- Libraries:
- Bournemouth has two libraries which together contain 185,000 books, to be reasonably precise. This really isn't a great deal given the size of the University. The main municipal library in town gets considerable use by students. There are 1,200 study places on the main campus.
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- Computing:
- 1,000 computers are available but taking into account the opinions of students we met, this is not enough and competition is high. Free Internet access and a college e-mail account are provided though.
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- Sports:
- A sports user card costing £10 gives you access to an excellent range of facilities including a gym, climbing wall, squash courts, badminton, an all weather pitch and floodlit astro. There is also a Sports hall and ICCAS sports centre. There is nothing for the students based in town though. Sports teams do OK but not spectacularly, this is not a sportspersons uni. Events occur but they aren't well promoted. On the whole it seems that organisation is lacking.
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- Disabled Students:
- Top marks to Bournemouth here. Both the University and the the town provide very well for disabled students. A dedicated disablility co-ordinator highlights the University's commitment to an equal footing for all. Specially adapted accommodation is available on the main campus and the town bus company, Yellow Buses, have a fleet of kneeling buses on most routes making access much easier for wheelchair users. Basicallyunofficial-guides.com has yet to find a university or town so well adapted. Well done!
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- Student Welfare:
- A medical centre on the main campus deals with all your gripes and complaints. A team of doctors and nurses is always on hand. In a move that highlights how commercially-minded Bournemouth is, all counselling services are contracted out to the local authority. One student we talked to who was having problems settling in at Bournemouth said that the counselling service was open and very helpful and offered him all options such as transfers to unis closer to home and didn't just try to persuade him to stay at Bournemouth. This was great from his point of view.
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- Parking:
- There is some parking at the University campus and some limited spaces around halls. This is all permit-based and, given the high levels of car ownership, not really adequate. You should have no trouble finding parking in the town centre, but it is costly and really not worth it given that Bournemouth is a small town and has an excellent bus service. (The only one left in state ownership in England) The uni being difficult to get to in a car was cited as a big advantage by a many of the students we talked to. Parking around Cranborne House is tough as you are in direct competition with office workers.
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- University Shops:
- The main campus has a branch of STA travel, a bookshop and a mini-supermarket. They have good opening hours. The student village, within spitting distance, has another larger shop and there is a Sainsbury's not far away in Wallisdown.
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- University Bookshops:
- A branch of Waterstones serves the main campus and there are a couple of sizeable and well-stocked bookshops in the town.
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- Banking:
- A branch of Barclays Bank can be found on the main campus and there are all of the major banks close by.
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- Transport Policy:
- A bus service runs between the town centre and the university but is a real source of anger. It's supposed to come every half an hour but is frequently late and often too full. Although it's a simple walk to uni it is quite a way and it means that students in halls in town can't really on it. This creates an attitude of 'well if they can't be bothered to lay on decent transport I can't be bothered to go.' This is rather obviously bad. Without resorting to a car a bike or rollerblades are a good option.
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- Green Areas:
- The University is set in a large area of green space at Talbot Heath. There are numerous parks and gardens that run all the way through the town along the river and are very well looked after. One of these was recently renamed due to the fact that the council thought 'The Lower Pleasure Gardens' was an unacceptable name. Given the rampant debauchery of Bournemouth students I can't think why! Aside from this there is the beach within walking distance.
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