Colchester Institute - Student Life

Housing: House-shares and digs; talk to the student advice centre.

Eats: Lots of good, cheap restaurants around, eg Clowns, plus usual high street takeaways; meal for £3-£5. Training restaurants on campus (very cheap and good); meal on campus for £2ish.

Drink: The Marquis (North Hill) is SU's adopted bar, offers student prices. The Norfolk, Quiltes, Hogshead, Hole in the Wall, Edwards. Yates, Spoofers and Essex Uni bars all drunk in by students. Plans for SU bar.

Nightlife: SU run a range of events: pub-crawls, DJ nites, seasonal parties/trips; Essex Uni (2 miles from town centre) has variety of club/music events. Colchester Arts Centre, Hippodrome. Route, King's (Copford), Club Forin, Chicago's nightclubs, Oliver Twist (alternative), Mercury Theatre, 8-screen Odeon, Minories Art Gallery, museums.

Locals: Very friendly, even the army.

Sports: Good leisure centre at Colchester, with gym, swimming pool, ten-pin bowling etc. Sports and leisure centre at Clacton, swimming pool 3 minutes from site.

Travel: Free inter-site transport. Many courses organise trips abroad. Annual living costs: The minimum amount students say you need to live on each year (covering all living expenses but excluding tuition fees) is £3500.

Financial help: Access fund, situation reviewed case by case (but don't rely on it as hundreds apply).

Jobs: Lots available in bars and restaurants.

Best features: Easily accessible, not too pricey area.

And worst: Too many cars for the car park.

More info: Contact Colchester SU on Tel 01206 518705, email student.union(at)colchester.ac.uk or via website at www.cisu.org.uk

Past students: Graham Coxon (Blur's guitarist). Martin Litton (jazz pianist), Farnaby Brass Quartet, Ebony Wind Quartet, Simon Cornelias (footballer).