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Liverpool John Moores University
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Liverpool John Moores University
 Liverpool John Moores University is a large university in Liverpool in the North of England. It was created n 1992 from Liverpool Polytechnic, but has a history dating back to 1823. The university has three campuses around Liverpool at which over 24,000 students study. FacilitiesLibrariesLiverpool John Moores has three main Learning Resource Centres (LRCs): Aldham Robarts (Mount Pleasant Campus), Avril Robarts (City Campus) and IM Marsh (IM Marsh Campus). Each caters generally for the subjects in the campus it services, but materials can be requested from the other LRCs. Books, journals, videos, DVDs and periodicals are all available for use or loan. Each LRC has a desk for loans and returns with some very friendly, helpful staff and a separate desk for computing issues such as printer credits and technical problems. There are also self issue and return points. Access to the LRC is gained swiping by your student card, and this also acts as your borrower card. The two main city-centre libraries are very modern and have excellent facilities including group and quiet study areas, lots of computers, photocopying and access to electronic journals. Aldham Robarts LRCSituated on Maryland Street at the heart of the Mount Pleasant Campus and right opposite the Student's Union, Aldham Robarts caters mainly for the Faculty of Business and Law (Accountancy, Business, Criminal Justice, Economics, Information Science, Languages, Law, Librarianship) and the Faculty of Media, Arts and Social Science (Architecture, Art, Design, Drama, European Studies, Geography, History, Interior Design, Media, Critical and Creative Arts, Politics, Social Sciences, Design, Visual Arts) This LRC is open 24 hours during term time. Avril Robarts LRCAvril Robarts is located on Tithebarn Street on City Campus, and covers three faculties: Faculty of Health and Applied Social Sciences (Childhood Studies, Health, Midwifery, Nursing, Social Work, Youth and Community Work), the Faculty of Science (Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biophysics, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Construction Management, Countryside Management, Earth Science, Forensic Science, Microbiology, Pharmacy, Physics, Psychology, Science, Sport, Wildlife Conservation) and the Faculty of Technology and Environment (Building, Building Surveying, Civil Engineering, Commercial Property, Computing, E-business Technology and Management, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Management, Housing, Manufacturing, Marine Engineering, Maritime Studies, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Planning, Quantity Surveying, Technology Management, Statistics, Transport Studies, Urban Renewal) This LRC is open until 11pm during term time.
IM Marsh LRCThis services the IM Marsh campus at Aigburth and covers the Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure (Consumer Studies, Dance, Education, Food and Nutrition, Leisure and Tourism, Outdoor and Environmental Education, Physical Education, Tourism and Leisure) which is situated at this site. This LRC is open until 11pm during term time. IT and ComputingThere are many computers in the LRCs, and some teaching buildings also have their own designated computer rooms. Both colour and black and white printing is available in LRCs. Most of the computers work on a first come, first served basis, although some are available to book. Usually gaining access to a PC is not problematic, but leave extra time around deadlines just in case, the libraries get very busy near to the end of semesters. Laptop points and wireless access are available in the LRCs and in some teaching buildings. Printing costs start at 4p for a double sided black and white A4 printout. Each user has a log on name and password. Passwords must be changed every sixty days. You will have access to your own space on the server for saving work and will also get a university e-mail address. Check this regularly (links from the JMU homepage) as lecturers will often communicate important course information via this method. Some courses also make use of Blackboard, with documents such as course handbooks, essay questions and key readings distributed in this manner. Timetables are available from the JMU homepage before each semester. SportsWelfareHealthcareShopsLiverpool is currently undergoing a major renovation, which makes the city centre a bit of a nightmare at times. Nevertheless, there are plenty of places to spend that student loan should the urge take you. All of the major high street chains are represented, usually on Church Street, the main shopping street in Liverpool, which boasts the new five storey Primark building, a Topshop/Topman, M&S, Dorothy Perkins/Burton, John Lewis's, H&M, Zara, WHSmiths and River Island to name but a few. Elsewhere, you might be drawn to the designer names in the new MetQuarter shopping centre, or the Cavern Walks, a favourite of many a WAG. For something a bit more alternative, try Bold Street or Grand Central (the new Quiggins, as it is known to many) for some vintagey and emo-type shops. Bargin hunters will love St. John's shopping centre, which seems to have hundreds of places boasting pairs of shoes for under a fiver. A major new shopping centre, the Paradise Project, is currently under construction in the city. If you're living in the city centre, the likelihood is you will end up food shopping at one of these locations:
If you are living in the suburbs, you are more likely to have access to a decent supermarket (the Asda on Smithdown Road is a student favourite). If you are in the city centre, consider internet shopping with flatmates and splitting the delivery cost, or sharing a taxi to the outskirts.
RestaurantsLiverpool, like most major cities, is not short of places to eat. All the usual chains are well-represented, and there is a proliferation of all-you-can-eat buffets (prices around £4.95 for lunch, £8.50 for an evening meal). There are far too many places to give each one fair mention, so I shall just outline a few cheap, studenty favourites and you can find the rest yourself:
BanksA few of the major banks have student branches (e.g. HSBC and Barclays), but these are situated at Uni of Liverpool. All major banks have branches in the city centre though, including the Co-operative Bank. Cash machines can be a bit of a pain when on a night out in Liverpool as they all seem to be situated in one place, towards the shopping areas of town rather than where the bars and clubs are. There are two cashpoints within easy access of the SU though; one on the wall outside and one at the HSBC around the corner for when that one's broken. TransportLiverpool is fairly easy to reach by road and rail. Lime Street is the city's main station, with regular routes to other major UK cities. If you are approaching by road from Wales then be prepared for the Mersey tunnel toll which currently stands at £1.30 each way. Transport in Liverpool is managed by Merseytravel. The Merseyrail network of trains serves Liverpool and it's outskirts as far as Southport in the north, Hunts Cross and Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the east, and Chester in the north. Travel on the trains is reasonably cheap. Buses into the city centre from the outskirts are usually managed by three operators; Arriva, Stagecoach and HTL. On most major trunk roads into the city, buses run every two to three minutes. 24 hour services also run in areas with a high student population such as Smithdown Road and Aigburth. A student ticket usually costs no more than £1.20 for a single journey. Night buses can cost more. Bus passes are also available, either from the individual companies or from Merseytravel. Flights from John Lennon Airport operate to over 60 destinations. The airport is easily accessed from the city centre by a shuttle bus that runs every 20 minutes. Parking at the airport is currently an issue due to its rapid expansion. Careers serviceThe university offers a careers guidance service located next to the Aldham Robarts LRC. Appointments cannot be pre-booked and must be made on the day. Generally, the university will be able to provide an advisor specialising in your subject area. The university also works in partnership with Workbank, an agency who have an office in the SU. Be warned that the work they offer is often temporary, sporadic and sometimes just downright horrible. You can occasionally get good gigs like stewarding and invigilating though. Part-time jobsPart time jobs can be hard to come by in Liverpool, so try and get applications in early, preferrably before the start of term. This may improve as more shops open up in the new centres. At the end of your first year you can apply to work in the SU bars during the next academic year. Religous facilitiesSocialBars, Pubs and clubsThe Student's Union at LJMU gets a lot of bad press from its students. In truth, the union was having financial problems last year, and as a result, students slowly moved away from the dire entertainment and rising drink prices. This year the union is fighting back. The main SU venue consists of three main areas: Scholars, The Cooler and The Sanctuary. ScholarsScholars is a traditional pub-style bar with a warm and friendly atmosphere. It's very "safe" if you're a student and runs pub-style entertainment such as a quiz on Monday nights and karaoke/Irish bands on Sundays. On other nights, music and atmosphere is provided by the touchscreen jukebox. Sky Sports for the big game. Pints start from £1.85, or team up with a mate and get a 4 pint pitcher (Carsberg or Fosters) for £6. The CoolerThe union's nightclub. Tuesdays - funky house, Wednesdays - chart, Thursdays - indie, Fridays - Flirt (chart and dance), Saturdays - RnB and house, Sundays RnB. Good for meeting people when you're a fresher but there are definitely more exciting venues in Liverpool. The SanctuaryA coffee bar by day, a chill-out room to The Cooler by night.
Near the Mount Pleasant campus there are quite a few bars and clubs. The Pilgrim on Pilgrim Street (near the Anglican Cathedral) is a favourite for that lunchtime pint (available from £1.60) and is also a good place to start a night out. A bit grotty (but better since the smoking ban) and a favourite with arty, writery, drama-ry types. Bumper, round the corner on Hardman Street is a bar with a late licence and is a student favourite. Hannah's Bar, a little down the road, is famous for its beautiful barmaids, but it can be a bit pricey. Closer to town is Liverpool's Barfly, who host many up and coming bands as well as cheap indie nights on Mondays and Thursdays. Near this is Heebie Jeebies, a relatively new venue which has become a student haunt. Half of it is underground, and the upper level boasts a terrace for gigs and smoking alike. On a weekday, head to the Jacaranda for a few £1 bottles of Stella. In the town centre, bars tend to be centred around two main areas; Concert Square, home to chain bars such as Walkabout, Mood and BaaBar, and Matthew Street, further on towards the docks and more catered towards locals than students but still a good night out. Other places of note include Le Bateau, a bit out of the way at the bottom of Duke Street, but cheap (£1 for a bottle of Kronenburg) and playing a good mix of music for indie kids. Lovers of dance, house and RnB will no doubt be regulars at Medication, the Wednesday student night at Nation. There are also many places to drink outside the city centre, especially in areas where there is a high concentration of students. EventsThe university organises a number of events throughout the academic year, including the President's Pub Crawl, Snow Ball and the Graduation Ball. Trips are also available to locations such as ice skating, North Wales and even Amsterdam, all at a reasonable price. Liverpool itself always seems to have something going on, and this can only increase as we go into 2008. Annual events include Liverpool Music Week (this year featuring the Kaiser Chiefs and Madness, among others) and the Matthew Street Festival. In 2008 Liverpool will host the MTV European Music Awards at the new dockside Echo Arena. Clubs and societiesClubs and societies usually recruit annually at the Freshers Fair. The union's website currently lists the following non-BUSA clubs and societies:
AccommodationThe university no longer owns any accomodation, instead securing places for its students in the many private halls in Liverpool. These include halls owned by Unite, Cosmopolitan, Victoria Halls, Opal and other private companies. Many of these are en-suite. A city-centre room will usually set you back around £65-80 a week. There is a wealth of student accomodation available in Liverpool, and students looking for shared houses are advised to use Liverpool Student Homes, a service run by all three Liverpool Universities. Rooms in shared houses usually cost from £40-60 per week. Accommodation policyLJMU guarantees all new students a bedroom in city centre accomodation. FacilitiesResidencesPrivate sectorStudent unionPricesEnvironmentArchitectureNo two John Moores buildings are the same, and they are scattered all over the city. Many are modern, and some are monstrous, but equally there are some very aesthetically pleasing ones. Local areaLiverpool has quite a bad repuatation, and like any major city, it suffers from some crime and deprivation. However, there is a large student population and many businesses catering to them. Parts are run down, but the city centre itself is looking quite good these days, although a major makeover is still very much underway. For an escape to the city, try heading up the coast to Freshfields, where there is a beach and squirrel sanctuary, or if you can't be bothered going that far, Sefton Park is a nice compromise. Teaching qualityObviously this varies enormously from course to course and even lecturer to lecturer, but the majority of departments have very good or excellent teaching assessments. It is worth remembering that JMU is a new university and as such puts more emphasis on teaching than it does on research. The university operates a personal tutor system, and these people are supposed to be your first port of call if you have a problem. However, usually most members of staff will be more than happy to help you in any way they can. Applying to John MooresThinking of applying to John Moores? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other John Moores ArticlesWhy not read these other John Moores Articles?
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