Reading

Posted August 2nd, 2007 by csc104

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University Introduction

University:

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Address:

The University of Reading, Whiteknights PO Box 217 Reading Berkshire RG6 6AH United Kingdom

Contact number:

0118 378 8618/9

Website:

http://www.reading.ac.uk

Brief history:

The Universitys origins lie in the Schools of Art and Science established in Reading in 1860 and 1870. These became part of an extension college opened in 1892 by Christ Church, Oxford. The college thrived, receiving its first treasury grant in 1901.

Three years later the local Palmer family, of the famous biscuit manufacturer Huntley & Palmers, donated the London Road site. Their continued support helped to fund expansion, including the opening of Wantage Hall in 1908 and The Research Institute in Dairying in 1912.

They received a Royal Charter in 1926, the only university to do so between the two world wars. At the same time, Dr William M Childs became the University’s first Vice-Chancellor.

University Life

Accommodation & Surrounding Areas:

Availability
- The University of Reading owns 4800 rooms for students.

Contract Period
- 4 available
- 30 weeks (move belongings out of room during both Easter and Christmas vacations)
- 30 weeks + (leave belongings during both Easter and Christmas vacations but students cannot live there)
- 37 weeks (studtent able to live in rooms during both vacations)
- 50 weeks (student able to live in room all year round including summer)

Costs
- Catered room without wash basin costs £126 per week
- Catered room with wash basin costs £153 per week
- Self-catered room without wash basin costs £66 per week
- Self-catered room with wash basin costs £77 per week
- Self-catered room with en suite bathroom costs between £104 and £117 per week

Location
- All University owned accommodation (known as a Hall of Residence) is within a mile of the central study facilities and has easy access to shops, banks and social facilities. All Halls are located on bus routes from the town centre.

Facilities
- Internet access included
- Utilities included
- Discounted insurance available

Resources:

Library
- 1 100 000 books and journals
- 500 study places

Opening hours
- 66 weekday hours
- 12 weekend hours

IT
- 650 computers
- 24 hour access

Transport:

Services
- SU nightbus and Bulmershe campus shuttle bus.

Cost
- University run services are free. Buses into town cost £1.30 though.

Welfare:

Services
- Full GP Health Centre on campus
- Counselling service
- Students' Union Advice Team
- Nightline
- International Student advice
- Chaplaincy
- SU run Nursery
- Personal tutor

Sporting facilities:

SportsPark
- 90-station VO2 Fitness Studio
- Large sports hall for badminton, volleyball, 5-a-side, basketball etc.
- 2 specialist studios for dance, martial arts, yoga and Pilates.
- 4 squash courts (incl. 2 championship glass back courts)
- Full size floodlit synthetic turf pitch
- 5 floodlit tennis and 4 netball courts
- 3 grass tennis courts
- Grass pitches for rugby and football
- Floodlit grass training areas
- County standard cricket square
- Synthetic cricket wicket
- Indoor and outdoor cricket nets
- Croquet lawn.
- VO2 Fitness Studio

Bulmershe Court campus
- Sports hall
- Gymnasium
- Hard surfaced tennis courts
- Grass pitches

Water based
- Caversham Boathouse on the River Thames
- Wokingham Waterside Centre

Costs
- Annual classic pay-as-you-go membership costs £11 plus small charge for each visit.
- Annual VO2 (classic + free group exercise classes, fitness studio and induction) costs £135.
- Annual VO2Max (VO2 + free court hire, fitness assessment, fitness programme & 1 upgrade, 14-day advance bookings) costs £165.

Sports Clubs
- Aikido
- American Football
- Archery
- Athletics
- Boat Club (Rowing)
- Breakdance
- BUSA Appreciation Club
- Canoe Club
- Caving
- Cheerleaders
- Clay Pigeon
- Cycling
- Dance
- Fencing
- Floorball
- Golf
- Inline Hockey Club
- Jitsu
- Judo
- Karate K
- Karate S
- Kickboxing
- Kung Fu
- Lacrosse
- Latin Dance
- Men's & Ladies Squash Club
- Men's Badminton
- Men's Basketball
- Men's Fencing
- Men's Football
- Men's Hockey
- Men's Rugby
- Men's Tennis
- Men's Volleyball
- Mens Cricket
- Mixed Hockey
- Mountaineering
- Netball
- Ninjitsu
- Pistol and Rifle
- Polo
- Pool & Snooker
- Riding
- Sailing
- Skydiving
- Snowsports
- Sports Fed Committee
- Sub Aqua
- Surf
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tae Kwon Do
- Trampolining
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Women's Badminton
- Women's Basketball
- Women's Fencing
- Women's Football
- Women's Hockey
- Women's Rugby
- Women's Squash
- Women's Tennis
- Women's Volleyball
- Womens Cricket

The University is successful at a number of sports, including tennis, hockey, and squash. In 2007 the Men's Hockey 1st XI won the renowned British universities sports tournament, Dublin Fest. In particular, they are highly successful at Rowing and the Reading University Rowing Club team has won many awards and competitions. This is, in part, due to their prime location in the Thames Valley and the superb facilities that the students enjoy.[citation needed] Also in 2007, the Men's Association Football team became the highest placed in University history by winning the BUSA South East Division 1A Title and entering the BUSA Cup as one of the top 16 teams in the country, the first time this has ever been achieved.[citation needed]

Boring but important

Fees and bursaries:

Undergraduate fees
- All courses set at £3070 per annum
- Industrial placement year set at £620.

Bursaries
- University of Reading Bursary; varies from £330 to £1320, depending on how much HEMG you receive. For 1-25% of the £2765 HEMG the University of Reading Bursary provides £330; 26-50% £660; 51-75% £990; 76-100% £1320 (in 2007/8).
- Reading Real Estate Foundation (RREF) Undergraduate Bursary; Up to £4000 award for students enrolled on a Real Estate programme at the University and are in financial difficulty.

Scholarships
- Entrance Scholarships; £2000 award for students who achieve the qualifying requirements as stipulated by the department and specify Reading as their Firm choice.
> Agriculture
> Biology
> Chemistry
> Film, Theatre and Television
> Food Biosciences
> History of Art
> ICMA International Securities, Investment and Banking
> Management
> Mathematics
> Modern Languages
> Natural Sciences
> Pharmacy
> Politics
> Systems Engineering
> Typography

- Chemistry Scholarships; £1000 award for students who achieve Grade A or B in Chemistry at A level with a minimum of 260 UCAS Tariff points from 3 A levels.

- GlaxoSmithKline Scholarships; £1100 per annum for all undergraduate programmes within Food Biosciences students who hold the offer of a place in the Department of Food Biosciences as their FIRM choice on the UCAS system.

- Music Scholarships; £800 award for students who demonstrate musical excellence.

Notible alumni:

Jamie Cullum jazz man
Julian Barratt from BBC's The Mighty Boosh

Visiting

Rail:

Reading is a mainline train station and is easily accessible from most other places around the UK. There are direct trains from a number of major cities as well as a large number of routes through London. If you are travelling from or via London the best (and quickest) route to take is from London's Paddington station.

Coach:

If you are travelling to Reading by National Express Coach you will be dropped off at Calcot (next to a large Sainsbury's supermarket). In order to get to the University campus you must first take a bus to the train station and then take a second bus to the University. The Buses that run from Calcot to the Train Station are numbers 25, 44, 101, 102 or 103. The bus fare costs £1.50 each way and you will need the exact money as the buses do not give change.

Road:

The University of Reading is very easy to get to by car. The campuses are approximately 1.5 miles from the M4 motorway.

Whiteknights Campus
- The easiest and most direct route is via the M4 motorway.
- Leave the motorway at Junction 11.
- When you reach the roundabout at the top of the slip road take the B3270 (signposted to Earley & University).
- Follow this road around to the right and at the very end turn left at the roundabout.
- Follow this road and go straight across two mini roundabouts and a traffic light junction.
- After the traffic light junction you will see the campus on the right hand side, enter via the Shinfield Road entrance

Bulmershe Court Campus
- The easiest and most direct route is via the M4 motorway.
- Leave the motorway at Junction 11
- When you reach the roundabout at the top of the slip road take the B3270 (signposted to Earley & University).
- Follow this road around to the right and at the very end turn left at the roundabout.
- Follow this road and go straight across two mini roundabouts.
- At the next traffic light junction, turn right onto Pepper Lane.
- Turn left at the roundabout at the end of Pepper Lane.
- Continue along this road, straight across three mini roundabouts and one traffic light junction.
- At the next mini roundabout turn right onto Woodlands Avenue.
- You will see the Bulmershe Court campus on your right hand side.

Buses:

The buses that run from the train station to the University are as follows:

- To Whiteknights campus: numbers 9, 12 or 20 (Stand SK)
- To Bulmershe Court campus: numbers 42, 63 or 65 (Stand SC)

Taxis:

A taxi will cost you approximately £6 from the train station.