Camborne School of Mines - Student View

The world-renowned CSM has moved from its old site to the brand new Tremough Campus, which it shares with the other partners in the Combined Universities in Cornwall.

This is a 70-acre site set in countryside with commanding views over to the Fal estuary. There is some evidence that a Tremough settlement dates back to the Bronze Age but more recently it has been a 'gentlemen's academy' and a convent school. It retains its 18th-century country house and Italian garden and is a short walk from the ancient town of Penryn.

Falmouth is about a 10-minute drive away, a bustling town and a premiere holiday destination with a lively student culture. The learning resource centre on campus houses the library and IT facilities, giving access to 70,000+ volumes including specialist publications, video, map and journal collections, and Exeter University's online catalogue. The library is open until 9pm on weekdays and IT suite 24/7; there's an induction programme for all new students and a help desk. CSM offers a wide range of courses, including mining, geology, environmental science and technology and more recently renewable energy.

The courses maximise on the local environment and historical relations with many field trips throughout the year. It operates on a first name basis between all staff and students which gives a feel of its close community. With the establishment of the University of Exeter in Cornwall (UEC) at Tremough Campus, students can now study for degrees in geography, conservation biology & ecology as well.

Brand new, purpose-built accommodation on campus (Glasney Parc) houses 500 students, deliberately designed to emphasise a sense of community; exterior materials reflect the Cornish environment and it is surrounded by an established woodland. All residences are self-catering, in clusters of 7 ensuite study bedrooms with shared kitchen/sitting rooms; additional facilities include the use of two launderettes, a bicycle store and surfboard lockers. On-campus social life centres around the two bars; they incorporate a night club by night, with a capacity of 1000, which has hosted some big acts and, as the reputation of the campus grows, expects to host more.

Falmouth is a great place for a night out - there's lots of live music and good bars and clubs. Cornwall has a unique cultural heritage and many traditional festivals eg May Day celebrations in Padstow which draw large crowds. Also the stunning Tate at St Ives, new National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, the Minack Theatre on the cliff edge at Porthcurno and the Eden Project. Majority of students spend most of their spare time on sport and the location gives excellent opportunities for outdoor life.