30,681 discussions, 145 guides
Loughborough University
30,681 discussions, 145 guides
Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough
Leicestershire
LE11 3TU
1966
LCR
Loughborough Campus Radio broadcasts on an AM licence 24 hours a day on 1350AM. It is student run organisation with a full time technical manager. The Dum Dums visited recently for an interview, which is an endorsement of the spanking new media centre which houses the studios. The station itself is 27 years old, but broadcast on a lower frequency from porta-cabins for most of that time. The station also hosted the Student Radio Association Conference in 2001. Listen to them on [/external/?http://www.lsu.lboro.ac.uk/lcr/ LCR].
Label
A free weekly magazine with a distribution of around 3000, that shares the plush media centre with LCR. Label includes: News, Focus, Arts, Style, Music, Opinion and Sports sections. Label is at the cutting edge of media, articles can be submitted online by students, and also has an online version of Label with a special technology section called Icon.
Not any just yet from the Union's point of view, as they've just shelled out for an extension to the Union building to make more office space available particularly for the Label magazine and LCRadio.
Seb Coe - Runner turned MP and Lord
Steve Backley - Javelineer
David Moorcroft - Runner
Bob Wilson - Ex-Arsenal goal-keeper
Clive Woodward - England Rugby coach
5 bars in the Union Building and 3 bars in the Halls of Residence. The SU has a huge venue when all the bars are open with a capacity of 2600. SU bars include: JC's - The typical campus pub with wood finish, bit small though. Fusion - a big clean cut room with two bars, cocktails and food. Sofas and stalls for a chilled atmosphere Bocca Bar - Its been likened to a fish tank. A trendy bar - grab your seats early! The Junction Bar - A small night club. Boardwalk - In the middle of the Union, the main bar and next to the dance floor.
Que Passa - Is quite a popular hall of residence bar with a Spanish - Mexican theme. Other Hall bars are EHB and Herbie's.
Monday - Funked UP in Fusion Bar with cocktails Tuesday - Stupid Tuesday in the Junction, cheap booze and cheesy music Wednesday - Hey Ewe! all the bars are open for those thirsty sportsmen and women. £1 a pint and Midnight Madness Thursday - Live bands and club music in the Main Auditorium Fridays - FND Friday night disco, all bars are open until late Saturday - Comedy Club and Happy Saturday in Fusion Sunday - Flix Student Cinema from 530 and Late Licence at 9 till 12:30
Thanks to Andy Marlow for information.
The Union holds its Summer Ball in July and the End of Term Parties are always good for a laugh.
From Hot Air Ballooning to Tuxedo Swing, there is a line-up of Societies that is made up predominantly by cultural and hobbyist societies (mainly musical) with a smattering of political and religious societies. The 50 strong Societies division has only one academic society - chemical engineering! There are around 60 clubs. The Athletic Union boasts that it is the best in the country, and it has to be admitted that it does very well in the BUSA competitions, topping it for the last decade or two! Athletics is very strong at the moment, but they haven't got any good skiers?
Loughborough are regular winners of the national BUSA sports competitions. So just far too many to mention really.
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The Halls of Residence are all in one place - the student village as they call it. 1100 students all in one place, expect capers. All halls are mixed. Catered: Cayley - Small 70's brick building which as a result of its size has a warm atmosphere. Facilities aren't all that special, the dining hall doubles as a social venue. Has a games room and laundry David Collett - Pleasant looking and recently built halls. All rooms have telephone and internet connections. Again - quite small. Weekend meals, laundry, Sky TV and rooms for people with disabilities. Elvyn Richards - The largest hall is arranged around five courts, pretty mediocre - telephone lines to some rooms. Weekend meals, laundry, games room, Sky TV and Bar Faraday - 60's buildings with a 90's extension. Nice location - near to everywhere, facilities aren't that great though. It has a games room, laundry and the dining hall doubles as a venue for social occasions. Hazlerigg-Rutland - Impressive building, more akin to a Victorian mansion, with a grand garden too. It is very small and doesn't have any communal social facilities, but this doesn't affect the close-knit atmosphere and the Student's Union is very nearby anyway. On the Self catering side: Butler Court - Newest of the halls, has swipecard doors. There is a lack of communal social facilities, the kitchens being the focal point. It does have ensuite rooms (shared between two though), and Sky TV. Falkner - Eggington - Largest of the self-catering halls with more of a culturally diverse population than the other halls. Houses postgraduates as well, so beware of their complaints about noise and the mess you left in the kitchen sink. Forest Court - A small and over-subscribed hall. Everybody knows everybody, and the halls have a games room as well. The Hall is made up of flats of one single, and two twin rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Harry French - Good location, in between Sainsbury's (along with the rest of Lufbra), and the Northern end of campus. Most rooms have washbasins, some are shared though. Telford - Pretty small, but good location next to the sports pitches, the bank and the Purple Onion restaurant. Full of sportspeople. Rooms are single and some have ensuite bathrooms. Royce - Apparently the most hardcore of all halls with plenty of partying. Nothing particularly special in terms of facilities.
There's an awesome accommodation guide on Loughborough's website with info on each hall. They also have contact details for hall student committees and some social information. In the private sector decent priced houses are relatively easy to find. The uni operates a head let scheme where they manage properties for private owners and only rent to Lufbra students. They give help and advice for those going into a rent agreement and also offer a 'findahouse' service that searches their database of approved landlords. With all things considered Lufbra has truly top notch accommodation and accommodation services. Gold star from us.
Shoppingwise Loughborough isn't the best for selection but is home to Next, Dorothy Perkins, New Look, Boots, Evans, Dixons and WHSmith to name some. Sainsbury's is the nearest supermarket to campus and Tesco's serves many of those in private houses.
Clubwise there is Echoes sweat drips off the ceiling at this boogie den (70's and 80's nights are popular). Discoteca is another small club but is good for its dance nights (good for a change). Pulse is a bit bigger (all lufbra clubs are fairly small) and puts on a kicking student night on Tuesdays.
Restaurants. For Indian try Koh-i-noor for the best curry in town. Chinese Mr Chan's buffet is worth checking out. Yum Yums is an award-winning Thai restaurant. Try Cactus Cafe for those celebratory occasions with a Mexican flavour. Biarritz is fave with the students - good food at good prices and pretty swish after its refurb. When people visit you on Sunday try the carvery at Forest Gate its ridiculously cheap and close to campus.
Pubs: try the Blacksmiths Arms as the student hangout. The Orange Tree is very popular, classy and serves great food too - highly recommended. There is also a Weatherspoons for those many cheap pints.
Dreadful. You can be a permit holder at some Halls of Residence if you have a good enough reason. There are pay and display car parks around and on campus but his might get quite expensive. The Union and University do make up for this though by providing free transport to most essential places.
All the major cash machines are on campus somewhere or another but when it comes to finding a branch of your bank you might find it more difficult. There was a branch of TSB but his has closed down, so on the rare occasions that you do have to pay in a cheque (instead of increasing you overdraft) then track on into town.
The Student Village is fairly modern and as a result is not bad for access generally. In recent years extensions have been made to Halls of Residence to incorporate rooms that are suitable for students that have hearing, sight or access problems. These rooms are both catered and self-catering and have ensuite facilities. In addition you may find it useful to have a look at the University's Special Needs Website [/external/?http://www.lboro.ac.uk/disabilities/ Click Here].
Apart from the Union Shop itself (which provides most basic groceries, souvenirs, newspapers and cigarettes), there is a hairdresser, a video hire shop, a dress-hire shop, and a branch of STA Travel. The campus is almost self-sufficient, but it has to be really seeing as the selection of shops in Loughborough itself isn't marvellous.
Blackwells have the monopoly on your book budget here, and will stock or (for the more obscure texts) order in books for you. Text books for science subjects often range from about £25 to £45, and you may have to buy as many as 4 per year so it can get quite pricey.
Lots
The Union runs a night-bus which takes students that have been on the razzle in the SU bars back to doorstep (where they will struggle to apply key to lock) for the grand total of £0 and 0p. Not bad, it runs every night too.
The Student Village is fairly spaced out and there is plenty of grass to lounge on during those long lazy summer days (that always come during the height of exams). Apart from that Loughborough melts into Leicester as it sprawls outward. The University is however on the outskirts of the town and the countryside isn't too far away, also there are some pleasant canal-side walks (stop off at the Boat Inn on the way if you get thirsty).
The Pilkington Library (everything but Art and Design) is open from 9am to 10pm during weekdays in the termtime. The Fairburn Library (Art and Design)is the smnaller library and opens from 9am to 9pm. Opened in 1997. Both libraries are open from 9am to 5pm at other times. In all there are 400,000 books and 550 workstations.
There is a hotch-potch of computing facilities divided between the various departments. The main services are housed in the Haslegrave Building where the reception is open from 9am to 7pm but there is 24 hour swipecard access, which is still, believe it or not, not common to many universities.
Medical Care is pretty good here. There are four doctors and eleven nurses and special contaceptive and travel clinics are held (depending on which day it is). The Counselling Service consists of six counsellors who specialise in a variety of areas. There is also a Disabilities and Additional Needs Liason (DANs) and if you have any queries then you should click through to their website [/external/?http://www.lboro.ac.uk/disabilities/ DANs]. There is also a chaplaincy and for those worried, Loughborough is pretty international student friendly.
The Student Union has an advice centre that can help on any issue or refer you to someone else with more expertise. The SU run a Campus Nursey and also run a Student Employment Exchange if (God forbid!) you want to get a job.
