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TSR 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. The Sunday Times University Guide 2012, awarded Robert Gordon University with 'Best Modern University in the UK' and '1st for Graduate Employment in the UK'

Motto

To inspire and enable the transformation of individuals, economies and societies

Facilities

Libraries

The 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: 8.30am - 10pm Friday: 8.30am - 8pm Saturday and Sunday - 10am - 8pm 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 - Thursday: 9am - 10.30pm Friday: 9am - 8pm Saturday and Sunday: 10am - 8pm The Opening hours are reduced during vacation time, and increased slightly during examination periods until 2am. More information can be found at the website address above. 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 Computing

RGU: Campus Moodle Campus Moodle is the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that the university uses. 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 or directly through the Intranet page. 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, Campus Moodle, 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 3p per sheet for a sheet of plain black text, or 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 it is best to only top up as and when you need with the amount of money required. 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 printer will finish printing the document, but won’t print anything else until you bring your account up to a positive balance. Both colour and black and white photocopiers are also available for student usage in the Georgina Scott Sutherland Library in the Business School.

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 Campus Moodle, the 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).

Sports

RGU 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.

OPENING HOURS: Monday - Friday: 6am - 10pm; Saturday and Sunday: 9am - 7pm

Welfare

Healthcare

MEDICAL 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 Medical Group is located beside the RGU Campus at Garthdee, but students at Liberty Living halls may find they are outwith the catchment area.

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

Shops

Garthdee Campus:

Aberdeen Business School:

On the Garthdee campus you have Blackwells Bookshop which retails all the books that you will require for your courses taken on the Garthdee Campus. They will also be very happy to order in any books that they don't stock. The shop can however be more expensive than purchasing books online. Next door to Blackwells there is a small shop selling snacks, sandwiches, drinks, chocolate and crisps. This shop also has Costa facilities within it. There are also a number of vending machines selling snacks and hot and cold drinks are located around the Atrium and on the 4th floor bridge, where the coursework drop boxes are located. A separate Costa trolley is also located next to the canteen on the opposite side of the Atrium.

Faculty of Health and Social Care:

The faculty of health and social care building benefits from a slightly larger shop, which includes a selection of Sandwiches, chilled drinks, snacks, newspapers and a Costa Coffee machine. This is located on the 3rd floor of the building (1 level down from the entry level). Vending machines are also located throughout the building for snacks and both chilled and hot drinks.

At the bottom of the hill from the Campus there is an Asda, Sainsbury's and Boots. 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). This applies to the Business School students also.

Schoolhill Campus:

Within the St. Andrews Street Building there is a small shop selling a selection of Sandwiches, Chilled Drinks, Snacks and Warm Drinks from the Costa Coffee machine. It is right next to the Union which can provide you with food. As the Schoolhill campus is located in the city centre, there is ample choice amongst other outlets for purchasing food and drink.

Restaurants

All catering within the university is outsourced to Aramark.

Canteen-like "Refectories" are available in the Aberdeen Business School, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Grays School of Art and the Scott Sutherland School. A cafe is also open in RGU Sport. A variety of main meals are on offer each day, and in the Business School it is possible to have a cooked breakfast, a made-to-order stir-fry or sandwich and pizza, as well as a selection of approximately three meals of the day, including a vegetarian option. The Business School also has a Subway and is open Monday-Friday

For those on the schoolhill campus, the RGU: Union also offers a cafe on the first floor which sells a selection of freshly made food.

Banks

The city centre campus is well situated for banking facilities with branches of all the major banks within a short walking distance of 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).

Transport

The 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 Don Street, Linksfield, Ardmuir and St Peters Halls of Residences (all 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 £3 (you must produce your RGU Matriculation Card) you can make as many journeys as you want on any First Aberdeen Bus service that day.

It is possible to purchase these bus passes:

Student First Academic Valid from 01 September 2011 until 30 June 2012 at a price of £350.

Student 12 Weeks A 12 weekly ticket giving unlimited travel across the First network of services. Priced at £120.

Student 4 Week A 4 weekly ticket giving unlimited travel across the First network of services in Aberdeen. Priced at £45.

Student First Week

A weekly ticket giving unlimited travel across the First network of services. Priced at £14.

Student Unilink tickets These are a range of discounted tickets available for purchase off bus. These tickets are valid across all First services but Monday to Friday only. Priced £9.50 for one week, £38 for four weeks, £142.50 for 15 weeks.

Careers service

The RGU: Careers service is available to all undergraduates, postgraduates and recent graduates of The Robert Gordon University.

The main careers facility is located within RGU: Sport at Garthdee on "University Street". The centre is open Monday - Friday from 9am until 5pm (with the exception of a Monday when it opens at 11am). 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 jobs

Within Aberdeen city, there are several shopping centres with a variety of shops that may be looking for staff. Job vacancies are posted on their websites and if you are interested in a particular vacancy, it can sometimes be better to go directly to that company's website and apply that way. Keep your eyes open for any vacancies posted in shop windows. RGU have a section of their website dedicated to vacancies available for students.

Religious facilities

There are many religious facilities available within and outwith the city centre.

Robert Gordon Discussions

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Social

Torcher Parade A student-run charity event ran jointly with the University of Aberdeen.

Granite City Challenge An event where all of the RGU sport teams compete against the Univerity of Aberdeen teams in competition for the Granite City Trophy.

Bars, Pubs and clubs

RGU: 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.

Events

Clubs and societies

There are more than 40 clubs and societies at RGU. During Freshers Week in September, there will be stalls set up where you can join societies that interest you. To find out more details and to find any that interest you, have a look here: http://www.rguunion.co.uk/societies/directory You do not need to join all societies, you don't even have to join any, and you can always email societies if you want to join after Freshers week!

Accommodation

Accommodation policy

Applications for accommodation open in March/April of each year for the following Academic Year. Those with an unconditional place receive their accommodation offers during July, and those with a conditional place following the exam results/acceptance of a conditional offer.

The university no longer accepts applications from continuing students to stay at their accommodation due to a high demand for flats from first years.

Leases start on the Saturday "before" the start of Freshers Week, and then continue for 36, 40 or 50 weeks depending on the site. Summer lets are also usually available at sites for those who wish to stay for all or part of the summer (minimum stay is one week).

Accommodation is all self-catering and all flats accommodate between three and eight residents, with seven and eight person flats being most common. Room types are Standard (shared shower and toilet facilities, although there is a sink in every room) Ensuite Shower (at Garthdee Towers, shared toilets but ensuite showers and sinks) and Ensuite (private shower, toilet and sink facilities). All flats are non-smoking.

All of the bedrooms have locks on the doors for your own privacy. All your personal belongings are insured on site (details of insurance policy are given to you on acceptance).

Quiet Hours are in operation at all halls, between 11PM and 8AM. You can have parties after 11PM providing you have sought the permission of the site staff in advance. One fire drill is carried out each semester, usually around 6.30AM, where a register is taken and you are required to be out of the building within a set time frame, or the drill will have to be carried out again on another occasion. When there are planned drills, staff check the rooms of students who have not been registered to check that everyone is out of the building.

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).

Staff On-Site

Residence Assistants (RA’s)

RA’s are senior students who live within the residences and are here to help with advice, welfare support, information and disciplinary matters. RA’s can address issues you may be experiencing such as noise disturbance, neighbour problems, kitchen cleaning problems or if you just need someone to talk to. They are students and have been where you are as a new arrival in an unfamiliar city and done that “fresher” thing. They have been chosen for their approachability so don’t be afraid to contact them.

Wardens

Wardens lead the RA teams and are members of University staff. Wardens will act on information reported to them by the RA team or residents can go directly to the Wardens for support and advice on any aspect of University life.

Janitors (RGU Sites - Woolmanhill and Garthdee)

Provide support on site from 07:30 to 22:00 Monday to Friday. At Woolmanhill they also work at weekends, check at site office for details. Responsible for the well being of residents and the fabric and furnishings of the accommodation. Janitors assist in the running of the halls and carry out minor repairs to make your stay as comfortable as possible. They should also be your first point of contact if a more serious maintenance issue has not been addressed. They have a wealth of local knowledge for you to tap into. At Woolmanhill there is also a Handyman based here for minor repairs.

Caretakers (Liberty Living Sites – Don Street, Linksfield, Rosemount, St Peters)

Provide support on site from 09:15 to 18:15 Monday to Friday. Responsible for the well being of residents and the fabric and furnishings of the accommodation. Caretakers assist in the running of the halls and carry out minor repairs to make your stay as comfortable as possible. They should also be your first point of contact if a more serious maintenance issue has not been addressed. They have a wealth of local knowledge for you to tap into.

Domestic Staff (Cleaners)

Cleaners work weekdays and will assist you with keeping the communal areas of your flat clean. They are contracted to clean flats every 2 weeks, but will try to visit weekly. You can assist them by keeping sink areas, worktops and floor space clear on the day of their visit so they can vacuum and clean. Cleaners will not clean or enter study rooms in order to protect your privacy and security and they will not wash your dishes!

Questions & Answers

Are there certain students who are given priority for accommodation?

Yes, for example,students who have a serious medical condition will be given priority. We also take into consideration the distance of your home address from Aberdeen. This means that students from outwith the UK, and then from outwith the Aberdeen area will be given priority over those who live within commuting distance of the city. RGU endeavours to provide accommodation to all first year students who submit their on-line application before 20 August 2009 and live outwith an 18 mile radius of Aberdeen city centre. In the event of RGU accommodation being full we will offer assistance in finding alternative accommodation.

Can I choose which residence I would like to stay at?

You can state preferences when you apply on-line and must make at least three choices. We regret that it is not always possible to give everyone their first choice as we require the flexibility to allocate students subject to availability.

Are there any restrictions with web access?

At Woolmanhill and Garthdee the internet access is via the University network. This is provided to the University by JANET (Joint Academic Network) and certain restrictions apply. It is primarily intended for academic use rather than recreational. Please note that there is limited gaming, webcam, and file sharing availability, and some sites are blocked due to their nature. At Rosemount, St Peters, Linksfield and Don Street the internet is provided by Cablecom and certain restrictions apply similar to the University provision. At Ardmuir sites, it is the responsibility of residents to arrange phone lines and internet access.

Can I invite a friend or family member to stay with me?

A single overnight guest is allowed at any one time, but not more often than twice per month. Permission must be granted from site staff at least 24 hours in advance.

Facilities

You will be provided with a student pack which has basic items such as a pen, toothpaste, garlic purée among other freebies. You will have to bring your own duvet, bed linen, pillows, toiletries, towels, etc. You will be provided with an ethernet cable to connect your pc or laptop to the university internet.

All flats are equipped with at least one oven and hob, many with two. Most also have two fridges and two freezers (or fridge-freezers), in larger flats, with one of each appliance in smaller flats. All flats also have a toaster, kettle, microwave and vacuum cleaner.

Residences

University-run

All university-run accommodation at Woolmanhill and Garthdee is offered on a 36-week lease basis.

Woolmanhill

Number of students: 732

Room Types: Standard (600); En-suite (132)

Car Parking: Limied; permits available; charges apply

Cost Per Week: £82.50 (standard); £96.50 (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.

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).

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). In flats 1 – 49 there are two toilets and two showers (1 over bath) in every flat of six. In flat blocks 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 100’s there are two toilets, two showers, and a separate bath in flats of eight.

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.

Garthdee Towers

Number of students: 50

Room Types: En-suite Shower & Sink, Shared Toilet Facilities (50)

Car Parking: Limied; permits available; charges apply

Cost Per Week: £87.50

Deposit: £100

Located within the Garthdee campus, there are a limited number of rooms in both Round and Square Tower. The site is served by the numbers 1, 2 and 9 bus services.

Liberty Living Sites

Sites at Rosemount, St Peters, Linksfield and Don Street are all owned and operated by Liberty Living through an exclusivity contract with RGU, so only RGU students are located at these sites. Liberty Living provide maintenance and cleaning, while the operation of the sites is run in-line with university policies so operate similarly to university-owned sites.

Accommodation at the Rosemount, Linksfield and St Peters Halls are being fully-refurbished in Summer 2009. All liberty living sites are let to students on a 40-week lease basis.

Laundry facilities are offered on site, £2 for a wash and £1 for a dry. All bills including internet are included in the cost of the accommodation. Internet is currently wired and a cable and installation pack are provided when you move in.

In Standard accommodation at Rosemount, St Peters, Linksfield, and Don Street there are two toilets and two showers in each flat of seven, and within the three-bedroom flats there is one shower and one toilet.

Recycling facilities (1 box and 1 bag) are provided in every flat for paper, cardboard , plastic, glass, jars and tins. These are collected every two weeks, but it is the responsibility of residents to take the box and bag to the collection point (usually the street/site entrance) at the appropriate time.

Rosemount

Number of students: 146

Room Types: Standard (48); En-suite (98)

Car Parking: Limied; permits available; charges apply

Cost Per Week: £86 (standard); £97.50 (En-suite)

Deposit: £100

Located not far from the city centre (about 10 minutes walk) near Woolmanhill.

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: £86 (standard); £97.50 (En-suite)

Deposit: £100

Although one of the smaller sites that RGU students stay at, Linksfield offers a friendly and relatively quiet living experience the majority of the time. Flats mainly consist of seven people, sharing a communal Living Room/Kitchen, although there are some flats of three. Blocks 1, 3, 4 and 5 have combined Kitchen/Living Rooms while Blocks 2 and 6 have seperate Kitchens/Living Rooms. Blocks 1, 2 and 6 are all en-suite rooms.

There is a small laundry facility in the courtyard which houses two washing machines and two dryers - and despite the number of students sharing these, they are not usually too congested. Mail is delivered to the office and residents must use the key in their flat to access their flat's mailbox, while larger or signed-for items can be collected from the office. The office at Linksfield is the main site office for all Liberty Living sites in Aberdeen.

At the end of Linksfield Road (on King Street) just a couple of minutes walk away is a Tesco Express/Esso Petrol Station, which sells a wide-variety of essentials. Around a 10-15 minute walk away there is a Morrisons supermarket (on King Street) and at the Beach Boulevard Retail Park there is an Asda (around a 20 minute walk away, over the hill behind Pittodrie).

Next to Tesco is a small pharmacy and The Bobbin, a student pub (operated by Scream). Across the road from here you will find the University of Aberdeen's Kings College campus. A small council-operated swimming pool (Linksfield Swimming Pool) is located on the site of an old school, with access from King Street. The new Aberdeen Sports Village surrounds the site, and will provide gym facilities, including a full-size indoor football pitch. This new facility is jointly run by the University of Aberdeen, but is open to the public. Access is from Linksfield Road.

Bus journeys up to Garthdee can take any time between half an hour and an hour, depending on traffic and the time of day, so most students tend to leave around 45-60 minutes before classes start. Both buses numbers 1 (Garthdee) and 2 (Auchenyell) run past the end of Linksfield Road along King Street and operate every 12 minutes. The city centre and the Schoolhill campus is around a 25-30 minute walk away, or 10 minutes by bus.

St Peters

Number of students: 149

Room Types: Standard (78); En-suite (71)

Car Parking: Limited; permits available; charges apply

Cost Per Week: £86 (standard); £97.50 (En-suite)

Deposit: £100

Located slightly nearer to the city-centre than Linksfield (around a 5 minute walk closer), St Peters is located on King Street, with access from St. Peters Street. The site is located next to the new First Bus Global Headquarters and Aberdeen Bus depot. Bus stops are located outside the site on King Street.

Don Street

Number of students: 168

Room Types: Mostly Standard

Car Parking: Limied; permits available; charges apply

Cost Per Week: £76.50 (standard); £85 (En-suite/Premium)

Deposit: £100

The furthest away located halls, Don Street is located on Don Street, near to Seaton Park. Access onto King Street is available where students can catch the Number 1 and 2 Services.

Ardmuir Sites

Ardmuir sites are offered on a 50-week lease basis. Most flats are three-bedroomed with shared bathroom facilities. Broadband is not included in the cost, and it is the reponsibility of the students to arrange Phone Lines and Internet Access.

Trinity Court

Number of students: 50 (Part of Larger Development)

Room Types: Standard (50)

Car Parking: Limited; permits available; charges apply

Cost Per Week: £89 (standard)

Deposit: £100

Located just off of King Street. Each flat includes a Dishwasher and a Washer/Dryer, both of which are free to use. Similar distances and amenities apply to St. Peters and Linksfield.

King Street

Number of students: 26

Room Types: Standard (26)

Car Parking: Limited; permits available; charges apply

Cost Per Week: £89 (standard)

Deposit: £100

Located on King Street, near Morrisons Supermarket. Each flat includes a Dishwasher, and there are seperate laundry facilities which are free to use.

Private sector

UNITE

The Old Fire Station, King Street

Mealmarket Exchange, Mealmarket Street (Off King Street)

More Info at [1]

Hunter Construction

Cooper Court & Hunter Court, Aberdeen University Kings College Campus

More Info at [2]

Ardmuir

Linksfield, Trinity Court, Froghall

More Info at [3]

Student union

Presidential Team

President: Ross Murchison

Vice President (union and Societies): Rachel Watson

Vice President (Sports): David Hegarty

Prices

There are deals on everyday of the week, including £1 shots and £1 vodka mixers!

Environment

Architecture

Local area

Aberdeen 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! There are also several gyms.

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 quality

Teaching at RGU is delivered at a consistently high standard throughout the University.

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