One of the best! (University of Essex in general)

Member Name: ian22

Product:	University of Essex in general
Date:	10/04/03 (476 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Academically very strong

Disadvantages: Concrete buildings slightly off-putting

The University of Essex is fairly small with around 7000 students. About 5000 of these are undergraduates and the remaining 2000 are postgraduates.

The university is set in Wivenhoe Park, a beautiful 200 acre country park situated on the outskirts of Colchester. The university was built in the 1960s at roughly the same time as Warwick, York and the UEA. Its concrete buildings are not particularly attractive aesthetically, but the construction of more modern buildings in recent years has given the campus a more contemporary feel. The most recent of these is a new centre homing the departments of history, psychology and accounting.

Academically the university is very strong, although predominantly in the Social Sciences. Even though there are only 17 departments, the majority of these have done very well in university league tables. This is how the Guardian recently ranked each department (position out of X departments nationally):

1.Accounting, Finance and Management (Not known)
2.Art History and Theory (4/35)
3.Biological Sciences (incl. Sports Science) (28/95)
4.Computer Science (44/109)
5.Drama (18/69)
6.Economics (7/77)
7.Electrical Engineering (4/77)
8.Government and Politics (Not known, but excellent reputation)
9.Health and Human Sciences (Not known)
10.History (21/99)
11.Modern Languages (31/85)
12.Law (6/88)
13.Literature (24/105)
14.Mathematics (62/84)
15.Philosophy (5/53)
16.Psychology (45/96)
17.Sociology (10/93)

Quite a few of these departments are ranked in the top 10, and many of them are rated very highly for the research they conduct. While the social science departments have flourished in recent years, some of the science departments have lost ground. The Physics department was closed several years ago, and more recently, we almost saw the demise of the Mathematics department. Unfortunately, this seems to be a sign of the times, as more and more uni
versities are closing departments to save money.

Socially, the university has a great deal to offer. Because a large proportion of students come from overseas, the student population has a multicultural feel to it. There's a great sense of camaraderie and community spirit on campus, and most people get on well together.

The campus has several shops and numerous cafés, restaurants and bars. The most recent is Café Mondo, a kind of bar/café. This, like Café Vert, can be pricey, but there are other cheaper places to eat too, like SX Express and Food on 3. The Student Union bar is undoubtedly the most popular haunt amongst students, as it's virtually opposite the lecture theatres! It has also recently undergone a major refurbishment.

Finally, a word or two about Colchester and the surrounding area. The university is situated a few miles from Colchester town centre, but there are regular bus services from the university to the town. There's also a number 78 bus which goes directly from the university to Colchester North Station (the main railway station). This runs about every 30 minutes.

Colchester boasts a very good shopping centre, with everything from Virgin Megastores and Waterstones, to Boots and Sainsbury's. There are several large supermarkets - a 24 hour Tesco 5 minutes walk from the university, an ASDA near the railway station and a Sainsbury's in town.

All in all, Colchester is very well-served for a large town, but bear in mind that it is not a city. If you want the bright lights and dazzling nightclubs, it may not be the place for you. Its proximity to London, Ipswich and Norwich, however, makes it a good place to be.

I hope this has been a help to prospective students who are thinking of going to the University of Essex. It has certainly rekindled some of the fond memories I have for this place, and allowed me to remember the good times I spent there...

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