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Aston University
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Aston University
 Aston University is a small campus based uni with lovely grassy areas and a small lake yet it is also handily located very close to the centre of Birmingham. It's quite a new uni too, being formed out of Birmingham Municipal Technical School back in 1966. Since then it's developed as a university to have some great courses in business, science and engineering. FacilitiesLibrariesAston Library is located on campus, for those living on campus (mainly first years and final years) it is less than a five minute walk away. The library consists of four floors containing books across all subjects studied at the university, and is accessed using your university swipe card. Certain floors are allocated as 'silent floors' to allow students to study without any disturbances. Other floors are allocated as 'group study floors', which is useful for working with friends or meeting fellow group mates for group coursework. There are PCs on each floor for any Aston student to use, although it is advisable to get there early as there usually aren't enough to go around! In addition laptops can be hired, but again the number is limited. The Learning & Skills Centre is also allocated in the library, providing advice on essay writing, referencing and general academic support. There is also a café allocated in the library to provide a break from studying, serving hot/cold drinks, sandwiches and cakes. On the whole there is a wide range of study material within the library but books on the reading list for courses are often in high demand and can sometimes only be loaned for a short period (24 hours). Longer book loans range up to two months. IT and ComputingThe library is open until 10pm on weekdays and 5pm at weekends, and provides PCs as well as the option to hire a laptop. Unfortunately both PCs and laptops are usually limited for the number of students requiring to use them, and it is advisable to use a computer lab in the main building if you need to use a computer. The main building is open 24 hours a day (except during vacation periods when opening times may differ). In the main building there are different computer labs for different courses e.g. Aston Business School has its own computer suite which can only be used by Aston Business School students, and likewise for Life & Health Sciences and Languages & Social Sciences. Each student can access his/her computer lab by swiping in using their university card (this prevents students from using different faculties' labs to their own). SportsSport is important at Aston, and we offer a wide range of sports, and good faciliities to back it up. The biggest sports societies at Aston are the Stags (Football), Unicorns (Hockey) and Cobras (Rugby), though many other sports such as Lacrosse, Korfball, Ultimate Frisbee, Gaelic Football, Jujutsu and MANY more. Plus, if you play a sport and there is no society for it, get some people together, and set a club up. Most large sports are played at BUSA level, and also in local leagues. There are two sports halls on campus, an astroturf pitch (which in all honesty needs replacing), and a recreation centre a short drive away with good facilities, where home games for football, hockey etc. are played.
WelfareAston offers a counselling service which aims to provide a professional, confidential counselling service to all students and staff of the University. The service is provided free of charge and is available Monday - Friday, 9:30am-5pm in G16. HealthcareAn on-campus drop student health centre is availble. Registration for the health centre is promoted during Freshers' Week but there is an opportunity to register later on in the academic year. The surgery is usually open from 8.45 til around 4, but there are different hours on different days. However, the automated telephone service allows you to book an appointment 24 hours a day so you do not need to wait until the surgery opens to book an appointment. There is also a dental surgery and optician on campus, and the nearest pharmacy is ten minutes’ walk away. ShopsOn campus there is a shop in the guild, as well as at the bottom of Dalton Tower, which sell essentials such as basic food and drink, as well as course books. On Aston street there is also the mini market (corner shop type thing), and Aston Wines, the off license and first stop for club tickets. Naturally Birmingham, as Britain's second city, is a great place to shop. Corporation Street, New Street, The Palisades and the new Bullring Complex are all great places to shop, with something for everyone. More student priced things are available in the rag market and indoor markets, as well as the market behind the Bullring - food, basic cosmetics etc. are available at much better prices than the supermarket, and often at better quality. For supermarkets the nearest is a Tesco Express two minutes from campus, and there are a Tesco Metro and Sainsbury's Central in the city centre. For larger shopping, a taxi will be required, but if you share with your flatmates, it will only work out about a pound each. RestaurantsThe Aston Students Guild has its very own Subway which is situated on the first floor in The Blue Room. In the library there is also Cafe Libro, a Costa outlet which serves coffee, sandwiches and biscuits. The food at Einstein's in the guild is very good and reasonable, and highly edible food is available at the Sacks of Potatoes and Gosta Green pubs which are essentially on campus. Highly inedible food is also available to takeaway from Coffee and Cream and Chicken Hut, both of which are local. There are many restaurants in central Birmingham catering to all tastes and needs. The Bullring shopping centre houses restaurants such as Nando's, Pizza Hut, Wagamama's etc. The Mailbox is a good place to take the parents - located approximately 20 minutes walking distance from campus, the Mailbox is a prestigious shopping centre with restaurants surrounding one of Birmingham's canals. It can be a bit pricey so is best saved for a trip with the family or other half! An Aston institution is the Manzil's curry from Manzil's in Digbeth, who will give you a good discount. And a bad curry. Corporation Street (two minutes across from uni) has several restaurants offering student discount and/or cheap lunch or early dinner menus. There are also several all-you-can-eat places, including the infamous Big Wok - priced at around £5 for lunch menu or £10 for an evening menu it is really good value for money and offers all the Chinese food you can imagine! The best thing is to explore around and find a place you like the look of, and the prices, and then ask someone if they know if its any good. BanksThere is a Natwest in the guild and all other major banks are a five minute walk from campus. TransportThe majority of first years live in one of the university's halls of residence, or one of the independent student halls e.g. Unite or Derwent Living. Whilst this is the case, transport is not a major issue; the three train stations in Birmingham (New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill) are all within 15 minutes walking distance, the city centre is a 5-10 minute walk away and all lectures take place in the main building which is only a five minute walk away. Clubs and bars are also within walking distance if you're feeling ambitious, if not or if you are being hindered by an impractical pair of high heels, there is a taxi rank on campus (again within five minutes walk from halls). The price of taxis to Broad Street - one of the main going out areas in Brum - is usually around £10. Most second years move out to Erdington, which is about 10 minutes away on the bus. Certain areas of Erdington e.g. Slade Road are only serviced by one bus. However if you live near or on Gravelly Hill there are at least five buses to uni and the city centre. Fares are £1.40 each way or you can buy a student bus pass for £104 per term or £260 for the full academic year. If you are an international student, Birmingham's airport (Birmingham International) is located just outside the city, approximately four stops on the train from New Street train station and takes about 20 minutes to get there. Birmingham International is a large airport offering direct services worldwide. Careers servicePart-time jobsAston uni has its own jobshop, a facility that you can sign up for and opt to receive notifications of any jobs that come up. These can include regular part time jobs or one off temping jobs to earn a bit of extra cash one week. Other jobs offered by the university include working as a student ambassador, which mainly involves helping out on open days for potential students, showing them round the campus etc. As part of this scheme you can also opt to be a showflat host (provided you live on campus), which involves showing groups of potential students around your bedroom/kitchen/bathroom and answering any questions they may have. Work on this scheme is casual, on a rota 'first come first serve' basis. Pay is around £6 per hour. The uni also employs people to help out on its telefundraising campaign; a campaign that involves phoning alumni students to see if they or the company they are working for will donate money to help the university. The campaign runs for about 2 weeks in October, mainly in the evenings (5-9pm) and pay is around £6 per hour. Aside from jobs offered by the university, part time work is available in the pubs on campus and the convenence shops in the guild and at Dalton Tower. The city centre is only a few minutes' walk away so if you are still struggling to find a job there are plenty of temping agencies as well as a vast array of shops/bars/restaurants recruiting part time workers (particularly at Christmas time). Religous facilitiesSocialBars, Pubs and clubsThe main bar at the Aston Guild is Einsteins, situated on the lower ground floor. On the floor above is the Blue Room, serving drinks on event nights. Furthermore on campus is the old-man frequented Sacks of Potatoes and the very popular pub Gosta. A typical Aston week would be as follows: Monday - Oceana student night or £1 a drink night at Gosta Tuesday - Student night at Walkabout, 90s cheese night at Barfly, student night at Barracudas or Bambu (mainly r'n'b) Wednesday - Sesh at the guild, student night at Risa or another student night at Oceana Thursday - Student night at Mechu (a more upmarket club in town), Spin at Dragon Eye (funky house/beats) or Vodbull at the Works (cheap vodka and red bull night which runs every fortnight) Friday - Pounded at the student guild or Ramshackle at Carling Academy (alternative/rock music) Saturday - Panic at the Sanctuary (alternative night) EventsThere are four main weeks of events that are worth writing in your diary. Firstly; Freshers Week, which runs the week before everyone returns to uni for lectures. Freshers week is ran by the guild, who employs 2nd,3rd and 4th years as 'Aston Aunties'. Aston Aunties are appointed to different flats in the university's halls of residence, and are responsible (ha) for taking the freshers out every night, organising drinking games and 'getting to know you' activities before nights out, and generally making sure you are having a good time. Throughout freshers week there are different events usually consisting of a Beach Party night (fancy dress beach party) a school daze night (everyone dresses in school uniform) a themed fancy dress ball (this year it was superheroes, last year it was pirates). There are also other events such as trips to Cadburys World, bowling and 'taster' sessions for any sports you may be interested in. The next two weeks that are worth noting are Aston's RAG weeks. RAG is a charitable society that organises events to raise money for different charities and is free to join when you start at Aston. The first RAG week is in November and the second one is in February. During RAG week, there is always a pub crawl consisting of 1500 Aston students going down Broad Street (usually) and ending up in a club at the end. You are guaranteed to make new friends from this night! Everyone dresses up in T-shirts that cost around £7 and include club entry and drinks discounts. Other events in the week include Pounded (a night at the guild where drinks are extra cheap) and the Freakers Sexual Fantasy Ball (takes place during the November RAG week and involves fancy dress and a lot of imagination!) Last but not least, in the final week of summer term the guild hosts 'Final Fling' - another week of events including another Aston pub crawl! There is also 'Guild on the Grass' hosted around the lake at uni. Guild on the grass creates a festival type atmosphere with live bands, outdoor bars, BBQs and bouncy castles! Other events during final fling include pounded but it varies every year. Clubs and societiesThe Guild provides a wide range of societies to support students' social, cultural and academic lives. Societies include Academic such as optics. Music such as Altsoc, Rocksoc and Fusion. Religious & Cultural such as Afro-Caribbean, French, German, Korean, Sri Lankan, Vietnamese and many more! Other societies include extreme BBQ, LGB, anime, cinematic, mature students, model UN, RAG, motor sports and hiking & expedition among many others. Most of the sports societies meet on Wednesday nights in the guild to do 'sesh' - a part of Aston's unique culture! Sesh involves all members of the sports society sitting round a large table (one table per sports team) and playing drinking games. You do NOT have to drink alcohol to join in, but it is lots of fun and worth going to to make friends! After sesh, everyone usually goes to a club in town. If you start Aston and it doesn't offer the society you are looking for, you can set up your own provided you can find a minimum of 4/5 students who are willing to join. AccommodationAccommodation policyOn campus accomodation is guaranteed if Aston is your firm choice, although it is quite common to get accomodation for insurance and clearing applications. However, you may not get your preferred type of accomodation - Lakeside tends to fill up fairly quickly. FacilitiesResidencesAston University offers a range of campus accomodation, all of which is comfortable and convenient. Over 2100 places are available with rent costs ranging from £65 (for high and low rise accomodation) to 107 a week (for Lakeside). Aston is currently about to embark on a new residence village project type thing, where the existing high rise residences will be demolished, replaced by lovely new accomodation, which will be alot nicer than the towers, which are a bit ghetto. NB: It is rumoured, though not confirmed that during this project a large number of aston students will be housed in 'curzon gateway' a new student development run by Unite (same as heights and londonderry house) to make up the shortage as some is knocked down. Though not on campus, it is within walking distance, and even more cushy than lakeside.
Situated on the edge of the campus overlooking the ornamental lake, Lakeside offers residents well appointed en-suite accommodation in flats for between 6 and 10 students. Rooms have a shower, toilet and washbasin, a television aerial point and telephone. The kitchen and dining facilities are shared. Rent is £97 a week, prices include central heating and electricity and water costs. Rent is paid in three termly instalments.
Dalton Tower is one of three high rise residences and is located in the middle of the campus adjacent to the library. It has twenty floors with three separate flats on each floor. Each flat consists of seven single study bedrooms, a kitchen, and bathroom, which is shared between the occupants. The bathroom has a bath/shower, washbasin, and toilet. Each study bedroom has its own washbasin.
Stafford Tower is located on the outer edge of the campus overlooking the city centre. It has twenty floors, with two flats per floor, each with nine single study bedrooms sharing a kitchen and bathroom. There is a large communal bathroom for each floor with washbasins, showers, and toilets located in the middle of the building. Each single study bedroom has its own washbasin.
Lawrence Tower is situated in the centre of the residential complex and consists of twenty floors. Flats with six single study bedrooms share a kitchen and bathroom with bath/shower, also toilets and washbasins. Flats with twelve single study bedrooms share a kitchen and bathroom with showers washbasins and toilets. Each single study bedroom has its own washbasin.
Gem House is located on the edge of the complex on Aston Street opposite the local shops. There are fourteen 2-storey flats, each having six single study bedrooms and sharing a kitchen and shower room. The ground floor has two bedrooms, kitchen, and shared bathroom with toilet and washbasin. The first floor has four bedrooms with shared bathroom including a shower and washbasin.
Bishop Ryder House is located between Lawrence Tower and Old Cross House. There are five flats each comprising of eighteen single study bedrooms arranged on three floors. There are three single study bedrooms sharing a kitchen, but each floor, comprising six bedrooms, share a bathroom. Each bathroom has a shower, toilet, and washbasins. Private sectorThe Heights : Unite Accommodation This is located opposite Aston University and offers ensuite accommodation with excellent facilities from car parking to a large common room with sky TV/pool tables, vending etc. There is also staff presence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! The property comprises of studios, double studios and ensuite bedrooms within three, four and five bedroom flats. Prices start from £90 a week. Londonderry House: Unite Accommodation This is ideally located in the centre of Birmingham; five minutes walk from Aston University with shops, restaurants and bars all within walking distance. Bedrooms are all ensuite and the property also boasts an excellent common room with fussball, T.V, Sky box and vending with comfortable seating. Prices start from £109 per week. Both properties have an onsite laundry facility and offer a social calendar whereby social events are organised and held in the common room each week such as film nights/quiz nights etc. This gives all Unite students the opportunity to meet each other and make the most of their time at University. Internet is available at both properties. Canalside: Derwent Living This is located a short 5-10 minute walk from campus. The accommodation is nice but the walk isn't great at night. The flats consist of a kitchen/living room with sofa and sky TV, and bedrooms with en-suite. Prices start from £84 per week. Student unionThis is called the Student Guild at Aston!
PricesOnce every fortnight, the Guild holds an event night called Pounded, which usually has a fancy dress theme, where selected drinks are (you guessed it!)... a pound! (though this is only alcopops and single shots) Pints are £1.30. stupid lying pounded! EnvironmentArchitectureLocal areaThe Aston University Campus is in the centre of the exciting and vibrant city of Birmingham, home to over 50,000 students. Birmingham, Britain’s second city, is flourishing and is internationally recognised as a leader in leisure, entertainment, business, shopping, industry and sport. The city centre is a fusion of attractive squares, modern shopping arcades, diverse pubs, clubs and restaurants and fine museums, theatres and art galleries – truly a World City. Teaching qualityApplying to AstonThinking of applying to Aston? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other Aston ArticlesWhy not read these other Aston Articles?
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