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University of East AngliaTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > UEA 
Established in 1963, the UEA is a friendly, campus university located in the fine city of Norwich. It has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, which more than makes up for the large amounts of concrete, as does the 320 acres of parkland it sits on, with its very own lake. Rated consistently highly in the league tables, with many outstanding subject areas (more specifically Environmental Sciences, English Literature, Pharmacy, Law and Computing Sciences), UEA is becoming a highly rated institution for research, with the Norwich Research Park and Norwich & Norfolk Hospital located next to the university, with strong links between the two.
Norwich itself is a safe city with a friendly vibe, and has all the characteristics of a 'university city'. A major commercial and thriving cultural centre, it is steeped in history and retains its distinctive character. The university is currently under going many changes, with older accommodation halls being updated, new research centres being created and the library has been extended, doubling the floor space. The Sportpark is currently undergoing refurbishment, with the new addition of a gymnastics centre. All of these are just some of the reasons why UEA is such a great and exciting place to study! It is also a member of the 1994 group of research intensive universities. Famous GraduatesFamous graduates at the UEA include sports commentator Martin Tyler, The Fast Show comedians Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, and David Cummings, and the actors Jack Davenport, John Rhys-Davies, James Frain, and Tim Bentinck. Ian McEwan, Tracy Chevalier and Rose Tremain became successful authors after studying at the UEA. Newsreaders Geriant Vincent and Selina Scott have graduated from the UEA, and Radio 1's newest DJ Greg James. Other graduates that have gone on to do well at the BBC include Jonathan Powell, Jane Root, and Jenny Abramsky. Actor Matt Smith, currently starring as the new Dr Who for the BBC, graduated from UEA with a degree in Drama and Creative Writing. FacilitiesUEA has one main library in the centre of campus. It has recently been extended and refurbished. Every room in university accommodation has an internet connection to broadband included in the price of the rent, so it costs no extra whether you have a computer or not. The sports park is a huge multi million pound complex which includes and huge sports hall, outdoor athletic track, olypmic swimming pool, state of the art gym, climbing wall and dance and martial arts studios. The UFO (Union Food Outlet) sells basic food and alcohol supplies, and is reasonably priced. Cafe Direct, along the street, sells coffee and baguettes, it is fairly reasonably priced and quite popular. The union bar also sells a good range of sandwiches which are very well priced. The campus has its own Broad which takes around half an hour to walk round.  LibrariesUEA has one main library in the centre of campus. It has just been extended and the refurbishment is complete, making it far more pleasant (no more drab yellow carpets and dark dusty aisles!). The library is fairly easy to find your way around, during the first 4 weeks of term there are induction presentations to give new students an idea of how to find their way around, how to use the catalogues etc. Lots of study space, where you can sit on your own looking out across the Broad or in a group rooms with audio/visual and whiteboard equipment. There are also private carrels which can be booked for those that want to study in complete silence. On floors 0 and 1 there is a new 24 hour computer suite, which is useful for those last minute deadline when sitting in your room trying to do it is providing far too many distractions! IT and ComputingEvery room in university accommodation has an internet connection equivalent to broadband speeds included in the price of the rent, so it costs no extra whether you have a computer or not. The network is usually very efficient, and the IT department do forewarn you of any likely disruptions due to maintenance work. Gaming is permitted, providing it does not interfere with the efficient operation of the network. The university is connected to Cambridge and Colchester by a 1gbps (gigabit per second / 1000mbit) optical fibre connection and acts as the regional service provider for all institutions which require an academic or research connection from JAnet. If you don't take a computer, there is the 24 hours computing centre in the library and also most schools in the university have computing facilities for their students to use. For more information about IT within the University, visit the IS Homepage SportsYou'd be crazy not to take advantage of the sports facilities at UEA - the Sportspark is a huge multi million pound complex which includes a huge sports hall, outdoor athletic track, 50m swimming pool, gym, climbing wall and dance and martial arts studios. Prices are fairly good for students to hire any of the facilities. The centre is also open to the public. Best access to facilities comes from joining sports clubs, most of which are around £10-15 to join for the year, opening the facilities to all club members at their booked times. They include American Football, Athletics, Golf, Climbing, Kayak, Rugby, Netball, Squash, Sailing and Badminton. If intense sport isn't your thing then there's cheerleading, Tai Chi, Yoga and Riding. The full list of sports clubs and societies can be found on the union website.  WelfareThe main welfare for students is Nightline, a service run by students (directed by the Union Welfare Officer) for students, where you can ring up anonomously or go any time of the day or night for a chat, a pizza delivery number or even a condom! It is located in Suffolk Terrace. The Dean of Students also offer support for students, whether it's essay plans, statistics reminder leaflets or a desperate £100 interest free loan to help you through the last few weeks of the semester. HealthcareIn the first 4 weeks you have to register with the university health service, there is a new health practice with full time doctors (appointments available some evenings and saturdays as well as standard opening hours) and a boots pharmacy on campus, as well as a dentists, and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is also very close should you need it! ShopsThe UFO (Union Food Outlet) sells basic food and alcohol supplies, it's the on campus corner shop, stocked good quality with co-op food it is reasonably priced. There is also the Paper Shop, which sells stationary and the like, and a post office. Waterstones also has a small branch situated on campus, which stocks many of the main textbooks for most courses, as well as books for leisure reading. The staff are friendly and will help you work out which textbooks you really need! Also there is the travel shop that sells tickets for trains, the National Express/Megabus and even for holidays! Most takeaways in the city will deliver to the UEA too for a very small delivery charge. FoodThere are plenty of choices as to where to eat on campus - Cafe Direct, along the street, sells coffee and baguettes and is fairly reasonably priced and quite popular. The union bar also sells a good range of sandwiches which are very well priced. Upstairs in the Hive they sell baguettes, tea, coffee, smoothies, soups and juices! There is also Blend - a cafe and sells a small range of hot food as well as sandwiches and rolls, coffee and cold drinks - and downstairs is Zest which serves hot meals all day during the week. The INTO building also serves food. The Sainsbury Centre also has a cafe. BanksNatWest and Barclays have branches on campus, and they are open between 10am and 3pm Mon-Fri. There are plenty of ATM machines. Other banks can be found in the City Centre. TransportFirst buses stop on campus and are very frequent throughout the day. Single tickets to the city centre cost £2.30. A return ticket can be bought for £4.00. Buying a bus pass at the beginning of term works out cheaper if you go to the city more than twice a week, and also stops the hassle of finding change for bus fare every week! An annual pass costs £200 with an optional £20 insurance. Buses run right through the city centre to the train station. Bus Routes
25/35 are most regular, every 15 minutes during the day time, and run less often throughout the night. They take around 30 minutes to get to the city centre. CoachesNational Express coaches to London stop at the University on a Saturday and Sunday morning on the way there and on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays on the way back. This is often a cheaper alternative to the train. In addition there is a service 10 times a day to London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports via Thetford and Newmarket which calls at the University. From Norwich bus station you can catch any number of services to London running 5 times a day. Megabus also offer coaches to London TrainsNational Express East Anglia operate most of the trains here. The Norwich to London Liverpool Street intercity service runs every 30 minutes, and it costs £6 single if you book in advance but will cost £21.50 (with a rail card) if you decide to go last minute. The Norwich to Liverpool cross country service runs approximately every hour and will connect you to virtually every major city in between. There are also local services to north Norfolk (Cromer and Sheringham - ideal for the beach!) as well as the other seaside resorts Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. You can get the '25' or '35' bus to the station, and you will usually a find a taxi waiting outside the station. FlightsNorwich also has an international airport. There are frequent flights to Amsterdam Schipol where you catch a connection to major destinations around the world! FlyBe now offers flights to UK destinations too, such as Belfast. CareersA careers centre is located on campus and runs several careers fairs throughout the year. Also talks and advice sessions are frequent - current programs of events are available on their website. You can pop in and book an appointment to get your CV into shape. Part-Time JobsThe Union runs 'Employability' which has a small shop on campus and advertises part time work available on and off campus from the university and local employers. Otherwise part time jobs are relatively easy to find as long as you are fairly flexible. The university offers students to apply to be Student Ambassadors, working at Open Days and various other events throughout the year. Applications open in the first week of term, and involve a short interview, and if successful require a days training. Work for this is flexible, and you can apply for as much as you want (the minimum is 24 hours for the whole year, but you can work more.). Other work is available on open days through the individual schools. The union also employ a good number of students to run the Hive, LCR and bar. Religious FacilitiesThe Chaplaincy on campus is somewhere for any person to go, no matter what religion, to meet other people and learn more about faith. There is time for quiet reflection and worship too. Prayer facilities for Muslim students are available in the UEA Islamic Prayer Centre on campus. Social LifeMain student night is Thursday, although you can find somewhere with a student night on pretty much most of the week. In the union there is the LCR club night every Tuesday - legendary amongst students (popular music, students and cheap alcohol)! Most Tuesday LCRs have a fancy dress theme - ranging from 999, disney, under the sea, Skool Daze...the list goes on! The Hive, (the room adjacent to the LCR) features a contrasting genre to the main LCR. There is also an additional night in the LCR on Saturdays, which include The A List (most current music of all genres) and “Harmony” in the Hive (R’n’B, Hip Hop and Dancehall hits) Now 90s (pop, britpop, dance and chart music from the 1990s) and "Vibe in the Hive" (blend of R'n'B, Hip Hop, Dance and more...) Club Retro (Rock’n’Roll, Soul, Pop, Disco, Classic Rock and more… the best of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s) and “Club Neo” in the Hive (everything modern and electronic, from house, dance, electro, d’n’b and dubstep) The Other One (best music from 2000 to now of all different genres) and "Elektricity" in the Hive (mix of Indie, Rock & Electro) There's also plenty of places in the city should the LCR not tickle your fancy (or you get sick of it!)... The clubs in the city centre tend to open and close every few years as each gets popular. Project is currently the largest club in Norwich with many other popular ones for students as they all have student nights including Lola Lo's, Knowhere, Havanas (opens til late). Bars and ClubsPlenty to choose from catering for all tastes! Main student night is Tuesday, although you can find somewhere with a student night on pretty much most of the week (except weekends where the drinks are hideously expensive and its mainly locals). The union also owns The Waterfront, which just out of the city centre, offers the best alternative music night in a Saturday night, and the prices are more expensive than the actual union bar, but much cheaper than other bars/clubs. Also every second Friday of the month there is 80s night, which is the best place to go if you need to feel young again! EventsAside from the LCR nights, the union also gets very good bands, many big names have played here. Gig tickets are usually around 8-20 depending on the band and the venue (gigs are held both in the LCR and the Waterfront). See the box office website for details. www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk Fresher's Week 2008This September's Freshers Weeks includes comedian Ed Bryne, Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, a Now 90s night with special guests B*Witched, and a whole host of other events! Fresher's Week 2009The LCR brought a 'Fake That' tribute act, Icebreakers club night, a hypnotist act, Farmers Fancy Dress club night, Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, The Cribs gig, Harmony (R&B) club night, The Fresher's Bash featuring Radio 1 DJ Reggie Yates and fair rides, three of Michael McIntyre's Roadshow comedians for the Comedy Night, and Dave Pearce's Club Anthems. Fresher's Week 2010Featuring icebreaker events, comedy, a t-shirt party, Pendulum DJ set, Zane Lowe DJ set among others. Society and Sports signup, plant and poster sales also go on during the week at the Fresher's Fair. Clubs and SocietiesMost interests are represented by a society or sports club! If you can't find anything that suits you, you can start your own society - you need 30 signatures and a risk assessment! Most socs are £3 to join, sports clubs more expensive depending on type of sport and how often you had practice etc. But prices are for the whole year (so if you join the swimming club for £10 you have free access to the swimming pool during training times, even if you don't train with the club). The Union is active in supporting clubs and societies which make up a very important social aspect to university life. AccommodationAccommodation PolicyAccommodation is offered to students in their first year of University, and also for most of those students who are spending a year abroad at the university itself. All residents are open throughout the year on a 38 week (or 50 week for Postgraduates if needed) letting, therefore charging students an annual fee. Students are required within UEA's halls to follow rules such as to keep the place in a clean state, but also to be sensitive to the needs of other students. Currently all residences are allocated a Resident Tutor, who is often an older student who lives alongside the students and is their linkage should anything disastrous go wrong. The RTs act on a strictly confidential basis therefore if you report a problem it is not discussed with any third parties, unless there is need to. All reports are written by hand and therefore there is no record of them post the initial report. Residences and FacilitiesFacilities vary from residence to residence. The UEA currently has around 3500 bedrooms and there are both En-suite and Standard Options available. About two thirds of the rooms are en-suite. Standard rooms on campus are to be found in the pyramid shaped Ziggurats Norfolk and Suffolk Terraces which overlook the UEA broad and are one of the most central residence on campus. The two terraces have both been refurbished in the last two years, and are now much more comfortable than previously. They have large-ish single rooms with sinks and plenty of storage and there are 3 bathrooms and one kitchen per floor which can cater for up to 14 people. One disadvantage of the Ziggurats is that the large windows quite often cause the rooms and kitchens to turn into greenhouses, but they are probably the most social accommodation and are significantly cheaper than other accommodation on campus. There are also more standard rooms on campus in Orwell and Wolfson Close, these are slightly cheaper than the terraces but you don't get a washbasin in your room like you do in Norfolk or Suffolk Terrace. In Orwell and Wolfson Close the rooms are grouped in flats of 5 to 10 people depending on the house. There are also standard rooms available in the City Centre in Mary Chapman Court. The floors in this residence are smaller than most of the ones on campus, therefore only 5 people share one kitchen and bathroom. However, the kitchens are spacious and can hold more than the 5 people who live on the floor. Since these rooms are in the City Centre, they give you the advantage as a resident to learn the layout of Norwich, which has proven useful for students when they move out in their second year. Students are within close distance to the Market, and a variety of pubs, clubs and other activities such as cinema and theatre. Within the more expensive en-suite rooms you see the introduction of the personal shower and toilet. The pods which are named 'shower pods' resemble something out of Star Trek and give you the luxury of a personal shower, sink and toilet. Residences range from the University Village which is just outside the main gate of the University, to Nelson and Constable Terraces, Britten, Victory, Colman Kett, Browne and Paston Houses all of which are situated around the main campus and allow you to stroll in without travel. The amount of people you share a kitchen with in these residences is 8 up to sometimes 12. However there is enough storage space for everyone. None of the on campus residences (including the University Village) are more than 15 mins walk from the teaching blocks. If you live in Mary Chapman Court in the City Centre you will need to get a bus or bike in since its around 3 miles away. Should you be unfortunate to ever lose your keys there is the delight of having security bringing you a spare set; all for the price of £25. Many students do lose their keys and therefore they are open 24 hours, but also act on other emergencies such as fire alarms, robberies etc. During the Accommodation Office opening hours (9-5 Monday to Friday) however you can come and get a spare set for no charge to use while you find your old ones. Private SectorThere is plenty of student housing available in Norwich. Most students live within the Golden Triangle (Unthank Road, Colman Road, Earlham Road) between the city centre and University. Students are increasingly living in Three Score, Bowthorpe, West Earlham and Dereham areas too. Typical rent is probably currently around the £250 mark however it varies house to house. Student UnionPricesAs per usual with universities we can see that prices within UEA are quite expensive. Students are used to forking out around £5 for lunch, or £1 for a cup of coffee. The food unfortunately is not worth this price due to there being a shortage of vegetarian options but more pressingly vegan options. However there is a good variety of outlets on campus. Waterstones encourages many students to buy their books first hand from the shop on-site. Therefore students end up giving hundreds of pounds worth of money to them to receive the books. The Waterstones staff are knowledgable and communicate with the faculties to stock the correct books, they are very helpful at cutting down the list to only the ones needed for your course. Gig prices however range from the cheap to the expensive, averaging around £16 for the LCR, the Waterfront offers smaller, cheaper gigs averaging around £10. The LCR events on Tuesday nights, fancy dress Tuesday is reasonably priced at £3.50 and normal Saturday nights at £4.50; however tickets can sell out very quickly and often gig tickets are all sold out by the beginning of the term. A well established student run Facebook group entitled 'The spare LCR ticket group' provides reselling of sold out club night and gigs tickets between students; the union encourages prices at face value or very little above. EnvironmentArchitectureThe Architecture of UEA is a contentious issue, some love it and some love to hate it. Famous for the unusually high proportion of concrete, it’s certainly not to everyone’s taste and can seem pretty grim on a rainy day! However, there is a certain beauty to be found in Sir Lasdun’s listed Ziggurats, Norfolk and Suffolk Terraces. There is also the world famous Sainsbury Centre designed by Norman Foster, and one of the most energy efficient buildings in England, the Zuckerman building. The campus is centred around the main square, a wonderful space for initiations and lazing about on a summers day on the steps, and according to legend, the campus was designed so that no one building is more than 5 minutes from another. Unfortunately this is no longer the case due to expansion and new residences, but it remains compact and practical, located in a wonderful environment, overlooking the Norfolk Broads. Local AreaRanked the eight most prosperous shopping destination in the UK in 2006, the city of Norwich contains some lovely historical buildings including Norwich Castle and Norwich Cathedral. There is an ancient market place, and the two shopping malls provide most things you could possibly need. This is before you even make it on to the high street! As for entertainment, the Norwich Theatre Royal is a great place to see comedians, performances, and pantomimes. The Forum is Norwich's biggest library and it houses the BBC for the Eastern region. Meanwhile, there is a great selection of music venues ranging from the Norwich Arts Centre to the Waterfront and on-site UEA LCR. Detail be found here. It was once said that Norwich had a pub for every day of the year back in the medieval times, and it's reputation is still going strong. As for night clubs you will find Uber Cocktail Bar and Lounge, Lola Lo, Liquid, Mojos and the Mustard Lounge to name but a few. There is also the Norwich City Football Club where on a match day you can sample the half-time cuisine of Delia Smith - when she isn't on the pitch giving the fans a boost of morale! The city is also very close to the seaside resorts of Cromer, Southwold and Great Yarmouth, and is very close to the Norfolk Broads. Teaching QualityIn 2008 The Times newspaper ranked the UEA the 20th best university in the UK, while in the same year the UEA ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times league, 20th in The Telegraph, 40th in The Guardian, and 20th in The Independent. In 2011, The Sunday Times ranked UEA 28th, and The Guardian ranked it inside the top 20 at 19th. The Independent placed it 27th. Applying to UEAThinking of applying to University of East Anglia ? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other UEA ArticlesIf you're a student at the UEA already why not submit an article about the university that we can link to here? UEA Discussions
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