up your opinions on the accommodation choices you know about as my aim is to have many peoples opinions available and then I will refine the formatting and so on

[ByronicHero]

Okay so I have sorted out the main frame of the OP now. If anybody has any suggestions of links to add or of information to include then let me know

[adamrules247]

I have a question. I might be going, but by clearing. Therefore what should I be looking at with regard to accommodation?

[ByronicHero]

(Original post by adamrules247)
I have a question. I might be going, but by clearing. Therefore what should I be looking at with regard to accommodation?

Whatever is left presumably or I can send you in the direction of local student landlords with properties very close to the uni nearer the time