Royal Holloway Conference Centre (also a University) (Royal Holloway College, University of London in general)

Member Name: moongod

Product:	Royal Holloway College, University of London in general
Date:	05/03/02 (855 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful building, Beautiful building, Beautiful building

Disadvantages: Everything else

First things first - Royal Holloway IS stunning.

Correction. Founders building is stunning. The Queens' Annexe portakabin is not.

So here is the problem. Royal Holloway attracts the kind of people that go to a university just because it looks nice. Add that to a fairly high profile drama department and a high intake of materially-endowed foreign students (mainly Greek, Arab and Chinese) and it is superficial luvvy-with-BMW heaven.

Mobile phones were in abundance here before students had even heard about phone cards. Second hand shops? You have to be joking. Only Armani and Versace here.

Yes, it is part of the University of London and you would have qualified for a London-rate grant if they still gave them out in any quantity. The college management also use that as an excuse to charge London prices for accommodation, of which is so lacking they can't house a good proportion of the first year and I knew 7 girls that shared a room for a few months. Mattress hell.

Speaking of hell, there's the parking...being in the countryside, a car is really helpful (especially as the last train from London leaves before midnight). Egham is a small town with 5,500 students in it. Needless to say, the small village roads and average of one car per two students makes for some local disgruntlement. Let's say that the police aren't going to raise an eyebrow if you say your car's been keyed by a neighbour. Egham is also known for it's National Front presence, although this can't be any worse than say, Tower Hamlets.

It's saving grace is that it IS only 35 minutes on the train to Waterloo, whilst still being in the countryside. Great for gigs, clubbing and shopping. That would explain why the university is deserted on weekends...

Some people never make it to London because they are busy 'chilling out' meaning they are so laid back, they are falling over backwards. Yea
h man.

Also, stunning Virginia Water and Great Windsor are within a stones throw and the shopping metropolis of Staines...country pubs are in abundance (Royal Ascot, Happy Man etc) but restaurants can be pricey. Students are more at home on campus in the Stumble Inn, Union Bar or Crosslands. Another bonus is that muggings are rarer than in the city, so drunken wanderings home are less hazardous.

Back to the restaurants...Special mention to the Egham Brasserie - my favourite Indian restaurant. Ever. Decent prices too.

BTW - some people actually go for the courses. If you really want to do that specific course and can afford it, go for it. Otherwise, you could do better. But hey, it's beautiful, right?

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