Educated opinion - the University of Nottingham

In the second of our “Educated opinion” series, a student from the University of Nottingham says that the institution has more to offer than men in tights...

Looking down the university league tables, there’s little to separate Nottingham from its competitors. You’ve heard that Warwick’s academic and Loughborough’s sporty, but there doesn’t seem to be a stereotype for Nottingham. So, beyond the nightlife and the countless reminders of Robin Hood around the city, what’s it really like?

The first thing you’ll notice is the campus. It was donated to the university in the Twenties by Jesse Boot (of the Boots company, another Nottingham staple); if it looks a bit like a country park, that’s because it used to be one. It’s large, green and takes longer to walk around than you’ll plan for in your timetable. There’s a lake, which is overlooked by a limestone clock tower and lined on one side with a rock face, pockmarked with small caves. Elsewhere there are botanical gardens, fountains and a mixture of architecture ranging from the Georgian era to contemporary efforts where the scaffolding has only just come off.

Nestled among all of this are the 11 halls of residence, which function in an almost collegiate system. Each has its own common room, dining hall, and bar, as well as its own songs, traditions and bitter rivalries!

Aside from the main campus – and a few smaller ones dotted around the city – what’s interesting about Nottingham is how it has sites much further afield. A lot of universities now have diverse and international student bodies, but Nottingham also has campuses located abroad. It was the first UK university to open a foreign campus, and now has two: one in Malaysia, and one in Ningbo, China. There is plenty of scope to visit them, be it for a year, a term or during the holidays. You don’t need to be studying the language either, as they teach courses in exactly the same format and language as their English counterparts.

Back in England, you’ll quickly get to know the students’ union, which has a number of features to make it worth getting involved with. There’s the only completely student-run theatre in England, for example, where plays are written, directed and performed by students in a playhouse in the centre of campus. There’s a radio station, which recently won more than a third of the categories at the student radio awards. There’s Karni, the student charity organisation, which last year raised over £750,000 through events ranging from bar crawls to a sponsored climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. There’s also an outdoor festival held on the downs every summer, organised by students and featuring artists from around the country.

So there’s a lot more happening here than you’ll learn from league tables and prospectuses. Yes, the nightlife is good and yes, you can indeed take a course in Robin Hood studies (although you’ll need to be a postgraduate), but there’s much more to the university than that.

What do you think?

Do you agree with Rob’s assessment of the University of Nottingham, or have you got you own views? Feel free to leave your comments below.

You too could have your thoughts on your university here on IndyStudent. Just send us an e-mail to student@independent.co.uk with the subject heading “Educated opinion”. Include your name, age and contact details, as well as telling us which university you go to and a quick summary of what you would like to say about it. Those with the best ideas will get the chance to air them!