30,863 discussions, 145 guides
University of Aberdeen
30,863 discussions, 145 guides
University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
Kings College Campus
The High Street
Old Aberdeen
AB24 3FX
Scotland
1495
Slick FM
Slick FM is broadcast across Aberdeen, and is run entirely by students. It caters for a broad range of musical tastes and includes chat and current affairs....I wonder if that means gossip?!
Gaudie
The Gaudie is the student newspaper, which is published weekly and is totally free. The paper has won a few awards and has recently gone onto the web. It is quite an interesting read, with a range of articles written by students who either have an interest in journalism or just do it for pleasure.
'IN' is the Student Union magazine, published once a term, to publicise Student Union events.
The University has committed to building the Students' Association a new complex of buildings.
Nicky Campbell - Radio DJ
Alistair Darling - MP (Labour)
Denys Henderson - Chairman of ICI
James Naughtie - Presenter of BBC's 'Today'
6 (Six)
Sivells Cocktail Lounge - Sivells [/images/sivells2.jpg (click here to see photo)] is a modern, airy wine bar run by the Student Union. It is domed and the walls are decorated with murals. It is open until late most nights of the week.
The Dungeon - Well, as the name would suggest this is quite a dimly lit pub....and boasts some of the best student poetry associated with death!! (You'll see when you get there!).
Associates - This is a non-smoking bar that is only open Thursday to Saturday nights. The crowd tends to be older and it is not as popular as the other bars.
Factory - One of the Union's club venues playing mainly dance music and some of the chart stuff that is around. Tends to be quite popular, especially with the 1st and 2nd year students.
Liquid Loft - This is another of the Union's club venues, except that this one plays various music, from RnB to 70's and Indy. Add this to the fact that you have cheap drinks on demand.....and you're guaranteed a great night.
New Seasons Cafe Bar - This is a cafe bar serving great food throughout the day and drinks by night. Quite a good place to go if you feel like a coffee, food and an alternative to the King's refectory.
There is also a bar in the King's refectory....just in case you need to drown the taste of the food with some good old drink!!! (joking...the food isn't that bad).
Student Union functions are usually held in the Union building, where you have a good choice of bars and club venues. Aberdeen Student Union is the second largest in Scotland, with a capacity of 1600 people. There are 6 organised union fuctions per week, the most popular nights being Thursday, Friday and Saturday. After this you will need Sunday - Wednesday to recouperate....yeh right!
The Liquid Loft hosts live bands, which in the last year have included, Republica, Supernaturals, Dodgy, James Taylor Quartet, Asian dub Foundation and Clive Warren. The Dungeon hosts a quiz night on Monday, followed by a BINGO night on Tuesday (why? I don't know....perhaps they have a lot of mature students). Folk music is free in the Union on Wednesday nights.
By far the largest night of the year is the Bond Ball. It has a capacity of 2500 and boasts a FREE BAR! Lots of good music, men and women looking their best in formal attire, and copious amounts of booze make for a great night.
Throughout the year there are numerous other Balls, many run by clubs and societies, for example, the Athletics Association Ball and the Agricultural Ball (which I am told is very good). Being in Scotland, the majority of the guys wear kilts....and I hear that many of them keep with tradition when deciding what to wear underneath!
Aberdeen University has clubs and societies to suit all tastes. There are all the usual sports clubs, where you can tryout for the various University teams, rugby, football, hockey etc. Unusual sports are also catered for with the Underwater Hockey Club and Ultimate Frisbee.
However, the most unusual common interest societies include the Supernatural Society and the Ring of Fire - Curry Tasters Society. A full list of these can be found at Freshers' Fair.
Recent successes for Aberdeen's sports clubs include victory in the BUSA Table Tennis competition, as well as the BUSA Under Water Hockey (does anyone else have a team?!?). They have also been the Scottish Universities Hockey, Rowing and Judo Champions.
100
University accommodation is guaranteed to all first years who want it, and many second years live in as well. In the final two years (remember this is Scotland and so courses are usually four years), students normally live in private rented accommodation.
There are 3 groups of Halls and the accommodation is generally of a well-equipped and comfortable standard. The Hillhead Halls are the largest group of Halls, split into areas of flats and halls with small rooms. These are the most popular (probably because they are the cheapest), and have a great social atmosphere.
Crombie-Johnston Hall is more expensive but is closer to the University. As a result it tends to be better for those of you who like to roll out of bed and into class. The flats are for groups of 6-8 students, are self-catering and have common facilities.
When the time comes to live out, finding accommodation can be a bit problematic. Private accommodation tends to be let to oil workers, and can be expensive. There is usually enough student accommodation available, but be prepared to pay for it. Cheap areas like Sandilands have students in them, but the accommodation is usually really bad. Just be prepared to hunt for something good in better areas.
Many students turn up at Aberdeen not realising how far north they have actually come! It is 103 miles from Edinburgh and 410 miles from London. However, once there, they find that Aberdeen has plenty to offer in terms of pubs, clubs and retail therapy! There are two cinemas, the Odeon and a Virgin Multiplex, and several theatres.
Good pubs include, The Ellicit Still, and for clubs one should try Amadeus at the Beach which has a free bus on student nights!
Not forgetting the beautiful, sandy beaches close to the city, which are very popular for student beach parties during the summer. There are also the joys of Seaton Park, in which there is ample room to play football or practice for the University Frisbee Team!
The relationship between the locals and the students is described as "tolerable", but there are some complaints by the locals (no, not students) about noise. Funny, that....!
Car parking is limited, but not impossible. The Halls have enough parking (just), but we would recommend that you get there early in order to find a place. The Halls are all within walking distance.
There are no dedicated University branches, but there are branches of Clydesdale and the Bank of Scotland on the high street, right next to the campus. Students from other parts of the UK should remember that Scotland has different banks. It is probably best to open a student account once you arrive in Scotland.
The University is not fully suitable for disabled access at the moment, but there is a large amount of renovation going on to comply with regulations, including ramp and lift access.
The Union owns and operates 3 shops. One in the town, one on the High Street and one in the main halls complex. They all sell the usual amenities such as groceries, newspapers, stationary and University branded clothes.
Blackwells, providing all core text books, is on the High Street. Other books can also be ordered through them. The SRC also run a second hand book shop, which buys and sells academic books.
Sports are organised by the Athletics Association, run by a sabbatical officer. Sport is taken seriously at Aberdeen, but it is fair to say that the majority of students join sports teams to have a good time and meet friends aswell.
The sports facilities are based on 2 sites. The Butchart Recreation Centre is at King's and includes a sports hall, gym, 4 squash courts, and a climbing wall. King's also has a swimming pool, a playing field, and 3 all-weather tennis courts.
The main sports site, though, is at Balgownie where there are 20 acres of playing fields, a dry ski slope, a golf course and a running track with stadium! The University also owns a boathouse on the river and has a mountain lodge....pretty good for a romantic evening,.....if you can steal the key!
The University has managed to secure substantial discounts with the local bus company. However, negotiations are currently underway with Aberdeen's other institutions to set up an integrated student service.
Apart from the fact that Aberdeen is surrounded by countryside, the University does own some property in the Highlands which is used by departments for recreation or course work/field studies. There is also the beach....but this is more a sandy colour!!
There are three University libraries on the main campus, holding over 1 million volumes and periodicals. They are: the Divinity Library, the Taylor Library (Law library) and the Queen Mother Library (Main library). There are also departmental libraries and a large Medical Library situated in the Medical Faculty at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Overall, students seem to like the facilities but complain that many of the books are not available when they most need them. They would like to see more books on restricted access.
The University boasts over 1000 computer workstations, with over 200 of them available 24hrs a day! All students get free e-mail and Internet access.
The University of Aberdeen has a fairly comprehensive welfare system in operation. The University Counselling Service has three part-time staff and is always ready to help. For those with some sort of "new strain common cold" there is the Health Centre, which also offers sexual health advice. In addition, there is a non-denominational Chaplaincy.
Failing that, there is a full time welfare officer in the SRC, a place that has every leaflet on every welfare related subject in the world! The SRC can also give you financial advice and practical everyday help. There is also a great night taxi scheme where you pay the SRC the next morning for a taxi to get you home. The Night-line service may be reinstated.
