30,962 discussions, 145 guides
De Montfort University
30,962 discussions, 145 guides
De Montfort University
De Montfort University Leicester
The Gateway
Leicester
LE1 9BH
Tel:+44 (0)116 255 1551
This is the main site among the four but there are branches in Bedford, Lincoln and for the time being Milton Keynes.
1969
Demon FM
Demon has a restricted service licence much like other uni radio stations. It is usually broadcasting in October and April. When not on the air the station is pretty active in terms of events and raising revenue. They also put on road shows.
Fusion
Fusion is certainly what De Montfort could do with. Having half the country between its four sites makes things pretty difficult and the magazine is no exception. This is a glossy mag dealing with student issues, travel and competitions. It is held together by the fact that the person responsible for editing it is the union communications officer, who is a full time paid member of staff.
Community projects with schools and colleges are on the agenda. These will use Demon FM to involve A level students, giving them airtime. The University is killing off the Milton Keynes campus due to a drop in student numbers. It will no longer be admitting students and thus will close when the current crop graduates.
Charles Dance - Actor
Englebert Humperdink - Chronic chest hair sufferer
Split between four cities with each of them having multiple sites means that socially De Montfort is a bit of a mess. Four out of the eight sites have something to offer in the way of evening entertainment and the main Students' Union is on the Leicester campus. This is the only one that has a night club and late licence every night.
Each of the cities has a De Montfort Students' Union facility so even if there isn't one at your site, there will be something nearby.
All of the bars have promos and activities of some kind so you shouldn't be completely bored but make sure you check carefully where you are going to be studying as the social experience can be very varied. (Scraptoft is pretty poor for example.)
Big Cheese and Kinky Afro are offered by the main union and seem to go down pretty well. Leicester puts on big gigs at The Arena which attracts some huge names and is one of the best student venues around. Other good places include Kudos (club), Russell's (bar) and Gold's. Bedford and Milton Keynes have late licences on Fridays which keep things going until 1am.
Wednesdays at Bedford are the sporty night with cheese and alcohol galore. Fridays are usually large at Milton Keynes but the best night varies in Lincoln.
Major social events are seperate for each city. Bedford and Milton Keynes often club together though. In recent times the Leicester union has hired out Donington Park for balls. They have the usual combination of bands and fairground rides. All good fun.
Quite a few but they are split up around the sites. If you are at Leicester then things get a lot easier and there are enough students to make a go of almost anything. Some of the smaller sites around Lincoln have very low numbers and are out of the way, making participation difficult.
None that we know of.
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There is accommodation at each of the sites but unfortunately not enough. If you do get a place in halls you will always be housed in the city where your teaching takes place and there is no need to commute between cities. However some students might have to jet between sites within town. For example, students at Scraptoft are often housed 6 miles away in Leicester city centre. There is a combination of flats, traditional corridor halls and houses so it really is a mixed bag. Take the right attitude with you, i.e. relaxed and friendly, and it really doesn't matter what you get. As a rule students tend to stay within their assigned city. At least one pilgrammage to the Leicester site should be made though, as the social facilties are worth writing home about. Here is some brief info on each site in particular.
Milton Keynes - Only self-catered, newish Bedford - Mostly catered and food is abysmal Lincoln - Halls at two sites which can be a bit quiet Leicester - Mixture of types, best for access to social facilties. Head for Bede if you want it shiny and new.
Milton Keynes - New town the subject of much ridicule. It isn't that bad but is a bit of a cultural vacuum. The cinema and other facilities are pretty good though. No real student influence. Lincoln - One of the most beautiful and unspoilt cities in England and a joy to study in but as with many older and more traditional towns it can be a bit restrictive. Good pubs Leicester - A decent sized city which has plenty going on. Quite a lot of the students are locals and with Leicester University also in the town there is plenty of provision. Bedford - A bit of a nothing town really. There is a fair amount of activity, but being close to London is probably the biggest advantage.
Not too bad at the countryfied sites but anything in cities is worth avoiding in a car. If you are out of town and have a car then bring it as it could be the thing to save you from madness as it gets more and more claustrophobic.
Milton Keynes has a cashpoint. The sites in Lincoln and Bedford are close to cash machines but getting money can be a pain in the arse at the minor, out of the way centres. The Leicester site has two cash machines outside the SU and Lloyds TSB are rumoured to be moving in making all the easier to spend your cash.
Milton Keynes, being new is well equipped. Leicester is very poor and Bedford struggles by. Lincoln is an old city so most of the problems here are due to things beyond the university's control.
Shops tend to be wherever the bars are as all union facilities are clumped together. They all sell stationery and basic groceries. At Leicester There is a 'Spar' type shop in the union and a bigger mini supermarket outside. Prices don't seem too bad.
There is a bookshop in the SU and one in the library. prices are no different to normal though, which seems like a wasted opportunity.
Leicester - Between the City Centre and Caythorpe sites there are: A gym, playing fields, squash and badminton courts, a sauna and fitness suite. Bedford - Sports hall, pool, gyms and fitness suite, grass and fake pitches. Milton Keynes - Local sports centre at reduced rates. Lincoln - A pool, golf course, pitches and a sports hall are shared between the sites.
The union tried to organise a minibus service but it never got off the ground. You're on your own I'm afraid.
Varies so greatly from site to site that we can't really say. None of the centres is in the middle of a metropolis though so the countryside, or at least less developed areas, are never far away.
There are libraries in each city and you can order a book from any of the others. The facilities at Milton Keynes are good, being relatively new. Students here can also use the Open University facilties, which are excellent.
It used to be quite bad all round but big spending at the Leicester site means that the wait is rarely over 10 minutes. The machines are also pretty modern.
Something at each site but Leicester has the best. The union operates on two levels with an overall president and then sub presidents at each site, so you should never feel under-represented, but be prepared for the dominance of students from the Leicester sites.
