Kingston University - Student View

Spread across 4 sites, all within 3 miles of the town centre. Main site on Penrhyn Road is administrative centre of university and SU, as well as housing faculties of science, arts and social science. Faculty of design is at Knights Park, business and healthcare at Kingston Hill and engineering at Roehampton Vale.

Often rated among the top 10 new universities; teaching quality is high. The first year of many courses can be quite relaxed but pressure increases in the second year. Support is available to any student struggling with the course demands and it is relatively easy to change course in first term (so drop-out rate effectively managed). Opportunity for study abroad or a year out in industry on many courses (valuable cultural and work experience, and gives the CV a competitive edge).

Kingston is 15 miles and a fast train and bus ride from London. Its town centre (fully pedestrianised) is always buzzing and offers superb shopping, lots of pubs and restaurants (for all budgets), 4 nightclubs and cinema complex. Easy to get away from the hustle and bustle to Richmond Park, and Twickenham and Wimbledon are a stone's throw away for sports fans. Uni has housing vacancy list and a head tenancy scheme for second and third years; many students can still find it traumatic finding accommodation: private housing is expensive (£65-£90 a week) and estate agents charge extortionate rates (and many will not deal with students).

Many students live at home which diminishes the overall student experience. Most have part-time jobs in pubs, shops and the union and many struggle to make ends meet.

SU runs 3 bars, 2 shops, 2 Subways and a Gannet eatery; also the sporting and recreational clubs and societies, from the ordinary (football, rugby, politics etc), to the rather less ordinary (sub-aqua, film and cult television society).

University fitness centre has weights room, aerobics classes, sun bed and lots of contemporary dance classes (salsa, lambada and breakdancing etc). SU not party political but is involved in campaigning on issues directly relevant to students (end to student hardship, sexual health, freeing Wednesday afternoons).

Range of SU run entertainments - all music tastes are catered for and ethnic diversity of Kingston students is represented in the theme nights on offer (from Bhangra and cheesy pop to special events with artists such as Jools Holland).