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Robert Gordon University
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Robert Gordon University
 Created in 1992 out of the The Robert Gordon Institute of Technology, Robert Gordon University is located in the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. It's situated across two campuses in the city: at Garthdee and at Schoolhill. Numbering well over 12,000 students, Robert Gordon is an average sized university. MottoTo inspire and enable the transformation of individuals, economies and societies FacilitiesLibrariesThe Georgina Scott Sutherland Library serves as the Home Library Site for students within Aberdeen Business School, Faculty of Design and Technology, Faculty of Health and Social Care. This Library is located within Aberdeen Business School on the Garthdee campus. The main entrance is on the third floor of ABS (the floor you walk in on). The Library is open 7 days a week (Monday - Thursday 08:30 - 21:30; Friday 08:30 - 17:00; Saturday and Sunday 10:00 - 17:00). The opening hours of the Library are reduced during vacation time and can be found at http://www.rgu.ac.uk/library/aboutus/page.cfm?pge=24829. The St. Andrew Street Library serves as the Home Library Site for students within Faculty of Design and Technology (the School of Computing and the School of Engineering only), Faculty of Health and Social Care (the School of Life Sciences, the School of Pharmacy and Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching only). It is located in the St. Andrew Street building in Aberdeen City Centre (the RGU building directly across from the Woolmanhill Self Catering Flats). The Library is open 7 days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 6and Friday 09:00 - 21:30; Wednesday 09:00 - 20:45; Sunday 13:00 - 16:45). The Opening hours are reduced during vacation time and can be found at the website address above. The St. Andrews Street Library does not open on a Saturday. The St Andrew St Library issue desk service will cease 10 minutes before closing time. Please note that the St Andrew Street building is locked 15 minutes after the Library closes. IT and ComputingVirtual Campus: The Virtual campus (VC) is probably the most important IT facility at RGU. This is where all your module information will be posted up for you to download (such as PowerPoint slides, tutorial activities, coursework tasks and deadlines and so on). It can be accessed 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world (providing you have access to the Internet). It is accessed through the Student Portal. You will require your matriculation number (and password) to access it. Student Portal: The Student portal is the gateway to all IT Facilities. From here you can access your E-mail, the VC, and all the databases which RGU has signed up to (such as Westlaw UK, Lexis Nexis Butterworths and so on). You can also get access to your "H drive" from here. H Drive: Your H Drive is your own piece of space on the University Network. There is remote access to it, meaning you can access it anywhere in the world, providing you can access the Internet. It is recommended that you keep a copy of all your important university documents (such as coursework) here as ITS can recover any "lost" documents from here. Nobody else can access your H Drive - it is unique to you.
Computers: There are many IT labs located throughout the buildings that make up RGU. Any student can use these providing that they are enrolled and that there is not a class timetabled into the room. When you log onto the machine you H Drive is automatically attached to the machine and is listed as "My Documents" (it is detached from the machine again when you log off). All the machines have internet access and have space for you to plug in your USB Mass Storage Device (this is what they recommend you use as you pretty well cannot break it!). There are some machines with scanners attached and most now have CD Re-writers. Printing: Where there is a computer at RGU there will be a printer close by. Printing costs roughly 2p per sheet for a sheet of plain black text of 30p for colour. You can credit your accounts at the GPAS terminals throughout the university using pound coins or you can top up on the internet with a credit or debit card. The money put on here is non-refundable. So watch what you put on in final year. It can take up to half an hour for your account to be credited so it is advisable to keep a pound on your account for emergencies. If you print something that costs more on your account the printed will finish printing the document, but won’t print anything else until you bring your account up to a positive balance. Laptop: You are more than welcome to bring your own laptop into the university. You may plug it in so long as you do not take out any plugs in order to do this. There is a wireless network within the buildings that you can use to access the internet (and thus the VC, Student Portal and your H Drive). Internet: The university has a high speed internet connection. There is a filter in place to stop you accessing anything you shouldn't. If you have a legitimate purpose for needing onto the website (must be related to your academic career at RGU) the ITS will look into removing it from the filter to allow you access). The Connection is free to use. ITS: Each building has its own Information Technology Services (ITS), and the Libraries have their own. They are very friendly and helpful and will help you with your IT problems (providing you ask the right person in the right building). As much as they want to, they are unable to assist with personal computers as they are too busy. Listen to what they say (especially with regards to floppy disks) as they know what they are talking about and it will save you making a mistake that could be costly (in academic terms). SportsRGU has invested over £10 million in a state-of-the-art sports facility, which sees a dramatic improvement in sporting infrastructure available for the region and also acts as a social hub for the Garthdee campus. The facility features a 25m swimming pool, two gyms, climbing wall and bouldering room, cafe bar, three exercise studios and a vast sports hall. RGU: SPORT provides opportunities for students, staff and the wider community, of all levels of ability, to participate in sport and physical activity. Located by the River Dee, the sports centre is situated right at the heart of RGU's Garthdee campus. Students who enter RGU with a sporting background can join the sports scene at 'competitive' or 'non-competitive' level. RGU competes in the British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and Scottish Universities Sports Federation leagues. There are also various other competitions throughout the year that students can compete in. RGU: Sport currently has 27 sports clubs listed including rowing, basketball and archery.
WelfareHealthcareMEDICAL TREATMENT:All students (including planned overseas students) are entitled to register with a Doctor (GP) under the National Health Service for all medical services. It is important to arrange this on arrival in Aberdeen to ensure you are covered in an emergency. There are two practices associated with the University: Garthdee Medical Group and Albyn Medical Practice. Both Practices are open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. The Albyn Medical Practice is located on Albyn Place (just off the Holburn Junction). The Garthdee Campus is located beside the RGU Campus at Garthdee. DENTAL TREATMENT:There is a serious shortage of dentists in the UK and you may be waiting for a while before you find a suitable practice. The vast majority of dentists are private clinics - NHS dental treatment is very hard to find. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to register with a practice where you can. Dentists are allowed to charge their own fees and at your first appointment - which may cost around £20, they will decide what condition your teeth are in and give you an estimate of any work that they need to carry out. If you register with a private dentist, you will have to pay for any treatment or consultation upon demand. You should keep the receipts of any dental work that you undertake as you may be able to apply to receive some of the money back by completing an HC1 form. Emergency dental treatment can be obtained on the NHS. If you require urgent dental assistance, the International Office has a list of dentists who will be able to assist you on this basis. If you require emergency dental treatment outside of normal working hours (0900 - 1700, Mon-Fri) call Grampian NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24 ShopsGarthdee Campus: On the Garthdee campus you have Blackwells Bookshop which retails all the books that you will require fro yur courses taken on the Garthdee Campus. They will also be very happy to order in any books that they don't stock. Next door to Blackwells there is a small shop selling snacks, drinks, chocolate and crisps. This shop also has Costa facilities within it. Both of these shops are located within the Business School building. In RGU:Sport there is a small shop selling university clothing and other bits and pieces. Down the road from the Campus you have Asda and Sainsbury's. Asda has a McDonalds within it. It will take you between 5 and 10 minutes to walk down (or if you're lazy the Number 1 bus service goes past them). RestaurantsAll catering within th euniversity is outsourced to Aramark. There are facilities located throughout the building making up the university where you will be able to eat. BanksThe city centre campus is well situated for banking facilities with branches of all the major banks within a short walking distance o the campus. Cash machine facilities are also all around the city centre (including two at RGU:Union). Garthdee is less well provided for with ATM facilities at the supermarkets. The only ATM on campus is locate within Aberdeen Business School outside the Library (and is often broken or empty) TransportThe university is well served by public transport. The RGU: Unilink (Service number 9) is operated by First Aberdeen and runs regularly throughout the day between the RGU: Union (Schoolhill) and Garthdee (stopping at the RGU Garthdee campus). The service runs along Union Street and Holburn Street. The Red Line (Service numbers 1 and 2) is operated by First Aberdeen. The service runs regularly passing the RGU Garthdee campus. The service stops on Union Street and also passes the Linksfield Halls of Residence (off King Street). There are parking facilities available both within and around the University. However, parking is limited and is usually by permit only. The City Centre Campus is ideally located for walking to from Union Street and the Woolmanhill Halls of Residence. First Aberdeen have a Student First Day Ticket available. For the price of £2 (you must produce your RGU Matriculation Card) you can make as many journeys as you want on any First Aberdeen Bus service that day. For £34 a month you can get a First Student Card (RGU Matriculation Card must be produced) from the First Travel centre on Union Street. This will allow you onto any First Aberdeen bus at anytime of the day for the duration of the pass. Careers serviceThe RGU: Careers service is available to all undergraduates, postgraduates and recent graduates of The Robert Gordon University. The main careers facilities are located at the Student Advice Centre within the Blackfriers Building. The centre is open Monday - Friday from 9am until 5pm (with the exception of a Monday when it opens at 11am). Careers Advisers can also be seen at the Student Advice Centre, RGU Sport Centre at Garthdee. Drop in times are arranged on a week-by-week basis and are published on the RGU: careers section of the RGU Website. Additionally, you can book an appointment by calling 262110. The RGU: Careers centre organises presentations from employers' and industrial organisations for students at various times throughout the academic year. Details of these events are usually sent by E-mail to students through their RGU E-mail account. Part-time jobsReligious facilitiesSocialTorcher Parade Granite City Challenge Bars, Pubs and clubsRGU: Union:RGU: UNION provides support to all students at RGU. The Union is here to ensure that student life at RGU is fun and filled with great social opportunities as well as academic ones. The Union is the place to go if you need advice on any issue from finance to academic appeals. If we do not have the answers we will be able to point you in the direction of someone who does. We also offer somewhere to go after a hard day at university where you can unwind, enjoy yourself with friends and find out about joining clubs and societies. The RGUnion bar is the "ONLY" student meeting place in town and with fantastic drinks promotions, live bands and great local and guest DJs it's important that you don't miss out. The bar sells a wide range of products at realistic prices and boasts 5 pool tables, big screens showing live sports and most importantly a relaxing atmosphere with friendly and helpful staff. RGUnion is well known for its Friday night Karaoke and open mic nights which give you the chance to show off your singing skills. Theme nights are also a regular occurrence and add to the fun and lively atmosphere found at RGUnion. In addition to the bar, the Union has a quality cafe facility with regularly changing menus, great food at affordable prices and real coffee from the Wicked Coffee Company. There is plenty of vegetarian choice and you can even create your own sandwiches from our deli bar. The cafe sells everything from breakfasts and sandwiches to snacks and hot meals and is open all day from 9 am to 5 pm. EventsClubs and societiesRGU Voice: RGU Voice is the Debating society at RGU. It is very new (only being established during the 2005/2006 Academic Year). It was founded as a result of the growing frustration of how the university constitution was being changed. It has now been set up formally as a debating society using the British Parliamentary Style of Debating. RGU Voice meets in lecture theatre A12 of the St. Andrews Street Building (Schoolhill) between 7pm and 9pm on a Monday during the semester. The first time you come it's free, after that it is £10 for the whole year (which include free or subsadised travel to SSDC events around Scotland)! RGU Matriculation cards are required (as usual) for entry. More information on the RGU Voice website AccommodationAccommodation policyFacilitiesResidencesWoolmanhill Number of students: 732 Room Types: Standard (600); En-suite (132) Car Parking: Limied; permits available; charges apply Cost Per Week: £76 (standard); £80 (En-suite) Deposit: £100 Located on John Street it is situated nicely for the Schoolhill campus (across the road!) and the Union (about 2 or 3 minutes walk). It is also well situated for Union Street (about a 5 minute walk). The number 9 (RGU:UniLink) stops here Monday to Friday until 08:30am (after this you have to go to the bus stop outside the Union). The bus stop on John Street (about 200 yards from the site) will get you several buses from First Bus and Stagecoach to various places around Aberdeen. The site staff are friendly and helpful. There is someone available 24 hours a day. Their primary concern is your Safety and Welfare. Between the hours of 23:00 and 08:00 are "quiet hours". You can have parties after 23:00 providing you have sought the permission of the site staff in advance. There is a good laundry service located beside the 1 - 9 block. It costs £1.80 for a wash and £1.00 for a dry (this is cheap compared to high street laundrettes). All of the bedrooms have locks on the doors for your own privacy and have a network connection allowing you access to the University network so you can use the internet. Cables are provided free of charge for this. All your personal belongings are insured on site (details of insurance policy are given to you on acceptance). The site is self catering and has a small number of en-suite rooms available. You'll typically be in flats of 5 - 8 people. Each flat has a communal area which is your sitting area and kitchen area. There are also communal washing and toilet facilities (unless you're in one of the few en-suite rooms). A Cleaner will visit at least once every 2 weeks, but will try and come every week. Cleaners will only clean communal areas. Site staff are not allowed in your room without your permission (and with you present), unless there is a reasonable reason for entering (e.g. they believe you to be in immediate danger, to check you've evacuated during a fire alarm or the police have a warrant to search your room etc.). You can have a TV in your room, but you are required to purchase a TV Licence. You also need a TV licence to cover your communal area (so you and your flat mates will need to chip in for this). The TV Licence currently stands at £135 for a colour licence and is available from the TV Licensing authorities. The use of illegal substances is strictly prohibited within the site (as with all the sites). The staff have the power to confiscate any equipment that they suspect is being used for the purposes of administering illegal substance. Offensive and dangerous weapons are also strictly prohibited (as with all sites) on the site or within it's vicinity (whether they are held legally or not). This includes pistols and martial weapons. In accordance with the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 (as well as for general health and safety reasons) smoking is prohibited within the buildings on site (It is permitted outside). The study bedrooms are fairly small, but have all that you require in them (including your own sink). The walls are plain, so you will require your own posters etc to brighten the place up. You do have a pin board for pinning up important information (the walls are breeze blocks). The rooms lack decent storage space. You'll get a small wardrobe and chest of drawers. There are two shelves on the wall as well, but they're not the best. Rosemount Number of students: 146 Room Types: Standard (48); En-suite (98) Car Parking: Limied; permits available; charges apply Cost Per Week: £76 (standard); £80 (En-suite); £81 (En-suite + 50 week lease) Deposit: £100 Located not far from the city centre (about 10 minutes walk) Rosemout is another of the residences that RGU students can stay at. The site is not owned by RGU, but a company called Lierty Living has a contract with the University to provide a number of accommodation sites, Rosemount being one such site. The site is well known amongst RGU students as being quieter, especially in relation to the much larger Woolmanhill site. The rooms are generaly bigger than those at the biggest site (Woomanhill). Linksfield Number of students: 128 Room Types: Standard (44); En-suite (84) Car Parking: Limied; permits available; charges apply Cost Per Week: £71.50 (standard); £83.50 (En-suite) Deposit: £100 Private sectorStudent unionPresidential TeamPresident: Josh Capaldi Vice President (union and Societies): George Lawie Vice President (Sports): Andy Smith PricesEnvironmentArchitectureLocal areaAberdeen has something for everyone. Its rich cultural heritage combines with a thriving contemporary community and a strong economic pulse, to make the Granite City a lively and rewarding place in which to live and study. Nestling on the coast between the rivers Dee and Don, it is a compact city with a population of 216,000. Renowned for its splendid granite architecture, it sparkles like a jewel on the edge of the North Sea, bordered by cultivated farmland, wild moors, beautiful beaches and rugged hills. Aberdeen is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, welcoming business people and their families from throughout the world. Its buoyant economy is the result of diverse commercial activities - including trading, tourism, farming and fishing - which sustain a high quality of lifestyle. More recently, it has become the hub of the world's offshore energy network and is the off-shore oil capital of Europe. As a university city, Aberdeen has always taken the student population to its heart. It has much to offer in the way of entertainment and leisure, at a range of costs to suit every pocket. The city centre has several busy shopping malls - designer boutiques, major chain-stores, charity shops and antique and speciality shops - as well as a wide choice of nightclubs, wine bars, traditional pubs and restaurants. The city has a thriving nightlife. Cinema-goers also have plenty of choice. Culturally, Aberdeen caters for all tastes. His Majesty's Theatre, a magnificent Edwardian building, attracts international companies performing ballet, theatre, opera and light entertainment. The concert halls regularly feature classical, contemporary and rock concerts. Exceptional museums and an art gallery, including the University's museums and collections, display the visual arts, local heritage and visiting exhibitions. The popular Lemon Tree venue, with its café-bar atmosphere, attracts an exciting mixture of contemporary theatre, dance, stand-up comedy and music. There are excellent facilities for sports lovers - from indoor leisure centres to golf courses; horse riding to windsurfing; as well as a range of national league sports for those who prefer to spectate. Only in Aberdeen can the dedicated sports fan achieve the feat of windsurfing at the beach and ski-ing in the mountains - all in a single day! Getting about is easy in Aberdeen, which has excellent bus services giving access to all parts of the city and suburbs. But distances are short and a pleasant walk or a brief cycle run are reliable alternatives. Cheap and regular rail, bus and air links will get you around Scotland and the UK - London is a little over an hour away by plane. You are assured of an enthusiastic welcome in Aberdeen from both the University and the wider community in which it thrives. Teaching qualityTeaching at RGU is delivered at a consistently high standard throughout the University. Applying to Robert GordonThinking of applying to Robert Gordon? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other Robert Gordon ArticlesWhy not read these other Robert Gordon Articles? Links | 
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