The Uni in general (Loughborough University in general)

Member Name: B0nfire

Product:	Loughborough University in general
Date:	01/07/00 (355 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good uni, and not just for sportsman

Disadvantages: A quiet location

Not, as some people believe, just for sporty types, Loughborough has an excellent Engineering Faculty, a superb Economics and business section, and several good quality science facilities. Of course, it also offers most of the above with sport.
The courses available are all taught by top-class academics, and the university is regularly rated well in the national league tables, but that’s not really what you want to know, is it?
Right then. Shops-wise, Loughborough is nothing special. The town is quite small, so if you want anything better you’ll need to travel. Luckily it sits nicely between both Leicester and Nottingham, which are both within easy reach via train. A similar situation exists with clubs, with a couple of pretty poor ones in Loughborough itself, but plenty nearby.
The student union is reputedly the biggest in the country, and I can well believe it. Set up as an independent business and run by elected students, it has resources that would be the envy of many departments and has recently completed a new radio and TV studio. It also contains several shops, two clubs, several places to eat, and numerous bars.
On the subject of bars, there are plenty dotted around the campus (yes, it’s a campus university, as opposed to a city one where everything is spread out), and there are a few very good ones in the town itself. Try the Orange Tree (which is a personal favourite), and the Forest Gate (just off campus, with a decent quiz from which I nearly got banned).
If you want to do something more constructive with your time you could always join one of the many (and I mean many) student sports societies, with everything from parachuting to go-karting to Aikido available, although for some you’ll need a medical certificate to prove you’re fit (don’t worry, you can get them from one of the university doctors).
Finally, I come to the halls. By now they should all have Internet connections (at a ver
y reasonable price), and you can choose from either catered or non-catered accommodation. If you’re doing a technical course (especially engineering, where the hours are quite long compared to many courses) I strongly recommend you pick non-, as sometimes project work and lectures cause you to miss meals.
All in all, a good university to go to. Don’t be put off by the location – Loughborough itself is quite a nice place to live and the two cities mentioned are within easy expeditionary distance if you need to strike out for civilisation.

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