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University of Bristol
From The Student Room(Redirected from Bristol)
TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > University of Bristol
 The University of Bristol is located in the heart of the city, in South West England. It is a major research institution and a member of the Russell Group. It is also amongst the largest unis in the UK so along the UWE Bristol is has a huge student population making it a very studentified city. FacilitiesLibrariesThere are thirteen branch libraries across the university with 1.4 million books, printed journal articles and other resources. IT and ComputingThe University has 2,100 workstations around its faculties, libraries and halls of residence for student use. All of the individual rooms in accommodation have network points and there is free wireless internet access in the Student's Union, libraries and around many departments, as well as in a most of the halls.  SportsThe Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health, comprising Sports Hall, Studios and 'The Pulse' health and fitness suite, is located in the main precinct on Tyndall Avenue. This is home for most indoor sport and exercise facilities. The Centre also houses a Sports Medicine Clinic, providing a range of services for all members of the University as well as the general public. Within the Student Union building is the largest swimming pool in the city, and the Coombe Dingle outdoor complex (located near the Stoke Bishop accommodation) has extensive tennis courts and pitches for rugby, football and hockey. Societies also flourish for outdoor pursuits such as hiking, climbing and kayaking, which often organise visits to the Forest of Dean. The university has an active Athletic Union and is recognised for its sporting achievements through high performing teams, excellent facilities and a large range of clubs. In 2006–7 the university was placed tenth in the BUSA championship. WelfareStudents report understanding and friendly relations with lecturers and their academic departments. Welfare is largely coordinated by the Student Union, which has recently opened a new Advice Centre on the fourth floor of the main building. Information and support is readily available for freshers - though also mature, international, disabled and LGBT students, and advice is provided for those with children (the university runs some day nurseries). There is a great deal of information available from the Student Union on specific issues such as personal safety, sexual health and mental problems, and many of the larger halls of residence have appointed officers to assist with their fellow students. HealthcareThe Student Health Centre is located at the top of St Michael's Hill, in a new building with excellent service. There are always at least five doctors on duty and students are guaranteed an appointment if they have an urgent medical need. There are also several nurses on duty to give blood tests or run clinics throughout the day. Waiting times are rarely more than ten minutes and the doctors are thorough and understanding. There are two pharmacies close by: one around five minutes' walk down St Michael's Hill and the other a similar distance distance down Cotham Hill. The Health Centre is, of course, located very close to Bristol Royal Infirmary and the eye and dental hospitals.
ShopsThe city boasts a plethora of shopping areas, with clothing outlets to suit any individual and a large choice of supermarkets. Located on the Clifton Triangle, the main university buildings are conveniently adjacent to the Sainsbury's Central, Boots and Borders Bookstores, in addition to some smaller clothing stores such as Woodies Emporium and Fat Face. Shops extend down Park Street, which is home to much of the area's nightlife and into the city centre (Broadmead) - a short walk takes you to all of the major department stores such as Marks & Spencer and Debenhams, as well as a variety of opticians and technology outlets. In Sept. 2008 a brand new state of the art shopping centre was opened, with 140 shops, from Lacoste to Cafe Rouge via Apple. It is next to broadmeed shopping centre.In the other direction, a short walk from Clifton up Whiteladies Road offers the larger Sainsbury's store, local bakeries and furniture stores. The historic Clifton Village is home to more expensive clothing shops and is a good recreational area with its open park and the areas surrounding the Suspension Bridge.
RestaurantsThe aforementioned shopping areas all offer an excellent range of restaurants, most notably on the Clifton Triangle, where there are several inexpensive options. Branches of Wagamama and Zizzi offer competitive pricing and are extremely popular with the students; there is also a large Browns restaurant and a highly-rated (yet low-cost) fish restaurant, Le Monde. There are more bars which serve food up Whiteladies Road and a convenient selection of sandwich shops on the Triangle which are excellent for food inbetween lectures. Caffe Gusto is a very popular sandwich and panini chain with branches across the city and Bristol also has its own fried chicken chain, Miss Millies', which often distributes promotional vouchers to students in Freshers' Week. In addition, there are the mainstream pizza and fast food outlets all around the centre (Subway, Pizza Express, McDonalds and so forth). Cabot circus has a multitude of restaurants as well, with Yo! Sushi, Zizzi, GBK and many more. BanksThere is an abundance of banks around the main university area.
Transport
Careers serviceThe university careers service enables students to make and implement informed choices about their future careers and realise their career aspirations. In addition to running a variety of events and workshops for all year groups, a 'drop in' service is operated between 10:00-16:00 in the main building complex, offering advice in particular on first thoughts regarding careers, CV checking and postgraduate study. The careers service also have a detailed website giving advice and outlining current events at Careers Service Online. Part-time jobsWith the great many shops and facilities around the university accommodation and faculties, there are plenty of temporary employment opportunities available to students. The Careers Service Online lists details of available local work and also opportunities which may arise for employment by the Student Union, university facilities and halls of residences. Religous facilitiesThere are many places of worship in close proximity to the main university sites, and flourishing student societies exist for all faiths. The Multifaith Chaplaincy offers pastoral and religious support to any student who so wishes, and is open from 9:00-16:00 daily for prayer, meeting and free refreshments. The university has a designated Catholic Chaplaincy next to the Student Union building, whilst Bristol Cathedral (Anglican), Clifton Cathedral (Catholic) and the Church of the Nativity (Greek Orthodox) hold frequent services only a few minutes from the main buildings. Islamic, Sikh and Hindu places of worship are largely located in Easton (a short bus ride through the city centre) in addition to a Progressive Synagogue; an Orthodox Synagogue is located just behind the main university complex. SocialBars, Pubs and clubsThere are three bars located within the Student Union building itself: the Epicurean Bar, the Mandela Bar and the Avon Gorge Bar. Park Street, which is adjacent to the Wills Building complex, is home to an abundance of bars, restaurants and smaller clubs, many of which are very popular venues for students. The street leads to the city centre, where larger clubs such as Oceana are located along the waterfront and hold a great variety of musical and themed events. In the other direction, there are more pubs and bars up Whiteladies Road; the largest choice of the former being located in Clifton Village, which provides a quieter alternative to the nightlife scene situated towards the city centre. EventsThe Student Union organises Freshers' Week, in addition to the sporting, musical and fundraising events which are held throughout the year. This building is suitable for large balls and events, whilst some of the larger halls such as Goldney have extensive grounds which may be used for garden parties. Events may also be organised by academic departments for their students. Clubs and societiesStudents are able to participate in a wealth of clubs and societies, ranging from university-level sporting representation and concerts to religious and political societies, alongside many other common interests including chocolate and cheese. There are plenty of opportunities in all areas for participation on a more personal or less-skilled level simply for enjoyment! Societies also exist for academic subjects. A full list of societies may be found here on the Student Union website. AccommodationAccommodation policyThe university guarantees to provide accommodation for new undergraduate students during their first year of study, provided that they meet the criteria for the accommodation guarantee. New undergraduates who enter through clearing may be offered university accommodation if free spaces remain after the normal allocation process. Current prices range from £98 (shared) to £152 (single) in catered accommodation and from £52 (shared) to £125 (single) in self-catered accommodation. FacilitiesThe catered halls in particular offer a large number of facilities and have Junior Common Room committees which organise the running of the bar and other social events. Ample laundry facilities are generally provided, as are shared kitchens. ResidencesUndergraduate halls are located in Clifton and Stoke Bishop. There are also eleven student houses within and around the Clifton area which allow self-catering, and a further two houses which are split into flats. The student houses provide over 600 places for first year undergraduates and offer a closer-knit environment than the large university halls. Smaller houses in particular have shared room options with proportionately lower rents. Catered residencesWillis Hall- Stoke Bishop
Badock Hall – Stoke Bishop
Church Hall – Stoke Bishop Hiatt Baker Hall Clifton Hill House- Clifton
Self-Catered HallsDurdham Hall – Stoke Bisphop
University Hall – Stoke Bishop
University Goldney Halls – Clifton University Goldney Halls alternative guide
Manor Hall – Clifton Private sectorThe University Accommodation Office has an online property search system for students wishing to locate accommodation in the private sector, which may be found at [1]. There are also student letting specialists located around the Clifton area and centre. Private sector rents range from £75 upwards. Student unionThe University of Bristol Union is located on Queen's Road in Clifton. Its 1960s exterior is something of a notoriety within the local area, though its claim to be the largest student union building in the country does bring with it certain practical advantages. It is also one of the oldest student unions in existence, and a founding member of the NUS. The building houses several bars, a coffee shop, concert hall (the Anson Rooms) and various meeting rooms for clubs and societies (the student newspaper, Epigram has its headquarters located here. A general store (which is used mainly by students, but also open to the public) offers competitive pricing on stationery, newspapers and quick food supplies. The Student Union is highly active in fundraising, coordinating one of the largest and most successful yearly RAG (Raise and Give) weeks in the country. This event culminates in the annual RAG ball, and various expeditions and outings are held over the year in this light. UBU has a strong reputation for community engagement and voluntary work. Bristol Student Community Action (SCA) is a self-governing activity of UBU with over 30 student run community projects and around 1000 volunteers helping all over the city. In addition to running community projects SCA also organises a number of events such as the Kid’s Christmas Party, an Elderly Dinner Dance, and an SCA Week. Bristol University Student Radio (BURST) is broadcast online from the Student Union building and currently undergoing expansion. There are plans to move the Union from its current site to a more central location on the university's main precinct. This would involve merging the computer centre and main library into the new building which may cost up to £150,000,000. EnvironmentArchitectureThe local area is justly famous for the Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened after his death, in 1864. It connects the Clifton area to the other Somerset towns, and Ashton Court Estate is a short walk across the bridge, which is the venue for the Balloon Fiesta, Kite Festival and some other concerts and events. Clifton Village is full of lawns and is architecturally impressive in its housing and various crescents along the Avon Gorge. Nearer the Triangle, the Wills Memorial Building is seen as the epitome of the university within the city and houses certain departments such as law and earth sciences, in addition to the Great Hall. The Gothic tower dominates the top of Park Street and the Victoria Rooms, a neo-classical building, now house the music faculty at the end of Whiteladies Road. Bristol Cathedral was founded in 1140 and is faced by the Lord Mayor's Chapel, built in 1230 and now used for various civic services. The University of Bristol Union is not famed for its architectural beauty, though on the positive side, it does claim to be the largest student union building in the country and is very well-equipped. Many of the Clifton student halls and houses are either listed buildings (such as Clifton Hill House and Goldney Hall) or situated in elegant Georgian terraces. Local areaThe drawback of living near Clifton Village is that the immediate area is very expensive, but it is equally quick to buy food provisions from the Triangle and the city centre is by no means a long distance away on foot. The placement of the main university buildings in Clifton is very fortunate, as it is generally considered to be the most pleasant part of the city, whilst the other residences in Stoke Bishop enjoy the setting of the Downs (some large green spaces overlooking the Avon Gorge) and adequate shopping facilities alongside simplicity of traveling to the rest of the city and academic faculties. The city centre is, typically of large cities, very busy and cramped, but it is currently undergoing major renovations. A new complex - Cabot Circus - has recently been opened, containing 140 new shops as well as restaurants, cafes, bars, a multiplex cinema and (expensive!) student accommodation. For those staying in the Stoke Bishop Halls who are told that walking back across the downs at night is "dodgy" - it really isn't, as long as you aren't alone! Teaching qualityBristol is considered to be among the most academically prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. It is generally placed in the top ten of institutions on league tables: The Times University Guide 2008 ranked Bristol in 8th place overall; the Sunday Times 9th place and the Telegraph reported that behind Oxford and Cambridge, the university produces the highest rate of 'good honours' out of all the institutions in the country. The university also has a strong international reputation, being placed 16th in Europe by The Times Higher Education Supplement and 62nd place globally in 2006 and 37th in the world in 2007. The university is second only to Oxbridge and University College, London in terms of research scores, for which 15 departments were awarded the top score of 5* in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. By extension, a further 25 out of 46 departments were awarded the 5 rating. Bristol places a large emphasis on independent thinking, and students are often required to complete major projects or dissertations in their final year of undergraduate study.
Applying to BristolThinking of applying to Bristol? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other Bristol ArticlesWhy not read these other Bristol Articles? Links |
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