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In the latest of Times Online's university profiles, Simon Ruse, in his third year of a Politics degree, gives a student view of the University of Liverpool.

Being a student in Liverpool

800 hundred years old and the butt of many a joke. Some say Liverpool is a faded and tormented city, once made rich through the slave trade and now merely known for football and the Beatles. Despite being the fifth most populous city in England, the city centre is relatively compact and does not quite have the atmosphere of a metropolis. Liverpool has a cosy feel not found in England’s other industrial cities; however it has enough on offer for even the most insatiable student appetite, especially with the whole of the northwest on your doorstep. All the activity associated with the Capital of Culture in 2008 is in tandem with a wider programme of regeneration. Liverpool is certainly a growing and developing city.

Contrary to popular belief Scousers do not all wear tracksuits and sport Kevin Keegan inspired perms. For those with an interest in sartorial elegance, whether it be flaunting one’s own or attempting to achieve it, Liverpool has an abundance of openings. The city centre has a good diversity of independent and high street shops; there are also many faux WAGS to be sighted. For those who enjoy a bit of materialistic relief from their studies, Liverpool is only going to get better in terms of shopping. A £1 billion shopping area will be completed by 2008 and the previous few years have already seen a big expansion of the shopping area - Primark and Armani are recent additions and illustrate the variety. Once you’re dressed, you will want to taste the delights of the many bars and clubs that litter Liverpool’s streets. Many tastes are catered for and those on a low budget are not persecuted. The headquarters for all things alcohol fuelled is Concert Square, located bang in the centre of the city.

Liverpool is a studious city with three universities and many other educational institutes. As the result, Liverpool has one of the largest student populations in the UK and is certainly a university city. Everywhere you go, there are students and this helps to make for a young and vibrant city. The University of Liverpool is centrally located about 10 minutes from the centre and is spread over a 100-acre campus. As the result of its age and not being on a purpose built campus, the university has an eclectic mix of architecture ranging from Red Brick and Georgian to the concrete jungle. While not being the prettiest university, it is by no means ugly.

Liverpool’s compact size is such that once in the city centre anywhere is within a short walk. The city is home to a frequent and reliable bus service, which makes getting to the city centre and the university a piece of cake. There is a suburban rail service, which covers most of Merseyside, but is not of much use unless you are from the surrounding area. The national rail service can get you pretty much anywhere and benefits from the new West Coast line, which means the delights of London are two and a half hours away. Black cabs are a regular sight and cost about £8 at night to get back to student areas, so with a few friends they are a bargain.

The cost of a Black cab is indicative of the cost of Liverpool in general; a pint under £2 is commonplace and some student nights have dangerously cheap drinks. A cinema ticket generally costs about £4.50 but pick the right cinema on the right night and you can get halve the price through special offers. A term’s bus pass will set you back £80 and accommodation in a shared house is circa £50 a week. The university’s claims that Merseyside, statistically, is the third safest metropolitan area in the UK. Car stereo and hubcap jokes aside, Liverpool is safe city to spend your student days in.

Study Time

Academically each year is split up into two semesters, which are spread over three terms. Generally students have four modules a semester and have exams at the end of each semester, in January and May. In their final year, students have the option to drop a module from each semester and pursue a dissertation instead. Contact time and teaching methods vary between departments, but are broadly similar to most other universities. For art subjects one can expect to have between eight and ten hours a week, equally split between lectures and seminars. In addition to exams, one can expect to have four essays a semester.

There are two major libraries along with various smaller departmental libraries. The university has a lending catalogue of over 1.6 million books and is broadly reliable. Getting popular books at busy times can be tricky, but this is common among all universities. There is an adequate amount of computer and desk space; however this can be over subscribed at critical times. However the humanities library is currently being extended to effectively double its size - future students will benefit enormously out of this. The first year has to be passed and does not count towards your final degree grade; the second and third years are weighted 30 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

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