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Goldsmiths, University of London
From The Student Room WikiTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Goldsmiths, University of London
 Goldsmiths University is part of the University of London. It was original created as part of Goldsmiths Technical and Recreative Institute in 1891 where it specialised in teaching and research into creative, cultural an cognitive subjects. FacilitiesLibrariesRutherford Building Opened in 1997, the Rutherford Building houses the library, IT Services, Media Services, The Language Resources Centre, the Copy and the Assistive Technology Centre. The library has over 250,000 books spread across three floors and subscribes to over 1,500 journals, many of which can be accessed online. IT and computingThere are 50 PCs and 70 Macs available in the Open Access computer areas of the Rutherford Building. There also four Computer Teaching rooms that feature 60 PCs and 22 Macs. SportsThere is a hall/gym (which can be used for things like basketball, badminton and table tennis), tennis and netball courts and a sports ground in Sidcup which can be booked and used by students. There is also a new fitness gym. There are teams and games organised by the SU between students and sometimes staff too. In the local area there are facilities for many more sports, including athletics, climbing, cycling, golf, squash, swimming and tennis. Student Union sports clubs include:
Welfare
HealthcareThe Uni has a medical centre on Laurie Grove. It's open until 6pm during the week and you're advised to register there. You can usually make an appointment for the same day provided you do it soon enough ie before 2pm. Services here include GPs and nurses, and information on a range of issues and illnesses. You shouldn't use the uni centre if you live more than three miles from the uni though - however you can get info on other doctor's surgeries in the area should you live further away than this. ShopsThe G-Shop, near Loafers in the Richard Hoggart Building, is open from 9.30am to 6pm. It stocks stationery, drinks, confectionary, newspapers and hooded tops. They also have a range of ‘ethical alternative’ products. A small Blackwells shop is situated next to the G-Shop and sells core academic textbooks. RestaurantsThe College operates three food outlets in the Richard Hoggart Building catering for students – the Refectory, Tastte and Loafers Café. All three outlets use Fairtrade tea, coffee, sugar and chocolate. Loafers Café specialises in freshly made sandwiches, home-made soup and a selection of luxury coffees. The Refectory offers an array of hot meals, including ‘meal of the day’, pizzas, salads and sandwiches. The Tastte outlet is also housed within the Refectory area selling pre-wrapped sandwiches, hot and cold drinks and a range of snacks. BanksThe College has a branch of NatWest Bank on campus (Room 120, Richard Hoggart Building). TransportGoldsmiths is served by two mainline rail stations: New Cross (operated by Southeastern) and New Cross Gate (operated by Southern). Both stations provide services to London Bridge and also offer services into many parts of South and Southeast London, Kent and Surrey.
There's lots of bus stops around the uni too. You're 15 minutes away from Greenwich which is a lovely little town and only around 40 minutes away from Oxford Circus. Plus there's buses to all the places that you may find your self needing to be in London (Marylebone, Victoria etc) Careers serviceThe Careers service is on Lewisham Way and is the place to go if you want info and guidance about careers and further study. You can get info above talks and fairs that are happening, get guidance on picking careers, and get tips on improving your application and CV. If you've graduated you can get Grad club membership (currently costs about £25) which allows you to make use of the service for an additional 2 years. This provides you with some free services and others at a discounted rate. Though it has to be said, some other unis offer the same services to its graduates for free. Part-time jobsThere are a lot of part-time jobs in the area that are aimed at and suitable for students. South-east London is a lively area full of pubs, restaurants and cafes, offering waiting and service jobs. There are many stores in the area as well. The university itself does not offer many opportunities. However, there are student advisers, who are mainly used to attract students from SE London schools and to support open days. Religious facilitiesThe chaplaincy is located on Dixon Road. It's a place where you can go to chat about anything with friendly people and is in confidence. It doesn't matter what religion you follow, you can make use of the service. As well as this, it holds regular talks, services and discusses. Though it's primarily focused on Christianity, it offers info to people of other religions from faith advisers. They can put you in touch with local faith groups. There is also a prayer room that is for use by any faith in the Richard Hoggart Building, though it is sometimes used for services. Other spaces - an Interdenominational Prayer Room in the Student Union Building and the Quiet Space at the Chaplaincy Centre can also be used for prayer. SocialBars, pubs and clubsThe SU operates two bars. The Green Room offers fair trade food and drink while the larger of the two, The Stretch, features a bar, lounge area and two balconies. In the area there's a couple of nice clubs, some good traditional pubs (not to mention the AMAZING Amersham Arms - which has just opened by the hand of the owners of the Lock Tavern in Camden) EventsThe Union holds a varied selection of events including regular quiz nights, karaoke, live sports and film nights, a cheesy disco (the infamous Club Sandwich night), and a fortnightly Live Wire evening showcasing up-and-coming live acts. Clubs and societiesThere are loads of clubs and societies and you can find out about most at the Fresher Fair held near the start of the year. If you can't find a soc to your liking the SU has details on how you can set one up! AccommodationAccommodation policyTo get accommodation in your first year you need to have sent your accommodation form back by mid-August and not have a 'home' address within the six London transport zones. If meet these conditions you can get accommodation. Otherwise your application will be added to the waiting list to see what is left - normally this means having to wait until term has started. If on the list, the further your 'home' address is from the College, the higher priority you get. You can also apply for intercollegiate halls or look in the private sector. FacilitiesResidencesLoringThere's lots of halls around campus - Loring Hall is actually on campus and is great for waking up 10 minutes before your lectures. None of the halls are luxury - but you'd be silly to expect that. But they're alright. I pay £109 a week for Loring Hall and it's worth every penny. I love it - if you get put in Loring, you're sure never to have a dull moment! Surrey HouseThe layout there is what you might call "traditional halls"... There are 21 other people on a floor and they all share one BIG kitchen, 4 WCs, 3 showers and a bath. That might sound daunting, but it really isn't a problem. The rooms in SH I found were surprisingly big and people from other unis have commented on how much space there is! Batavia MewsThe location, in some people's opinion, isn't great as you have to walk down a pretty dodgy alley that stinks of piss to get there and its on top of the main road in New Cross which means that the rooms on the bottom floor can be quite noisy at times. The rooms though are fine with a sink in each one and seven rooms per flat sharing one kitchen, three toilets a bath and a shower which are all cleaned daily. Private sectorHousing in London is plentiful, but pricey. The University of London offers housing to most students attending any of the colleges. They also provide help finding flats and rooms with registered landlords. Student unionThe Goldsmiths Students’ Union is a diverse, vibrant, award-winning organisation, providing a range of services including representation, clubs, societies, volunteering opportunities, student media, advice, meeting rooms, sports facilities, and entertainment. PricesEnvironmentArchitectureThe main university building, the Richard Hoggart Building, was built in 1843 and is now Grade II listed. The Rutherford Building won the RIBA award. Goldsmiths purchased Deptford Town Hall in 2000. The Ben Pimlott Building was opened in 2005. Local areaThe uni is located in New Cross. Its like any other typical London area, densely populated with a wide variety of different cultures making it a fun place to live and study. I know I'm obviously biased seeing as I live in New X, but it really is a great place once you get to know it - the music scene is growing, it's full of students and it's one of the cheaper areas of London. When you do first move to New Cross if you so choose, yes, you will feel a bit cautious. It isn't the safest of places - especially if you're coming from a small town back home, but if you're sensible you'll have no problems. Just don't get walking home alone when you're absolutely hammered at 3am in the morning - not to say that something would happen to you, but to be fair, if it did, you're asking for it - and that's the same in New Cross as it is in the 'safest' parts of London. Teaching qualityObviously I can't vouch for any other subject but my own, but academically, Goldsmiths is a pretty good uni. No, it's not Oxbridge, UCL or Imperial level - but Goldsmiths has always had good reviews. Alot of the time, people mistake Goldsmiths for a bad uni because it seems so few people go there - this simply isn't true. So few people go there because it's a SMALL uni. Applying to GoldsmithsThinking of applying to Goldsmiths? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other Goldsmiths ArticlesWhy not read these other Goldsmiths Articles? Links | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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