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net
The Guide 2009/10
www.glasgowstudent.net
2009/10
Your ultimate guide to living and
learning in Glasgow
No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or
otherwise without prior written permision of The University of Glasgow Students’ Representative Council, whose work is ©2006-2009.
The text in this book is provided for information only, and is used at the reader’s own risk. The University of Glasgow Students’ Representative Council assumes
neither responsibility nor liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear.
The Guide is published by The University of Glasgow Students’ Representatives Council, John McIntyre Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ.
CONTENTS
YOUR TRAVEL AND
DEGREE HOUSING
The Basics..................................................8 Home and halls.....................................66
Study and exams..................................10 Life in halls...............................................68
The Library................................................12 Renting and buying...........................70
IT.............................................................16 Flat hunting..............................................70
Appeals and discipline...............................18 Areas of Glasgow......................................72
Representation and support Other concerns.........................................74
services ................................... 20 Buying...........................................76
Your new flat........................................78
Repair and safety....................................78
GETTING Checklist.....................................80
Getting around....................................82
INVOLVED
Student bodies.....................................30
SRC..............................................30
Glasgow University Union........................36 MONEY
Queen Margaret Union...........................38
Budgeting............................................88
Hetherington Research Club......................40
Grants and loans.....................................88
Sports..........................................42
Spending money......................................91
Student media......................................46 Banks.........................................92
GUST...........................................48
Jobs .............................................. 94
Subcity Radio............................................49
Publications...............................50
Clubs, societies and
volunteering ....................................54
Clubs and societies..................................54
Volunteering....................................62
HEALTH AND
WELLBEING APPENDIX
Your health...........................................100 People..................................160
Medical.....................................100 Glossary................................164
Sexual health..........................................102 Map................................168
Alcohol..........................................106 Index.................................170
Drug s. . . . . . . . . . . ...........................1 0 8 Useful contacts.......................174
Wellbeing .....................................110 Credits................................192
Mental health.........................................110
The Chaplaincy.....................................114
The Police................................................116
Ethical living...........................................118
GOING
OUT
Shopping..........................................124
Clothes shopping.....................................124
Essentials.....................................126
Record shopping..................................130
More shopping......................................132
Culture .......................................... 135
Cinema....................................135
Museums and galleries..........................136
Theatre....................................138
Food and drink...................................140
Restaurants...............................140
Coffee shops and cafes..........................142
Pubs and bars..........................................144
Gigs and clubs.....................................148
Live music.............................................148
C l u b s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 0
LGBT...........................................153
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If you’ve just opened this book, then chances are of trouble, the University has any number of systems
M – Putting On A Kendo Mask And Tossing Some Bacon At A Homeless Student
Journalist Who’s Trying To Start His Own Business Appreciation Society
you’ve very recently moved away from home for the put in place to help you out. The Guide is the first one
first time. You’re in a big, unfamiliar city, most of your of these. If we’ve done our job properly, then the book
friends are miles away, and mysterious beasts like you’re holding in your hands is the most useful tool
“shopping for groceries” and “applying for overdrafts” you’ll have for navigating your way through your time
are starting to take on very harsh realities. You’ve got a as a student. If you’re confused about starting your
million forms to fill in, one of your flatmates has already studies, we’ll tell you how it works. If you’re bored,
left a couple of dishes in the sink without washing we’ve got a few suggestions as to what you can do.
them, and cult-like people in brightly-coloured T-shirts And if you need help, we’ll tell you where to go to and
have stopped you every twenty minutes to demand that who to talk to.
you come to “Cheesy Pop”, whatever the hell that is.
Everything’s new, lots of it is confusing and quite a few The Students' Representative Council prints the Guide
things are, well, pretty scary. every year for new students. This may well be your
first contact with the SRC, but they really are one of
Here’s where the Guide comes in. It’s our job to the most helpful organisations in the universe. Like
convince you that, while all of the above is true, it’s a trade union for Glasgow students, it’s their job to
actually not that bad. In fact, things are brilliant. make sure your voice as a student is heard at the upper
You’ve almost certainly already met some of the best echelons of the University and in society at large, and
friends that you’re going to have over the next four also to supply services that you will almost certainly
years and beyond, you’ve found yourself in one of the find invaluable during your time in Glasgow. They offer
greatest cities in Britain, and if you do fall in to any kind everything from a bookshop, through flat listings, to
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Introduction
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YOUR
DEGREE
THINGS CAN BE DAUNTING WHEN YOU'RE STARTING YOUR DEGREE. THEY
DON'T HAVE TO BE – GLASGOW IS FULL OF PEOPLE AND SERVICES DESIGNED
TO HELP YOU OUT. HERE'S A GUIDE TO THE MOST IMPORTANT.
REPRESENTATION AND
SUPPORT SERVICES P20
IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING IN YOUR DEGREE FOR WHATEVER REASON, THESE
ARE THE PEOPLE YOU NEED TO SEE
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Your degree – The basics
THE BASICS
Getting started Your adviser of studies
Studying at university is probably going to be different Probably the first official university person you will
from anything you've done before. For some people meet, your adviser of studies is there to support you
the biggest challenge is the step up from school to throughout your entire degree. They will help you to
university level work, for others it's managing their time make your course choices and make sure that what
effectively. Those returning to education may find newer you've chosen will help you achieve what you want
teaching methods confusing or even intimidating, and at university.
no matter what your specific situation, you're likely
to discover a whole new set of challenges that you It's worth developing a good relationship with your
haven't faced before. Just remember that that's exactly Adviser: their experience is invaluable. You never know
the reason that you came to university, and if you have when you might need them to help you out of a tight
a problem, there's almost certainly someone here who spot at some point in the future or give you a reference
can help you. for your first job after university.
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The basics – your degree
”
visit at some point!
at lectures. Unless a register is taken at lectures, you can probably get away
with missing a few here and there if you have to, but don't make a habit of it.
The information you gain at lectures will be the bare minimum of knowledge
expected when exams come around, so missing too many will put you at a
disadvantage. Missing labs and tutorials without a good reason is even more
serious: some of their content is usually assessed and you may be refused credit
or asked to leave the course if you do it consistently.
It's really important to speak to your department as soon as possible about any
medical or personal reasons stopping your attendance. You will need a doctor's
Morven Boyd
letter to cover any extended absence through illness (remember to go to the
SRC Vice President
doctor during your illness, not after). If you are experiencing personal problems
(Learning and
then remember that the SRC Advice Centre can help you or point you in the
Development)
direction of someone who can.
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Study and exams – Your degree
The following points might seem obvious but following and give you a minute to calm yourself down. If you
them will make your university life a lot easier. rush in at the last minute, you will most likely forget to
read the exam instructions carefully. Every year there is
Before revising a student who does perfect revision, writes two great
”
Find out what structure the exam takes. There’s a world answers and comes out happy, only to find out they
of difference between studying for a multiple choice were supposed to answer three questions.
exam, for essays, or for short answer questions. Equally,
if you know you only have to write two essays out of Missing an exam
ten choices you can focus your revision. Find out the If you can produce a medical certificate or proof of
weighting of your exam and balance your revision personal problems, then your department should be
time appropriately. Spending the same amount of time able to help you if you miss an exam. They may either
revising for an exam which counts for 5% as an exam re-weigh the course components so you don’t suffer as
which counts for 25% makes no sense. a result of the missed exam, or let you re-sit at a later
date. If you don’t have a good reason for missing it,
Before your exam you may just get a mark of zero for the exam, which
Find out where your exam hall is. There's nothing worse will damage your overall grade and may threaten your
than running round five minutes before your exam stars place on your course.
because you have no idea where Turnbull Hall is. See
Campus Map [p166]. Re-sitting exams
The circumstances that lead to you needing to re-sit
On the day an exam can greatly affect your eligibility to do so.
Arrive in plenty of time but make sure you've had an If you have medical or personal circumstances, then
early night. Cramming all the previous night is a great you can appeal to retake the exam and ask for it to
way to guarantee a poor performance. Arriving early be uncapped but if you get a CR (credit refused) you'll
will give you one last chance to read over your notes probably end up having to re-sit the entire module.
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Your degree – Study and exams
The Library
Using the Library Some short loan books may be borrowed for one week
or 24 hours. Others can be kept for only 4 hours, or
Glasgow University Library (GUL) is the biggest and overnight, if borrowed after 4pm weekdays, or 1pm
best in the city. Taking just a little time to familiarise weekends. Beware that in some cases there may only
yourself with its plentiful resources could be the be one copy of an item. 4 hour and 24 hour loan items
difference between getting a first and a flop, and will are issued on a first come, first served basis. You'll
save you a fortune in library fines along the way. know how long you're allowed to keep them for by
a big sticker on the front – pink for 4 hour, yellow for
The university usually offers library tours in Freshers' 24 hour.
Week. These give useful background information. But if
you’re too busy exploring the city and having fun, don’t As an undergraduate you can borrow up to 10 one
worry. The best way to get to know GUL is by exploring week loan books; postgrads are allowed 20. Five
it for yourself, but remember not to forget your student renewals are permitted. Only two 4hr or 24hr loans
card. Without it the security guards will not be able to may be borrowed, and you can't renew them.
let you in under any circumstances.
Reference material
The Library stocks various collections of reference
Kinds of books material which can't be borrowed. On Level 3 you will
find past exam papers, encyclopedias, newspaper back
Main collection issues and current periodicals. The Level 12 Special
There are hundreds of thousands of books in the main Collections Department hosts PhDs, theses and ancient,
collection, filling the shelves of levels 3-11 of the valuable manuscripts. Recorded music, videos and
Library. Some of them literally haven’t been opened for DVDs can be found on level 4, while videos and tutorial
decades, and, though they may be ideally suited to your answer sheets can be found at the Lending Desk.
particular purposes, no one will be beating the door
down to get them as soon as you’ve finished.
Finding your book
You can borrow up to 30 of these for 4 weeks at a
time. Five renewals are permitted. The main exceptions There are so many books in the building that it's
to this rule are back issues of periodicals and journals rumoured to be sinking under their weight. Finding
(eg New Scientist, Nature) which may be borrowed in the book you need by wandering around is almost
volumes for one week at a time. impossible. The quickest and most effective way to
do it is to search the catalogue online at the library's
Short loan website, www.lib.gla.ac.uk, or by using the catalogue
High-demand books are kept on level 2 of the Library. computers located around the library.
They are usually books which are required reading for
a course, but of which the Library only has three or four Here you can find a book by entering a title, author,
copies. Everybody will be trying to get hold of them so subject or keyword. The broader your search, the more
access must be limited. Try the SRC bookshop if you'd related books the search engine will find. Each item
like your own copy. has a record showing which floor it is on, the subject
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Study and exams – Your degree
Unless you're a fan of late 60s brutalist architecture, the Library isn't a particularly welcoming-
looking building. You'll learn to love it, though. Or at least tolerate it.
category and its call number (e.g. Level 7, Law KM459 comes in, you will be notified by email through your
MAR2). Take a note of this number or you'll never be student account that the book is being held for you at
able to find your book. the Lending Desk. If the book is not due in for over a
week, reserving it will automatically give the borrower
In both the Main Collection and the Short Loan 7 days notice to return the item. This system, of course
collection, books are divided into subjects. You will works both ways so other people can put a call out for
find a list of which subjects are on which floors at the books which you have taken out on loan, so be aware
entrance to the library. Once in your subject area, the that you may at any time be given 7 days notice to
books are filed alpha-numerically by their call numbers. return a book yourself. Luckily you will be automatically
Books of similar subject matter have similar call e-mailed to tell you this, saving you from hefty fines.
numbers, so you will often find many useful books near
to the one that you were looking for. Missing items
If you have trouble finding an item on the catalogue or
Booking an item on the shelf, go to the Information Point on level 2 or
If you find that the book you want is out on loan, you the Enquiry Desk on level 3. The staff will help you find
can put a ‘hold’ on it online. This means that when it it, or may be able to order it from another library.
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Your degree – Study and exams
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The Library
With over 2.5 million books spread over twelve floors, the University
of Glasgow Library is one of the oldest and largest libraries in Europe.
12 Special collections
Theses
11 African
Amerindian
Fine arts
Oceanic
Scandinavian
Theatre
10 29
Classics
Oriental
IT training room
Philosophy
Theology
9 English
German
Group study rooms
Hispanic French General Language
Ibero-American General Literature
Italian
8 34
History
7 Council of Parliamentary
Europe & EEC papers
Maps & Atlases Statistics
Law
6 93
Economics
Geology
Geography
Social Sciences
Sociology
Anthropology
Politics
Slavonic
5 36
Agriculture
Anatomy
Biology
Botany
Biochemistry Chemistry
Medicine Zoology Physics
Microbiology Astronomy Psychology
Physiology Computing
4 125
Education
Audiovisual
facilities
Music
Group study room
IT training room
Refreshment
room
3 138
General
reference
IT help desk
Engineering
Enquiry service
Exam papers
Current
periodicals
Microform
equipment
Newspapers
2 68
Short loan
Lending services
Refreshment area
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Your degree – Study and exams
I.T.
Facilities having trouble making a presentation or a spreadsheet,
these are the guys to turn to. Full details can be found
There are several ‘open access’ centrally managed on their website at www.iteu.gla.ac.uk.
computer clusters on campus as well as a number
of smaller departmental ones, whose use is usually
restricted to students in that department. The main Moodle
clusters can be found in the library (350+ machines)
and the Reading Room (100+ machines). Considering The Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning
that there's about 24,000 students at Glasgow, Environment is an online education tool. A lot of
competition can be pretty fierce, especially towards the courses at university use this system as a means of
end of term when everyone has essays due. teaching and providing resources. You will be asked to
sign up for Moodles specific to your course and should
All computers have the standard CSCE (Common then be able to access relevant lecture notes, online
Student Computing Environment) build which includes tutorials, articles and downloads, as well as talk with
Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Internet Explorer students and lecturers on your course on the forums.
as standard, and your Novell Netware account will allow
you to store files on a server which can be accessed by
logging in anywhere on campus. If you have any trouble Buying
logging in, forget your password, or find a problem with
a machine then the staff at the Student IT Helpdesk By this point, it's almost obligatory to have access
in room 345 in the library should be able to help. to your own computing equipment for university.
They can also be contacted at helpdesk@gla.ac.uk. With everyone expecting slick presentations and well
They're open 9am-11pm Mon-Fri, 9am-7.30pm Sat, and presented essays, having your own computer means
10.30am-9.30pm Sun (times vary during holidays). you can put together high quality work in the comfort
of your own home. Many students choose to get a
Even with the ability to book computers for use in the laptop rather than a desktop nowadays: they're much
Library, you'll often find during busy periods that it is cheaper than they used to be and you can take your
literally impossible to find a spare one. Bear in mind work with you wherever you go.
that departmental facilities usually have the benefit of
extra course-specific software and lower demand, so if Buying a computer is fairly cheap if you are careful
your department has them it’s a good idea to use them. about where you buy from and plenty of computer
While staff generally don't mind too much if you're companies are more than eager to take your student
playing games in the main library, it's frowned on in the loan away fom you, offering a range of discounts. The
departmental facilities, so don't do it. University of Glasgow has even got in on this: they
have joined forces with Dell to offer students campus-
ready laptops at negotiated prices. You can find more
IT Education unit information online at http://snipurl.com/pbqpp.
The ITEU runs a series of free courses throughout the Apple offer student discounts on their systems of
year to help students improve their IT skills. Still, if you're around 15% depending on the computer. You can get
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Study and exams – Your degree
Wireless access
The university of Glasgow
has worked hard recently to
make as much of campus
as possible hooked up to
wireless internet access. Most
of the main buildings and
many of the departments
are all wireless enabled,
providing fast, free internet
access pretty much wherever
you are on campus.
If you do buy a laptop then it's worth trying to use some of the wireless
hotspots available. The library is now entirely Wi-Fi enabled. To get a log-on go
to the Student Computer Help Desk on level three and they'll sort you out. Both
the unions on campus and many of the pubs and cafes in the West End also
provide free or cheap wireless, so it's always worth asking.
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Your degree – Study and exams
Academic appeals If you choose to appeal, there are two letters you must
write. The first is an 'intimation of intention to appeal'
If you believe that illness or other mitigating which must be sent to your Faculty Secretary within 10
circumstances affected your academic performance in working days of the decision you are appealing against.
any piece of assessment or examination, don't wait for You then have a further 20 working days to get your full
the outcome of your exams before deciding to disclose appeal letter together, including supporting evidence.
your circumstances. Whilst it is understandable that The full appeal letter should be much more detailed;
you may be worried about talking to a staff member you can get help with this from the SRC Advice Centre
or your Adviser of Studies about sensitive personal staff and from their website. Your faculty may consider
issues, remember that unless staff are made aware of your appeal without holding an appeal hearing, but if
your circumstances, they will be unable to help. Most a hearing is necessary, the Advice Centre staff may also
problems can be dealt with before your academic be able to accompany you and provide representation.
performance suffers, but only if they are dealt with You can find more detailed information and example
early on. appeal letters at www.glasgowstudent.net/advice/
academic/appeals.
The University Calendar states that if you feel you
have been prevented by good cause from completing All the rules and regulations about assessment can
an assessment or if your performance has been be found in the University Calendar, which can be
seriously harmed due to good cause, then you must found at www.gla.ac.uk/services/senateoffice/
inform the university. To do this you have to contact calendar.
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Study and exams – Your degree
While using the books and other resources available in the library is a great way to improve your
marks, make sure that you are not plagiarising.
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Support services
Whatever your needs, the university and SRC almost
certainly have someone to help you with your study.
SRC Advice Centre The Disability Service is based on the ground floor
of the John McIntyre Building and is open 9.30-4.30
The SRC runs an advice centre staffed by professional, Monday to Friday. Their website can be found at www.
experienced advisers and offers free and confidential gla.ac.uk/services/studentdisability.
advice and information on a wide range of subjects.
If you think you might need support in any area Disabled Students' Allowance
of your university career, you can drop in at any The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) exists for
time during their opening hours, with or without an students in higher education with a disability, to help
appointment. They are open: Mon 10.30am-4pm, meet additional costs of study caused by their disability.
Tues-Thu 10am-4pm, Fri 10am-3.30pm (11am-3pm It should meet the cost of disability related equipment
holidays).For more information see SRC [p32] or get and services to allow the disabled student to study
in touch at 0141 339 8541, advice@src.gla.ac.uk or more effectively. These include small or large items of
www.glasgowstudent.net/advice. equipment, non-medical personal help and a dietary
allowance. Disability advisers are available to assist in
the completion of the necessary forms.
Disability Service
Dyslexia
The Disability Service co-ordinates support within the Students who think that they may be dyslexic can have
university for any student who has a disability, a chronic access to a Dyslexia Adviser for advice and support.
medical condition or a clinically diagnosed mental Students can undergo a completely confidential
health condition. interview which may include a computerised diagnostic
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Representation/support – Your degree
“ I wouldn't have
been able to
study at university
without the help of
the Nursery service
that they provide.
If you need themv,
look them up!
”
They're fantastic.
University life might present you with huge new challenges that
you've never experienced before, but there's no point just worrying
about it if it happens. Talk to Support Services to get some help.
screening test for dyslexia, if appropriate. The diagnostic screening test is free
of charge but is only available to students who feel their study difficulties may
be related to dyslexic difficulties.
Dyslexic students who require any support, including extra time for exams,
are required by university regulations to have a full Educational Psychologist’s
assessment. Where someone has undergone a diagnostic screening test for
dyslexia which has shown a probability of dyslexia, the Dyslexia Adviser will
refer the student to an educational psychologist for a full assessment.
The university can help with the cost of the assessment but students are
expected to fund part of the cost unless they are experiencing extreme financial
hardship. The Disability Service can also arrange for a referral to an educational
Laura McGeogh
psychologist for dyslexic students who have an outdated or inadequate
4th year,
assessment and who require an updated assessment to confirm their needs
Archaeology
throughout their course in higher education.
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Your degree – Representation/support
If you're struggling to get a grip on your work, Student Network can get you together with people
who have already completed your course to give you a hand.
Special Examination Arrangements and these are available on the network in individual
Students requiring special arrangements for faculty and departmental computer clusters. For further
examinations in relation to ongoing disabilities and information, training and advice on these facilities,
chronic medical or mental health conditions must contact the Disability Service.
inform the Disability Service and provide appropriate
professional evidence to support any such requests. If you want a quiet place to work on campus, the
Early disclosure is always best. Assistive Technology Room on level 5 of the Library
allows enhanced access to the web, email and
Arrangements may include: other networked resources using assistive software,
• Extra time (10 or 15 mins per hour of examination) scanners, large monitors, specialist keyboards and
• Use of a scribe or reader other peripherals. Access is by swipe card only for those
• Use of a computer students registered with the Disability Service.
• Separate and/or fully accessible location
The Assistive Technology Room is open during university
Assistive Technology Library hours. Further information is available by
Advice on the availability of induction loops, training phoning the Disability Service on 0141 330 5497.
in assistive software and the loan of appropriate IT
equipment can be obtained from the Disability Service. They also employ a full time IT adviser who:
This loan service is available to all disabled students • Makes recommendations and provides help with
at the university who are not eligible for Disabled applications for IT equipment under the DSA scheme.
Students’ Allowance (DSA). • Gives advice on assistive technology and software to
support your studies at home and on campus.
The university holds site licences for the most commonly • Arranges training and orientation for disabled
used assistive software packages (Mind Genius, students in various software packages and campus
Texthelp Read and Write, Zoomtext and Kurzweil 3000) ICTs and helps with general IT issues.
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Representation/support – Your degree
Student Learning Service The International Student Advisers can help you with
all aspects of studying and living in Glasgow, from
The Student Learning Service provides learning advice visas and immigration issues to advice on finance,
and guidance to all registered undergraduate and registration with the police, employment and the
taught postgraduate students. The service runs a support services available to you. They organise
variety of workshops to help equip students with the an orientation programme at the beginning of the
techniques needed not only to tackle coursework and academic year as well as information sessions and
exams but to foster life-long learning. These include workshops throughout the year, along with activities for
sessions on time management, note-making, essay students who are accompanied by their families. They
writing, revision strategies and oral presentations (see will let you know about upcoming events through their
website for latest info). regular International Messages e-mail.
You can also make an appointment to speak to an You can find the International Student Advisers in the
Effective Learning Adviser from your faculty. Their job is Fraser Building on level two.
to give you advice on any learning concerns. The Student
Learning Service is based in the McMillan Reading Room See Clubs and Societies [P54] to find clubs that
and can be contacted at studentlearning@gla.ac.uk may be able to help you improve your language
or found online at www.gla.ac.uk/sls. skills in an informal setting. The university offers
more information for international students at
www.gla.ac.uk/studying/international.
Student Network
Student Network gives first year students an opportunity Nursery
to get academic advice from current students. You're
paired up with a mentor who has already completed The university has a nursery for staff and students that
the course you are about to start, so you can get can help balance looking after a child with university
independent advice and ask specific questions about life. Running Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm for
your classes or department that other advice services almost the entire year, there is provision for children
might not know the answers to. below school age at the nursery on Hillhead Street.
Contact is generally via email but you can arrange one- Competition for places is stiff so it's a good idea to
on-one meetings if you prefer. It’s probably the least put your child on the waiting list as soon as possible.
formal way to get advice on university matters so it’s a Beware that you may never get off the waiting list and
good way to make friends too. Find out more at www. it might be worthwhile to think about trying to find
gla.ac.uk/studentnetwork. alternative child care arrangements.
Waiting lists are shorter for 2-5 year olds, though you
International Student Support should be prepared for the possibility of a reasonable
wait. The Nursery costs about £23.46 per day, but it is
Studying can be stressful at the best of times but possible to apply for subsidies through the university
moving to a new country at the same time can make it Court which can help with the costs.
even more difficult. There are so many things to arrange
and so many new things to learn that it can sometimes More information on the Nursery can be found at
be difficult to concentrate on actually studying. www.gla.ac.uk/nursery.
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Your degree – Representation/support
24
Representation/support – Your degree
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GETTING
INVOLVED
THERE'S A WHOLE WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
GLASGOW ASIDE FROM YOUR DEGREE. HERE'S HOW TO GET MORE FROM
YOUR TIME AT UNI.
Student bodies
THE SRC, THE GUU, THE QMU, THE RESEARCH CLUB AND GUSA
P30
Student media
FROM MAGAZINES TO RADIO STATIONS, THE BEST STUDENT-RUN MEDIA IN SCOTLAND
P46
STUDENT BODIES
FROM REPRESENTING YOUR INTERESTS TO ORGANISING
SNOWBOARDING TRIPS, YOUR STUDENT BODIES ARE THERE FOR
YOU.
The SRC
The SRC is a unique body on campus. Unlike the Unions students to the University. It does this through a system
who are commercial enterprises aimed at entertaining, of elected Student Representatives, Faculty Convenors
feeding and watering you, or GUSA who fulfil your and the SRC Council itself. Each and every student’s
sporting needs, the SRC protects and advocates the views are valuable in shaping the way the University
rights of all Glasgow University students. This applies works and the student experience as a whole.
to everything else that could bother you while you’re
studying, so they can help with everything from health, Some of the SRC's recent achievements include
finance and personal safety to ensuring fair deadlines committing to Climate Change initiatives, supporting
for work and getting enough feedback on essays. fair tuition fees for asylum seekers, and successfully
campaigning to abolish the graduate endowment.
The SRC's council, a group of elected students, acts
as the main representative body, raising awareness of Getting involved
issues and promoting your needs to the University. Four Council is made up of around 30 elected members, who
students take a year away from their studies to work can be divided into welfare and equal opportunities
full-time for the SRC, and become the President and officers and academic convenors. If you are interested
Vice-Presidents who lead the Council's work. These in welfare issues, charity fundraising, or eradicating
people co-ordinate campaigns, events and consultation discrimination then you might consider standing for a
to make sure that students are properly represented. welfare and equal opportunities position.
The SRC also tries to ensure that you get the most out
of your time at University by providing services, hosting Welfare Officers include a Mature Students’ Officer,
student media, and providing funding and support for Women's Interests Officer, International Students’
many clubs and societies. Officer, Students with Disabilities Officer, Minority
Ethnic Officer, LGBT Students’ Officer, Charities Officer,
Clubs and Societies Officer and a Part-Time Students’
Council Officer.
As the name suggests, the Students' Representative The officers must identify with the needs of those they
Council is here to represent you and all your fellow will represent, and seek to ensure that these students
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Student bodies – Getting involved
are being treated fairly during their time at university. Student representatives
Any student can stand for these positions in the SRC The SRC represents students on many different levels
elections, and if they win will take office for one year. throughout the University, and if you are considering
getting involved, your first step could be to become a
If you have more of an interest in the academic side student representative for your course.
of university, such as fairness in marking and teaching,
ensuring students get a say in how their course is Student Representatives allow students to air their
structured, and the quality of their degree, you could views to the academics that run their department on
become a Faculty Convenor. There’s one for each of issues such as course content, teaching and resources.
the seven faculties (Arts, LBSS, Education, Science, They also operate as part of the SRC, meaning that any
Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Engineering) and a recurring problems which students are having can be
Postgraduate Convenor. Obviously, you have to be in passed through from student reps to faculty reps and to
the faculty in order to become the SRC convenor. the Vice President (Learning & Development) who can
take further action on behalf of the students.
You can also stand as a general representative, which
is good if you want to get involved in the general Every class should have a student representative
workings of Council. There are specific positions for whose job is to try to resolve issues between the staff
first years and postgraduates to ensure everyone's fairly and students. They will normally sit on a staff/student
represented. committee held once a month but can go to staff at any
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time to discuss issues raised with them by classmates. and student financial support. The Advice Centre staff
They’ll deal with problems about timetabling of lectures may also be able to help and represent you with regard
or essay deadline clashes and will also be involved in to academic appeals, formal complaints, disciplinary
trying to improve the quality of teaching and learning. issues and plagiarism hearings.
Student Reps are supported by the SRC. They receive The Advice Centre is located on the ground floor of the
training and can turn to the SRC for advice and support John McIntyre Building and is open from Mon. 10.30am
on more serious matters. If they identify major problems – 4pm, Tues. – Thu 10am – 4pm, Fri. 10am – 3.30pm
across a whole department or faculty then they can put (11am-3pm during holidays). You can call in to the
pressure on Uni management to make changes. Advice Centre any time during opening hours. You
don’t have to make an appointment, but you can if
If you have any problems with your course or you think it's going to take a while. All discussions
ideas on how to improve it then your student rep with the advice workers are in complete confidence.
should be your first port of call. Any student can To get in contact, call 0141 339 8541, email
nominate themselves for the Student Rep election, advice@src.gla.ac.uk or visit
which takes place in class during the first few www.glasgowstudent.net/advice.
weeks of each semester. For more information visit
www.glasgowstudent.net/about/studentreps. Advice Centre staff will do their best to offer assistance
on any other difficulties you might experience. If they
can’t help, then they’re sure to know who can. You will
Services also find a variety of leaflets and claim forms available
in the Advice Centre waiting area.
While the SRC is a representative organisation, it also
provides a whole heap of services to students in order to Photocopying, printing, faxing and binding:
save you money and improve your life. Below is a short cheapest in the West End
summary of the main services. For more info check out There are plenty of commercial operations close
the SRC’s main website at www.glasgowstudent.net, to campus happy to charge students a fortune for
email enquiries@src.gla.ac.uk or visit the John photocopying and printing. The SRC has developed
McIntyre Building next to the Main Gate. a pricing structure designed to specifically benefit
students’ usage patterns with costs as low as 3p per
Advice Centre A4 print. They have two colour photocopiers with a
The Advice Centre is an advice, information and PC attached so that you can print straight from your
representation service provided by the SRC for University computing account or your portable media
all students and prospective students of Glasgow device. Copy cards are available from reception during
University. It's totally independent from the University, office hours and require a £2 deposit.
ensuring that the SRC provides a confidential and
A4 B/W A4 colour
objective service.
Cash 5p per copy 50p per copy
The Advice Centre is staffed by professional, experienced
advisers and offers free and confidential advice and £5 card 4p per copy 4p per copy
information on a wide range of subjects, such as £10 card 3.5p per copy 35p per copy
academic problems, bank charges, benefits and tax
credits, council tax, debt, employment rights, health £20 card 3p per copy 30p per copy
issues, housing issues, income tax/National Insurance A3 copies are twice the price of A4.
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”
homeless people, the elderly, children and young people at home or abroad
there are opportunities for you. For more info see Volunteering [P62].
involved!
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GUSRC JobShop
John McIntyre Building JobShop provides information with access on a wide range of full time, part
University Avenue time, casual and seasonal work in and around Glasgow and beyond. As well
GLASGOW as advertising for external employers it often advertises vacancies at the
G12 8QQ University. If you’re looking for some extra money to get you through your
student years, or just something to get you through the summer, then it’s
Tel: 0141 339 8541 often worth giving JobShop a try. You can search for jobs on the website at
Fax: 0141 337 3557 www.glasgowstudent.net/services/jobshop or visit the SRC Offices to
Email: look through the paper-based information system. See Jobs [P94] for more
enquiries@src.gla.ac.uk information.
Nightline
Nightline is the SRC’s confidential listening and information service run by
students. It runs from 7pm to 7am every night during term time. It offers
information on everything from exam times to personal safety and can refer
users to other services. It can be reached on 0141 353 1050 or asknightline@
src.gla.ac.uk. See Mental Health [P110] for more information.
34 www.glasgowstudent.net
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Student bodies – Getting involved
RAG Week is a fun-packed week that raises awareness of various charitable causes and encourages
students to give to charity.
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Getting involved – Student bodies
Glasgow University
Glasgow University Union
32 University Avenue
Glasgow
G12 8LX
info@guu.co.uk Union
0141 339 8697 What is the Glasgow University Union?
Founded in 1889, the Glasgow University Union (GUU) is one of the most well
Facilities known and esteemed unions in the world. It is run by students for students,
Billiards Hall: 10.30am-10pm so we know what you want and do all we can to ensure you get it. The GUU
Costa Coffee: 8am-5pm is dedicated to giving you the best student life while maintaining a sense of
Refectory: 8am-6pm tradition and history. As well as bars, clubs, shos and cafes, we run events
weekdays such as the Beer Bar Quiz, Debates, Open Mic nights, and Comedy nights
Subway: 9am-10pm, and plus entertainment such as legendary Hive nights, band showcases and huge
open til 2 on Fridays gigs like Idlewild, Bright Eyes, Ms Dynamite and Dizee Rascal.The GUU holds
Shop: 8am-6pm and open til enough activities to ensure that you are never bored while you're at the
12.30am Thu-Sat University of Glasgow.
libraries, vending & bank
machines open to members What should I expect on a night out?
at all times With 9 bars,ranging from the traditional ale-soaked Beer Bar, to the recently
renovated Deep 6 which provides chilled out place to grab a few drinks and
Bars listen to great bands and DJs five nights a week, the GUU will agree with you
Beer Bar: 11am-11pm whatever your tastes. At the GUU, you’ll find something that tickles your fancy
Altitude: 11am-11pm and with all manner of entertainments from the famous Monday night Beer Bar Quiz
open til 2 Thu-Sat with fantastic prices to be won, Open Mic where you can impress with your
Playing Field: 11am-11pm own musical ability, drinks under £1.50 all week, alongside the all new Comedy
and open til 2 Thu-Sat nights, Legendary Kareoke on a Thursday night, live sports, band showcases,
Deep 6: Tue-Wed 8pm-1am, games and debates. And then there’s the Hive, our 1250 capacity nightclub
Thu-Sat 9pm-2am facility, which is home to the best student nights out in Glasgow. Playing the
Balcony Bar: Thu-Sat 10pm- best music two nights a week, it’s an experience not to be missed.
2am
Hive: Thu-Sat 10pm-2am What other activities are on offer?
At the GUU we have a whole host of things to do if you don’t fancy having
Look out for other one off a beer. If debating is your thing then the GUU is the only place to be. This is
and regular events, club the greatest debating union the world hasever seend, having won the World
nights and gigs throughout Debates Championship a record five time and kick starting the political careers
the year. of people such as Donald Dewar, Charles Kennedy, John Smith and Menzies
Campbell. There are debates every week, and in addition throughout the year
a series of five Parliamentary Debates where the fice political parties take it in
turns to be in government. These debates are the jewel in the GUU’s crown,
attracting keen spectators, they aregreat fun for all involved whether you are
speaking or simply watching from the Gallery. The GUU has a Costa Coffee
where you can kick back and relax in one of our chesterfield sofas next to a
roaring fire and watch the world go by.
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“
The GUU is the only
place on campus
where the fun never
stops. It's your
home away from
home and a box to
put all your friends
in, so this Freshers'
The debates chamber, packed to the rafters for one of the GUU's
Week come and
ever popular debates.
get involved at the
GUU!
”
Our Month of Games in February is a fun filled month of Glasgow treasure
hunts, drinking and eating competitions,darts, pool and snooker, and is an
essential part of the calendar. The Billiard Hall on the top floor of the GUU is
the largest student snooker hall in the UK and is a fantastic resource whether
you’re a budding pro or just fancy a couple of frames after lectures. We have
two fully equipped Libraries, and GUU members have access round the clock.
The libraries are stocked with full ets of past papers from 1995-2009 for every
faculty and there is free wifi access- just ask the porter for a username and
password.
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If club nights aren’t your style then the QM offers a range of social events in
our bars. With a Dj on a Monday, Guitar Hero and other games on Tuesdays, our
flagship Big Wednesday Night Pub Quiz , Open Mic and Amateur Comedy on
Thursday and the Friday post-lectures Face-Off quiz, there are plenty of chances
for all our members to get in on the fun. With four bars over two floors, it’s
difficult not to have a good night in the QM.
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Student bodies – Getting involved
“
The QM’s appeal is
that its welcoming
atmosphere is
matched by its
ability to fulfill
the needs of every
student, every day.
that are always putting on varied events no matter what your interests are.
The shop provides you with everything you need to survive a typical day at
university with newspapers, stationary and our amazing Pick and Mix at
”
incredible student prices. This year Lacuna cafe will be open till midnight,
providing a wide range of drinks and snacks into the evening and giving you
a place to chill. We even offer recently refurbished 24-hour study rooms and
all-day laundry services for our members.
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GETTING INVOLVED – STUDENT BODIES
Hetherington
Hetherington Research Club
13 University Gardens
0141 339 3765
Research Club
http://researchclub.gla.ac.uk/
Facilities
Pool Table
Study Room What is the Research Club?
Free wireless internet access The Research Club is a cosy social club for mature and postgraduate students,
Café Bar and short-term study international students. Providing a large range of bar and
catering services in a comfortable and relaxed environment throughout daytime
Ground Floor and evening, including wireless internet access, the club’s atmosphere is
9am – midnight: Mon – Wed, friendly and cosmopolitan. The building was the residence of former University
9am – 1am: Thursday, Principal, Sir Hector Hetherington, and retains most of the original features,
9am – 2am: Fri, giving the club a homely feel. Membership is £10 per year (increasing to £12
8pm – 2am: Sat, in October). Members get their own key to the front door, and membership
8pm – Midnight: Sunday entitles you to free or reduced entry to most DJ and club nights, as well as
many other events.
Food Service
Breakfast: 9am – 12 noon, What is a typical day like?
Monday – Friday Come in from 9am, for tea or coffee and a croissant – or choose something
Lunch: 12 noon – 3pm, more filling from the breakfast menu. Take one of the many papers from the
Monday – Friday rack (including international and foreign language papers). Have your tea or
Evening Meals & Snacks: 5pm coffee topped up for free as many times as you like, while chatting to other
– 9pm, Monday - Friday morning customers, before going to class.
Snack Bar (serving soup & When you return at lunch time the specials board offers a tasty soup, vegetarian
sandwiches for sit-in or take dish and meat or fish dish, freshly made every day, in addition to the extensive
away) regular menu, which is also cooked to order.
12 noon – 2.30pm
Events bar Afternoons are for finding a quiet place to plug in your laptop and study or
5pm – 2am Fridays surf the net, perhaps with a large slice of chocolate cake from the bar, or meet
8pm – 2am Saturdays friends for a glass of wine or a beer, a game of pool or to play one of the many
board games held in the main bar.
Visit the website, join the
mailing list (details on the By 5pm the club gets busy again with members coming in for dinner or a
website) or look out for snack and a drink to unwind. Thursday’s curry night is especially popular, with a
posters in the club for details different vegetarian & meat or fish curry every week for £4, or £5 with a bottle
of events throughout the year of the featured beer. The evening passes by in a lively and convivial atmosphere.
The main bar is full of animated discussion, and the first floor bar has live music
or DJs most weekends.
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STUDENT BODIES – GETTING INVOLVED
“
The Research Club is
a truly unique place
on campus: relaxed
days and lively
nights characterise
this friendly and
exclusive club.
”
The Research Club: quiet, peaceful, serene. Until they put on a
massive club night.
different evenings throughout the year. In October look out for the vintage
second hand clothes sale, talks and tastings from local delis and wine suppliers
and lively DJ and clubbing nights throughout the year. Members of the club
come from all over the world, so to celebrate this diversity, the club hold events
on many international days such as Bastille Day, German Reunification Day, and
Mexican Independence Day with themed food, drinks and music.
The club has a pool table and study room on the top floor, with a pool
competition run in October, as well as a league throughout the year. The club
runs a suggestion slip system which enables members to propose ideas for
events, comment on any aspect of services and facilities, or request items which
the club does not stock.
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Sports Clubs
Aikido
Sports
American Football
Athletics GUSA & the SRS
Badminton
Basketball Sport and Recreation is delivered through a partnership between the Sport
Boats and Recreation Service (SRS) and the Glasgow University Sports Association
Boxing (GUSA). The SRS is a service department within the University, while GUSA is
Canoe an independent and representative student organisation. The fundamental aim
Cheer leading of the partnership is to get as many students as possible enjoying quality sport
Cricket and exercise and making it part of their lifestyle while at university.
Curling
Equestrian Participating in sport and recreation while at university provides some great
Fencing benefits and opportunities. You can try lots of new activities or improve existing
Football skills as well as your general health and wellbeing. There are opportunities to
Gaelic Football get involved with clubs and represent the university. The partnership provides
Golf students with welcoming facilities where you can relax and socialise, offering
Hares & Hounds options to get great advice on exercise and physical activity, particularly if you
Hockey are unsure or think that exercise isn't for you. Above all it ensures a great way
Judo to take time out, reduce stress and feel fantastic. Sport and recreation also
Karate provides chances to get involved in club management or the student sports
Lacrosse council – a great way to get involved, gain experience, and make a difference.
Mountaineering
Muay Thai Getting involved in sport while at university is one of the most worthwhile
Netball things that you can do during your studies. There are so many opportunities
Potholing available to you through Sport and Recreation that you will not have again
Rifle & Sporting Gun so we strongly recommend you consider getting involved. Students who
Rugby participate in Sport and Recreation are less likely to drop out of university – but
Sailing don’t take our word for it, come and try it out for yourself!
Shinty
Shorinji-Kempo
Ski & Snowboarding Facilities
Skydiving
Snooker Facilities are available 7 days a week from early morning to late at night.
Squash Stevenson Building Garscube Sports Complex
Sub-Aqua 6 lane, 25m swimming pool 6 grass football/rugby pitches
Surfing Sauna and steam room 2 all weather synthetic pitches
Swimming & Waterpolo Muscle conditioning suite Exercise studio
Tennis Cardiovascular suite Exercise conditioning suite
Trampolining Exercise conditioning suite 3 tennis courts
Ultimate Frisbee Activity hall Cricket oval
Volleyball 2 squash courts
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“The opportunities
to take part in
sport at Glasgow
are some of the
highest quality, best
value and most fun
available anywhere.
We have 48 clubs
and an extensive
recreational
programme for you
to get fit, make
friends and manage
your stress.
”
”
The Ski and Snowboard Club compete throughout the UK and if
conditions allow, in Kelvingrove Park.
We have teamed up with other major sport facility providers throughout the
Glasgow area and are continually trying to add to this list to offer as wide a
range of activities for our members as possible.
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Health and fitness good way to get a taster of a new sport which you
might not have had the opportunity to try before, or get
The health and fitness programme offered is huge: it's back to grips with an old one.
designed to cater for all levels, with a range of services
to get you started. There is a comprehensive group There are drop-in sessions during each term, free to all
exercise programme including 57 weekly exercise members. There are also a large number of leagues and
classes, for which there is no need to book. competitions running throughout the year including
hockey 7s, rugby 7s and football 6s. Look out for
opportunities throughout the year to represent your
Club sport faculty, halls of residence, or any other group you like.
The facilities are also available for casual recreational
There are currently 46 sports clubs at Glasgow, with use or hire for a wide range of sports.
over 2000 members between them. Many of the
clubs compete in local and national leagues and
competitions, and those clubs who engage in non- Elite sport
competitive sporting also provide trips both in and
outside the UK. A number of services are available for talented athletes,
from specialist mentor support to advice on performance
Try your hand at traditional Scottish sports such as lifestyle issues, nutrition and access to sport medicine.
shinty or dabble in some extreme American imports. In addition, two schemes are in place to further support
Some of the more specialist clubs offer you the talented athletes: the Sports Bursary Scheme and the
opportunity to try out sports you may never even have Golf Scholarship Programme, which is supported by the
heard of, let alone tried, like ultimate frisbee or shorinji- R & A Foundation. Funding and additional benefits are
kempo. You may never have brandished a sword or available for successful applicants.
climbed up a cliff before but sport at Glasgow provides
these opportunities for you.
How much does it cost?
Whether experienced or a complete beginner, we
encourage you to make the most of the opportunities With a membership of just £40 this really is your
available. It’s all about participation and open to chance to access an outstanding sport and recreation
everyone, so get involved – you won't regret it. programme for pennies. If you don't think you're going
to use the gym that much then you can go for single
visits for £3.75 a time, which affords you full access.
Recreational sport
Sport and Recreation looks forward to welcoming you
If you aren’t sold on the idea of club sport there are also into our facilities as you enjoy quality sport and exercise
great opportunities to participate in recreational sport. and make it part of your lifestyle while at University.
Whether you want to try a new activity, participate in
an organised session or simply hire a facility, there's For more information contact GUSA or the SRS.
something for everyone. Both the GUSA office and Stevenson Building,
home of the SRS, are on Oakfield Avenue. For any
There are a wide range of instructional courses each more information on University sport in general,
term, including yoga, dance, pilates, badminton, then please visit the www.gla.ac.uk/gusa or
climbing, skiing, snowboarding and swimming. It’s a www.gla.ac.uk/services/sport.
44
Could you afford to
replace your
things?
ENDSLEIGH
Student media
Want to run a radio show? Write a magazine column?
Edit a newspaper? Glasgow's the right place.
Ever look at someone you admire and jealously wonder how they got their job?
Whether they’re a film director, a war reporter or a record label boss, there’s a
good chance they got their break because of what they achieved at university.
Indeed, many of the biggest names in the media were involved at a student
level to some extent during their studies.
“
It’s not all about getting a foot on the ladder though. Many of the people
involved in student media are not dreaming a career in journalism, TV, or radio.
They’re simply there to meet new people, have a good time, and to have the
Getting involved
chance to see their name in print or broadcast a radio show across Glasgow.
with student media
The various organisations are some of the most active and friendly on campus,
is a great way to
so if you want to make a few friends it's worth looking into.
learn new skills,
meet new people
Whatever you want to do in life, whether it involves the media or not, you'll
and boost your
find achieving it is a lot easier if you take on board some employable skills, and
CV. It also offers
you can gain these while still having great fun. Believe it or not, presenting a
you opportunities
hip-hop show on Subcity Radio or writing a column in GUM will give you the
to attend gigs,
ideas, the personal skills and the creative experience which employers crave.
organise events, and
interview people
from all walks of
Reading, watching, listening
”
life.
The University of Glasgow is generally regarded as having by far the best
student media in Scotland. The SRC alone is home to a newspaper, a magazine,
a TV station and a radio station, all of which were nominated for national
Jim Wilson
awards in the last year. All of the SRC’s media are editorially independent,
SRC VP
which makes them free to talk about whatever they want, and to criticise the
(Media and
SRC and the University, should the need for it arise. In addition, the past few
Communications)
years have seen the emergence of qmunicate and GUUi, the Unions’ in-house
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Student media – Getting involved
The SRC has a huge involvement in student media, including its annual Media Week, designed to
get students together with the people who have the jobs they want. Here, students are learning
skills in video editing from the BBC.
publications, as further important voices on campus. oldest student television station in the UK, founded in
Each media group takes pride in having its very own, 1964, and has won several awards from the National
recognisable identity and to fulfil different functions. Student Television Association. GUST broadcasts online
Thanks to student media you’ll always be on top of and on campus, and its shows cater for all tastes, with
everything that’s going on not only on campus, but in news, sport, entertainment and factual programmes.
the whole of Glasgow. They can all be watched on the internet at www.gust.
tv. If you've got a passion for music and radio then
The SRC’s student newspaper, Guardian, was founded Subcity, the University’s student radio station, is the
in 1956. With a fresh issue published every three place for you. Broadcasting live at www.subcity.org
weeks, the paper has a strong reputation for producing throughout term as well as putting on clubnights
investigative journalism and highly-regarded journalists, through the city, the station is always on the lookout for
as well as reporting on controversial issues and new presenters, DJs, and behind the scenes staff.
events. Its fellow print publication, Glasgow University
Magazine (GUM), is the longest running student All of the SRC's student media are located in the
publication in Scotland. It provides a stylish, student- John McIntyre Building on University Avenue. If you
focused view on everything from fashion to politics. fancy getting involved then get in touch with the
Look out for both of them around campus. editors and station controllers (find their contact
details on the next few pages), keep an eye on
The SRC also runs world-class television and radio www.glasgowstudent.net or simply pop in for a
stations out of the John McIntyre Building. GUST is the chat.
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GUST
Glasgow University Student Television is the UK's first student TV station. For
over forty-five years, GUST has produced brand new programming every week,
which can be viewed online, on your iPod, and at various locations around
campus. With its studio facilities, fully equipped editing suites and a plethora
of filming equipment, it produces high-quality and professional output, and it
offers opportunities in presenting, writing, directing, acting, effects and design
“
and more. Former GUST members include broadcaster Andrew Neil and Doctor
Who writer Steven Moffat.
GUST allows
Programmes
anyone to have
Every week, GUST News provides coverage of the week's events, with a
their finished work
particular focus on campus-based issues, including its investigative reports,
screened on campus
which in recent years have covered subjects such as personal safety alarms,
and online – come
alcohol use amongst students, and security in halls of residence. National news
along, get involved,
is also analysed from a student's perspective, with in-studio discussions and
and create award-
interviews with the key players. GUST Sport's focus is entirely on the University’s
”
winning television!
teams, with results from all the main matches and selected highlights.
G-Spot, GUST’s arts and events guide, looks at what’s going on in and around
Glasgow, both on campus and beyond, and is presented from a featured
location each week. GUST's music programming will continue to feature live
performances and interviews with both unsigned and well-known artists. In
addition, live events are held throughout the year.
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Student media – Getting involved
Subcity Radio
Subcity Radio, now in its 14th year, has been pushing the boundaries of student
radio since 1995. Subcity aims to cater to Glasgow's music lovers, with almost
90% specialist programming. With its vast range of programmes, fans of
dubstep, dancehall, or death metal can all find something on the station.
With so much going on at Subcity, the station also uses its website to keep
“
its listeners informed about all the latest news and events. The forums are
the place to go to find out what’s fresh on the Glasgow music scene straight
from the source – from underground parties to the latest releases from your
favourite artists and labels.
'Coming to a
Broadcasts country where I
As a web-based station, Subcity broadcasts online all year round and shows knew no-one, I
can be found outwith broadcast times on the listen-again feature, which found it difficult
allows listeners to search for the shows they want to hear directly or browse to meet people,
programmes in search of new tunes. To start the academic year with a bang but since getting
Subcity will go onto FM for Freshers week, expanding its services with an even involved with
greater variety of shows at almost every hour including live broadcasts and Subcity I have met
news bulletins. hundreds of new
friends feel more
Events confident living in
Subcity has a long history as one of the staples of the Glasgow club scene. Their Scotland. I have also
events attract major attention from the press and have launched the careers of been able to work
some of the city's biggest DJs. Last year's events included: with some of the
finest promoters in
Subcity at the Research Club Glasgow, and have
Subcity's monthly club nights in the Hetherington Research Club last year
found out about
became something of an institution, where music aficionados could expect a
so much talent in
bass-heavy haven in the postgraduate hangout. Subcity provided the finest DJs
the Glasgow music
they had to offer and the events pulled in sell-out crowds.
scene.
”
West End Festival
Glasgow's annual celebration of all things hip and trendy in the city's most
affluent neighbourhood. Usually targeted at a middle aged, middle class crowd,
Subcity aimed to change that. Once again, Subcity delivered an alternative to
the tribute bands and percussion groups with an energetic blend of rock’n’roll,
tropicalia, dancehall, a big helping of wobbly bass and some feel good party
Domenico Geraci
tunes to round off the afternoon. Then, those with a thirst for more of the same
DJ, Subcity
could head over to the Research Club for the end of broadcast party, which
www.subcity.org
filled up quickly and continued the party till 2am.
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Getting involved – Student media
Guardian
The Glasgow University
Glasgow University
Guardian is one of the
most prestigious student 3rd December 2008 Scottish Student Newspaper of the Year
Egyptology
Choked up
“
a balanced, detailed
George Binning
to the CV and
“all nationalities welcome”. They also claimed girls are being targeted by Escort agencies. The it discreet.” She warned that escorting very often carried
to offer potential candidates the opportunity of SRC is deeply concerned that students may be Under the same guise, Guardian was an unwritten agreement to have sex with the
issues each year, as well earning over £2,000 per week. The small fliers
were discovered pinned up inside a number of
Glasgow University buildings, including the
forced into sex work.”
Posing as a potential escort, a Guardian
reporter replied to the agency advert, speaking
told by ‘Ben’, a source at a different escort
agency, that they received regular applications
from students.
customer, and that agencies posing as legiti-
mate businesses were exploiting loopholes in
the law that would ultimately criminalise the
cultivating an air
John McIntyre building and the Department of to a man identified only as ‘Robbie’. He said he He said: “We have a lot of girls who are escorts.
Film and Television Studies. was accustomed to employing students. students. I receive about 20 applications a She said: “Common sense tells us that any
as exclusive content found Gavin Lee, president of the SRC, took a He told Guardian: “Plenty of students work week; there is always at least one from a (Continued on page 6)
”
what’s going on at Glasgow. Since 2004, Guardian has met with considerable
critical success, most recently at the 2009 Herald Scottish Student Press Award,
at which it won prizes for Best Photographer and Best New Media.
Additionally, members of the team have found work in the media whilst still at
University, and after they have graduated – working at Guardian is not just a
way to fill spare time, it is a well-proven path to a career in the media industry.
Guardian has launched many leading figures in Scottish and national media,
including celebrated Scottish politician Donald Dewar, former Sunday Times
editor Andrew Neil, and the novelist and screenwriter William Boyd.
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GUM
gum
GLASGOW UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | SPRING 2009 | FREE
Glasgow University Magazine
(GUM) is one of the oldest
student publications
in Britain, having just
celebrated its 120th birthday.
“
Despite its advancing years,
however, GUM is still one
of the coolest, on-the-pulse Your university
and exciting magazines in experience will
Glasgow. It’s won a plethora be as good as you
of awards in recent years,
make it. If you want
including Student Journalist
to start off on the
of the Year at the Herald
right foot, then join
Student Press Awards in
the GUM team!
”
2006 and Student Magazine
SCOTLANDʼS OLDEST AND BEST STUDENT MAGAZINE GLASGOWUNIVERSITYMAGAZINE.COM
of the Year in 2006 and
GUM•1
2008.
”
box, to make you laugh, or to make your time in Glasgow that little bit more
enjoyable. Every article is designed to give you a fresh, unusual perspective on
things important to you. There are high-profile interviews, satirical snippets,
in-depth articles on a variety of topics, essential culture around the city, and
top class art and fashion reviews in each issue. GUM also prides itself on its
simple, stylish design and the high quality of the original photography and
artwork used throughout.
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Getting involved – Student media
qmunicate
qmunicate is the award-
winning student magazine
produced by members of tRNVP
SHVL
BSDI
the Queen Margaret Union’s HFUZFS
LJDLTGSPN
JTTVF
tOEN
Publications Committee,
“
most recently claiming the
prestigious Best Magazine Frightened
honour at The Herald Rabbit:
There’s nothing
Student Press Awards 2009.
quite like the sense I don’t worK well with others
Issued fortnightly, qmunicate
of accomplishment
aims to keep members up to
that comes with
date with everything going
seeing your work
on at the QM, as well as
published and being
provide up to date cross-
read by thousands
campus news, reviews of
”
of students.
all the latest media releases
and provide insight into
varied aspects of student
life. Plus, there’s a cartoon.
It’s the ideal way to get started in journalism; former contributors have gone
on to write for national newspapers and magazines. The best thing about
qmunicate is that it’s accessible to all QM members, giving you the opportunity
to write about anything that relates to students: from comic books to high
fashion, from skydiving to reality TV – qmunicate is an open forum, and we
have a friendly editing team who are open to suggestions.
If you want to get involved, the committee meet every Wednesday at 5.30pm
in the QM to work on ideas for upcoming issues, or send us an email at
qmunicate.magazine@googlemail.com for more information. Keep an
Iain Smith
eye out for the first full issue of term – due shortly after Freshers’ Week – for a
Editor, qmunicate
taste of what qmunicate is all about. Cheers.
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Student media – Getting involved
GUUi
GUUi: Issue 12
Monday 16th February 2009
“
2004, the GUUi prides itself
on its growing popularity
PAGE ONE
”
together a magazine
for both its dedicated team of members and any casual contributors who fancy publication.
getting involved with one of the GUU’s most exciting projects.
Despite its short history the GUUi has contributed significantly to student media
at Glasgow University and this year will be seeing in its 5th birthday with more
”
style than ever before. You can be a part of this! Whether you want to pursue a
career in journalism, share your thoughts on the latest album release or simply
have an excuse to put pen to paper, we want you to help us make this biggest
and best year for the GUUi yet!
However, our merry magazine gang do not only welcome those inclined towards
writing: whether you're a cartoonist, photographer or graphic guru, there is
always a comfy seat for new comers at the GUUi meetings. Our get-togethers
are every fornight in the Bridie Library (on the second floor of the GUU). So why
not come along, pull up a pew and see what we are all about?
You can find copies of the GUUi showing themselves off in the GUU and Library,
Anya O Connor
and if you are lucky you might even have one posted through your front door!
Editor, GUUi
To find out more or submit an article please contact libraries@guu.co.uk.
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Clubs, societies & volunteering – Getting involved
Christian Union good craic. We also have a more serious side: ensuring
The Christian Union is an inter-denominational society Gaelic is given the place it deserves in university life.
committed to following and sharing the gospel message Suas leis a’ Ghàidhlig!
of Jesus Christ. If you are interested in meeting with oiseanach@hotmail.co.uk
other Christians and would like to join with them in
growing in faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ and Conservative and Unionist Association (GUCUA)
sharing this on campus, then the C.U is for you! The Britain is turning blue, and there has never been a
C.U offers a variety of different activities including a better time to join the Conservatives. As a branch of the
weekly main-meeting, a prayer meeting, small-groups national Party, we are busy campaigning throughout
and a football team. the year and offer our members many chances to meet
Main meeting: Wednesday 5.30-7pm Qudos in the politicians and forge connections. We run a busy social
QMU. Prayer meeting: Tuesday 8pm Interfaith room calendar including an annual black tie dinner. If you
in the Chaplaincy. Football Team: Monday Evening at would like to get involved in some sensible politics and
Firhill. meet some friendly like-minded folk, then get in touch.
www.gucu.co.uk www.guconservatives.co.uk
cupresident@gmail.com guconservatives@gmail.com
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Getting involved - Clubs, societies & volunteering
in, then email us on the address below to find out more or learning dances to perform, come and join us for a
or find us at the Freshers' Fair to say hello: we’re not good time.
stuffy or pretentious. And we've found that makes the www.gsdc.org.uk
music even better. gsdc@live.com
craccensemble@gmail.com
www.myspace.com/craccensemble/ Hindu Society
The Glasgow University Hindu Society (GUHS) created in
Cut! Filmmaking Society 2002 is a cultural society that welcomes students of all
Want to make your own films? Cut! Filmmaking is a cultures and religions. Whilst gaining more knowledge
fun, free filmmaking network open to anyone with an about the Hindu religion, students can also experience
interest in film. From writing and directing to acting, its exciting culture and food. GUHS also invites students
lighting and sound to make-up and costume – everyone to partake in our other activities such as yoga for all
is welcome, with no previous experience needed. Got levels, film nights, day trips around Scotland, and our
a script but need a crew? Want to act but need a many food nights. Membership for the year allows
director? Or are you just curious about the filmmaking members access to all of the society’s events, including
process? At our regular informal Project Nights you can our Absolute Basic Hinduism course. Namaste.
meet our members and join projects, while our series of
workshops provides you with a chance to learn about International Society
all the aspects of filmmaking. So what are you waiting The International Society is one of the largest and most
for? Get involved and get shooting! active in the country, with typically four events a week.
cutfilmmaking@googlemail.com Our members are from all over the world, including
www.cutfilmmaking.com Scotland and we have events to match with everything
from Chinese dragon dancing to salsa nights to world
English Literature Society record attempt ceilidhs. We organise amazing and
The Glasgow University English Literature Society is affordable weekend trips all around the UK. We also
an informal organisation that comes together on run large events for 500+ people and also smaller
Monday evenings to experience lectures on topics scale 'coffee and chat' style events for a handful of
being investigated by members of various departments people, and everything in between. Whether you're
of Glasgow Uni. There's no required reading, nor do from Europe, Asia, Africa or the Americas, whether a
we require any expertise, just piles of enthusiasm! postgraduate, undergraduate or a mature student, we
We do not require members to be literature students are the society for you. The International Society only
and students of other universities are welcome. Our costs £4 to join and includes a range of really useful
meetings are held in the QMU and include time for discounts, our newsletter and allows you to come on
debate, discussion and drinking afterwards! Last year’s our trips.
events included an array of talks from Beowulf to www.internationalsociety.co.uk
comics, and from Borges to Woolf.
www.gla.ac.uk/clubs/english Io
englitsoc@gmail.com Io is an eclectic gathering of science fiction and fantasy
fans, be it literature, comics, film, games or television.
Glasgow Student Dance Company (GSDC) To get a better idea of what we do, take a look at the
We at GSDC get together to share our love of dance. schedule on our wiki, or visit the forums to talk with
From hip-hop and jazz to ballet and contemporary, we existing members.
do all different styles. Whatever your experience, and www.iosoc.org.uk
whether you are interested in choreography/teaching, Kendo Club (GUKC)
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Clubs, societies & volunteering – Getting involved
The Lib Dems, shaking with the raw, visceral thrill of meeting Lembit Opik in the flesh.
We practise kendo twice a week in the Stevenson nights. We work with other Labour Clubs to help deliver
Building. Kendo is a Japanese martial art based on the values that the Labour Party believes in.
the ancient sword art of the samurai. It is full-contact, glasgowlabourclub.org.uk
dynamic, and lots of fun, and the club has a great team gu_labourclub@hotmail.com
spirit. Kendo players wear full armour, and instead of
live blades we use bamboo swords (shinai). We have Liberal Democrats (GULD)
our own club coaches, and also get instruction from Over at GULD there's so much to get involved in. We're
several high-grade teachers from Glasgow. Please get one of the oldest societies on campus, at 180 years old,
in touch, or meet us at the Sports Fayre in Freshers' but we haven't slowed down! In the past year we’ve
Week. had Lembit Opik visit, been on pub crawls, had tea with
gukendo@trollsintutus.dk Charles Kennedy, events with MSPs on issues such as
www.kendoglasgow.net/GUKC mental health and the environment and much more!
If you are liberally minded at all we want you to come
Labour Club and get involved. From campaigning to social events to
We are the biggest and most active political society on meeting new friends, there is so much to do in the GU
campus and this year will host a range of events such Liberal Democrats.
as guest speaker meetings, debates, dinners and curry http://glasgowunilibdems.wordpress.com/
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Libyan Student Society (GULSS) you're Polish, have a Polish connection, roots, or study
We here at the Glasgow Libyan Student society get Polish or Slavonic studies/languages, you ought to
together to discuss the Libyan student life in this come along and experience probably the best Slavic
country, and overseas, including football, partying Society in Scotland! Join us now!
and sightseeing around Scotland. We try to introduce www.gupolsoc.org
our culture in this part of the world, helping you to info@gupolsoc.org
understand better Libyan culture. GULLS is one of
the best places to meet Libyan students and learn Politics Society
something about the country. We are an independent student-run organisation which
http://gulss.webs.com/ aims to create a social network for students studying
society.libyan@yahoo.com or interested in politics. We hold informal meetings in
a local pub every week and organise both academic
Malt Whisky Society and social events throughout the year. Last session our
The GUMWS is the most exciting new society at members enjoyed a pub crawl, guest lecture, film night,
Glasgow Uni. Whether you know nothing about the political pub quiz and a variety of debates, including
wonders of whisky or you are a seasoned pro, this a Question Time event attended by regional MPs and
society can educate and entertain into the finer points MSPs. Membership is open to all matriculated students
of whisky tasting, culture and tradition. The first year of the University—whether you are a politics student
of the GU Malt Soc’s existence promises to be a or not, looking for somewhere to discuss politics or
momentous one with regular tastings, a few trips to simply to meet new people, everyone is welcome! It is
some distilleries planned and plenty of banter along a great way to make friends from within and outwith
the way. your course and to learn more about politics and life
gumaltsoc@yahoo.co.uk in Glasgow.
www.politicssociety.co.cc
Photographic Society glasgowpoliticssociety@gmail.com
As a society we all have a fascination with photography.
Our membership includes all abilities and pursuits in Salsa and Latin Dance Society
the photographic sphere as well as a wide range of Learn how to dance salsa and other Latin dance
other interests, all discussed in our weekly meetings. rhythms such as Bachata and Merengue. Beginner and
Throughout the year we stage a number of exhibitions, intermediate classes will occur weekly throughout the
hold photography fieldtrips and have access to a city year for only £2.50 a go! It's a lot of fun, a great way to
centre darkroom. make friends, and dancing salsa is a great skill to have.
www.gla.ac.uk/clubs/photo/ Additionally, All money goes to the charity Wateraid
guphotosoc@yahoo.co.uk which provides watering systems and sanitation to
communities across Asia and Africa.
Polish Society 0800424k@student.gla.ac.uk
Love good fun and can't live without a great banter?
Join Glasgow University Polish Society to get a good SCATS
serving of both! We are open to everyone regardless SCATS is for all lovers of film and television. We hold
of nationality and offer a great selection of parties, weekly screenings (chosen by our members) in the
pub nights, sport activities, cultural events, trips as well University’s cinema and every Wednesday attend a pub
as projects you can get involved in. Whether you're quiz, turning our knowledge of past Oscar winners and
aiming to enhance your CV or just want to have plenty British sitcoms into cash prizes! This year we’ll host
of unforgettable memories, join us! On top of that, if events such as a cinema crawl, special screenings, end-
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Clubs, societies & volunteering – Getting involved
of-term parties and professionals from the film/TV industry will speak to us
about their work and how to get into their kind of work.
scats.gu@gmail.com
Singapore Society
GUSS (The Glasgow University Singapore Society) is a vibrant and active society
Sophie Hall
aiming to introduce and promote the Singaporean culture and spirit. We
SRC Vice President
organise excursions out of and within Scotland, either for sightseeing, or skiing.
(Student Support)
Advice and information are also readily available for those in need of help. The
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Getting involved - Clubs, societies & volunteering
society provides a unique experience and opportunity opposes the so called “War on Terror”. We demand
to immerse oneself in Singaporean culture. Membership a complete withdrawal of occupation troops from
is available all year and everyone is welcome. the Middle East. We also promote democratic debate
www.gla.ac.uk/clubs/Singapore/index.htm and action at home and challenge the government’s
glasgowguss@yahoo.com.sg hypocrisy on racism, nuclear weapons, terrorism
and multiculturalism. We hold regular meetings,
Social EDGE debates, stalls, protests and demonstrations aiming at
Social EDGE looks to create new sustainable businesses highlighting the injustice of aggressive wars.
and support existing businesses by working on a wide gustopwar-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
variety of projects made by you, the student. If you
want the opportunity to network with businesses, and Students of a Jane Austen Persuasion
you like the idea of being entrepreneurial but want to Although often mistaken for the ‘Firth Forever
tackle social issues within communities, then this is the Foundation’ our actual goal is to promote the life,
society for you. And after all of that you can take part in work, and times of a great author in a laid-back way
national and international competitions to present your through gentle debate and the odd picnic. Many of us
projects to businesses from around the world. We even also do a little writing ourselves from time to time and
manage to squeeze in a few parties! the Society is keen to help people with their work.
www.GlasgowEDGE.co.uk janeaustensoc.glasgow.googlepages.com
SocialEDGE@hotmail.co.uk janeaustensoc.glasgow@googlemail.com
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Clubs, societies & volunteering – Getting involved
Io, debating a few of the finer points of the wider cultural impact of science fiction.
Student Volunteers Abroad (SVA) a vibrant community from all over the globe who are
Want to experience the summer of a lifetime? SVA is united by our Catholic faith, while being open to people
a unique student run charity based here at Glasgow of all faiths and none. Our activities include a Sunday
University. During the summer we send students Nite Club, ceilidhs, week-ends away, retreats, and much
to a variety of different countries across the world, more, including both fun and serious opportunities for
offering them the chance to work with local NGOs learning about your faith. Come and see for yourself!
and organisations on sustainable community and http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/catholicchaplaincy/
environmental projects. Our projects range from rcchaplaincy@gla.ac.uk
working with street children in Senegal to construction
work in Nepal.
www.gla.ac.uk/clubs/sva
sva_uk@yahoo.co.uk For more information on the full list of clubs and
societies available at the University of Glasgow, as well
Turnbull Hall Catholic Society as a guide to setting up your own group if nothing suits
The Catholic Society is based in Turnbull Hall, the you, go to the SRC's Clubs and Societies page at www.
Catholic Chaplaincy to the University of Glasgow. We’re glasgowstudent.net/clubs.
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Volunteering
The Student Volunteer Support Conversational English Programme
Service Many International Students at the University
of Glasgow require support to help them improve
If you want to use your spare time at University to their English Language Skills, and we’re looking for
do something a bit different whilst at the same time volunteer tutors who are confident with their English to
building your employability prospects, check out what's meet with them for an hour or so every week and chat
on offer through Student Volunteer Support Service over a coffee. The SVSS also run English for Doctors,
(SVSS). SVSS promotes volunteering opportunities for aiming to help refugee and asylum seeker medical
students on and off campus, providing valuable links professionals attain a high enough level of English to
with, and input into, the local community, as well as practice in the UK.
offering you the chance to escape from the West End
and meet some interesting new people. Nightline
A confidential information, listening and email service
Volunteer in Schools run by trained student volunteers in conjunction with
As a volunteer in the Classroom Support Scheme, you’ll the SRC, from 7pm-7am every night during term time.
be heading out to Primary, Secondary or Additional As a Nightline volunteer you’ll be taking calls and
Support Needs schools and help the students out with emails from other students and helping them, through
lessons. You will not be expected to lead any lessons, problems that they might be having.
but you will work with small groups of children or on a
one-to-one basis with them. Whatever the subject – Find a Solution
from English to Chemistry or Geography or Drama, we Find a Solution gives you the chance to give something
can (usually) help. back to the local community whilst at the same
time gaining some invaluable work experience and
Modern Languages developing your transferable skills. However, thanks to
The SRC is also able to give language students and the University of Glasgow Settlement, you’ll get paid
native speakers of French, Spanish and German the for undertaking a Find a Solution placement. Previous
chance to practice their skills in local schools. As with projects have seen students carry out marketing
the other subjects that students can volunteer with, strategies and feasibility studies for organisations as
you won’t be expected to teach a whole class, but with diverse as Glasgow Women’s Library and the National
many Glasgow schools now offering languages from P1 Theatre of Scotland, so this is an excellent opportunity
onwards, there is a great deal that you can do to impart for you to put the skills you’ve learnt through academic
your knowledge. study to good use.
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Clubs, societies & volunteering – Getting involved
The Conversational English Programme lets you assist students who need some help with their
English, and can even help you learn a few words of another language.
63
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TRAVEL AND
HOUSING
FINDING THE RIGHT PLACE TO LIVE CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A
GREAT YEAR AND A MISERABLE ONE. TAKE YOUR TIME AND YOU'LL BE FINE.
Getting around
TRAVELLING IN GLASGOW AND FURTHER AFIELD
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You will probably have already found a place to live for the city, choose to live in university accommodation
your first year. If you haven’t, contact the Residential during first year. There’s good reason for this: aside
Services. They offer a whole range of information and from avoiding some of the complications of finding
services, whether you’re looking for a flat with a private and living in your own flat, it’s simply the best way to
landlord, or a room in University accommodation. They're meet people, and with so many people living in the
based at 73 Great George Street, open 10am to 4pm same place you’re bound to find like-minded folk. Plus,
Monday to Friday. More information on their services you don’t have to worry about bills or dodgy landlords
is available at http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/ (in Wolfson Halls you don’t even have to worry about
residentialservices/. cooking food or washing up). The downside is that the
rules can be quite restrictive and it can get quite intense
being constantly surrounded by other students, making
Living at home it sometimes hard to get some time to yourself.
Glasgow has a long tradition of attracting home The following information should help you make your
students. The major benefit for home students, of halls experience a happy one.
course, is the huge financial savings to be made. Even
if you are putting some money towards the upkeep of Who you will live with
your home, the difference between this and renting is If you go into halls, you don't have much control over
quite considerable. who you live with. While the University does as much
as possible to put you in with people you're likely to get
Obviously, you are generally going to be a bit further along with, and you can apply to live with your friends,
from campus and may lack some of the freedom of your there are no guarantees. On the one hand this is a
classmates as a result. It can also be a bit harder to get bonus as you can make some fantastic friends through
involved in on-campus activities in the evenings, but it's halls, but on the other hand you could have to share a
by no means impossible: see Getting Around [P82] kitchen with a complete idiot. If this should happen it's
for advice on getting around. As you're saving money always worth asking for a swap.
on rent it's worth remembering that at night time,
getting a taxi is the safest way to get back home. Your landlord
Over the last few years the University has sold off most
of its student accommodation to a housing association
Halls called Sanctuary Housing. However, most aspects of the
day-to-day running of the building are still down to the
A lot of students, particularly those who are new to Accommodation Office, and you will most likely have
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Home and halls – Travel and housing
”
in halls.
Residents’ Committees
Each hall has a Residents’ Committee. This is supposed to do two things:
represent the views of residents to the halls managers, and organise parties
and events for residents. The committee is elected early in the year and given a
budget to go towards events or new facilities for the halls (e.g. snooker tables
or games systems).
Adam Henry
Education
Any resident can stand for election and an active Residents’ Committee can
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Travel and housing – Home and halls
Life in halls
Food Parties
With the exception of Wolfson Hall, all university Halls regulations say parties are banned. However,
accommodation is self-catering. This means you’ll be ‘social gatherings’ of a few people are permitted, and
sharing a kitchen with several other people who live in the distinction between the two can be a very grey
nearby rooms. You'll probably need to borrow cooking area. Whether or not the ‘gathering’ you are having
utensils or groceries from your flatmates at one point is allowed pretty much comes down to whether the
or another. Make sure that you've come to some kind warden or senior resident on duty is prepared to accept
of agreement beforehand or ask first, wash up after it, and that will usually depend on how much noise
yourself, and replace anything you eat. you’re making.
If you are in Wolfson Hall you'll already have paid for Cleaning up
your meals. They’ll be served at set times of the day in a The tidiness or otherwise of your room is more or
school dinners-type fashion. The food is generally fine, if less up to you. Cleaners will visit occasionally, but
a bit bland, but you don’t have to wash up. usually just to empty the bin, and won’t do any serious
tidying. However, if your room is so dirty at the end of
Laundry the year that they need to call out industrial cleaners,
Your hall will have a number of free washing machines, you will end up having to pay for it. The kitchen is
tumble dryers and irons available. Demand can be high another matter. If you regularly leave the kitchen in a
so it’s often worth doing your washing at odd times of state you’ll fall out with your flatmates and the halls
the day and night when it’s less busy, but be respectful management.
of your neighbours if you're running washing machines
at midnight. Electrical devices
You are restricted in what kind of devices you can have
Common Room in your room, due to fire regulations. While stereos
Most halls have a common room where students can and similar devices are allowed, white goods, such as
hang out. Usually, it is equipped with things like a TV, fridges, stoves and so on are generally banned. You are
videos, pool tables or arcade games. allowed to have your own TV but remember you'll need
a TV licence; due to pesky laws each person with a TV
Guests needs their own licence while you're in halls.
Access to halls is always restricted to some extent, but
some halls are tougher than others. Obviously, you can Security
have friends around to visit, but you will probably need Your property will be covered to some extent by the
to let them in yourself at the front door. Officially, you're insurance policy of the halls as a whole (although
meant to notify a warden or senior resident if you are you should probably get your own insurance for more
having a guest for the night so that in the event of a expensive items). However, you will still need to take
fire they know how many people are staying in the hall. reasonable precautions to look after your things,
However, your warden will understand that there are otherwise the insurance company won't pay up. Lock
times when this is not possible. your door any time you leave the room, even if you're
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Home and halls – Travel and housing
Contrary to popular belief, tables are not actually handy storage devices.
just going for a shower or to cook your dinner: burglars residence in the event of a fire. If and when the alarm
see halls as easy pickings due to all of the people living goes off the entire building must be evacuated and a
away from home for the first time. register taken whether it's a drill or not, so make sure
you're careful not to make too much smoke while
Posters you're cooking. For legal reasons the fire service have
Careful with what you stick up posters with: if you stain to respond to every alarm, including prank ones, so
or peel off the paint and it needs to be replaced, they'll if you get caught deliberately setting off a fire alarm
take the cost off your deposit. Blu-Tack is risky; pins are without good reason, you will be billed for it.
usually a safe bet. If you’re unsure, make sure to ask
your warden what your particular halls recommends. In the event of a medical emergency, you should
Adam Henry
dial 999 and contact your warden or senior resident
4rd year
Emergency immediately. Wardens and senior residents are all
Education
You’ll be told on arrival what the procedure is in your trained in first aid and resuscitation techniques.
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Flat hunting
If you spent your first year in halls, or even if you spent a bit less expensive, the best way to save money is to
it living at home with your parents, you will probably search for flats beyond the West End. The South Side of
eventually want to move out and get flat of your own. Glasgow tends to be considerably cheaper.
There are plenty of different types of accommodation on
offer, but the most important thing to remember when Who with?
looking is that your home should be safe and secure. Picking your flatmates is almost as important as picking
The following pages will help you find the place that's your flat. Living with your best mate isn't always the
right for you and make sure your landlord is behaving best plan: living with a person can bring unique stresses
him/herself. More information is available at www. to any relationship, and what you need is someone who
glasgowstudent.net/advice/accommodation. is definitely going to pay their share of the bills, has a
similar sense of tidiness to you and who you're not
When? going to end up fighting with.
The majority of leases for flats in Glasgow run for
one year, from July-June. People who are leaving Where to look
flats normally have to give their landlord at least
one month’s notice (40 days if the flat's let for more PAD (Private Accommodation Database)
than 4 months), so this means that they will mostly PAD is a database of private flats available for
be advertising for new tenants in March, April and rent to students attending all five institutions in
May. This is fine if you’re staying in Glasgow over the Glasgow. While all properties listed should be
summer but if you’re not, you’ll probably have to pay licensed, PAD do not inspect every property they list.
throughout the summer anyway. There's a huge amount of competition with other
students so get in there early. PAD can be found
How much? at www.accom.gla.ac.uk/pad, or listings can be
As a rough guide, expect to pay at least £250 for collected from the Accommodation Office.
a room in a 3 or 4 bedroom flat in the West End,
excluding bills. It is possible to find cheaper but the Noticeboards
flats are usually unlicensed by the Council and could be The John McIntyre Building and both unions have
dangerous as a result. If you're looking for something boards advertising rooms in student flats. around the
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Renting and buying – Travel and housing
Finding the right place can be really hard work but considering some of the flats available, it's
really worth the effort
city. Department noticeboards are also a good source gained themselves a bad reputation over the years
of spare rooms to let. so ask around and be extra vigilant when viewing
properties. Letting Agents make their money by taking
Ads in Shop Windows a commission on the rent and sometimes charging
A couple of newsagents on Byres Road list flats for rent. hefty "administration" fees, so expect to pay more.
Go prepared with pen, paper and a phone, so you can You don't have to pay anything until you have found
get on the case pronto. Newsagents can't run checks somewhere you like. If they try to charge you before
on the landlords who advertise, so be extra careful. that, stay well clear.
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Travel and housing – Renting and buying
Areas of Glasgow
There's a huge number of students who want to live Yorkhill/Finnieston G3
close to campus, and only so many flats to go round. The Sauchiehall/Argyle Street end of Kelvingrove Park
Landlords realise this, and consequently a lot of them and up the hill to Yorkhill Hospital is often more
charge huge amounts for relatively shabby flats. You affordable than the Woodlands end of the park, with
might decide that it's worth it, and it is nice to be in a better range of accommodation available. It's still
the middle of the action, but moving even a couple of only fifteen minutes' walk from campus but be careful
streets away, past Byres or Great Western Road, will get walking back at night from the unions (and never cut
you a lot more flat for your money. through the park at night). There's a wide range of
accommodation at affordable prices but quality can be
Glasgow is split up into many districts which differ patchy and it's not the safest part of Glasgow. There are
greatly in terms of average price and flat quality. Here's also no subway stations nearby.
a few of the ones that are popular with students. Bear
in mind, though, that they tend to be tiny areas, so Partick G11
don't set your heart on Hyndland, for example, when Dumbarton Road to Byres Road (south). It's a fair way
Dowanhill's just down the road. from the city centre, but campus is still within easy
walking distance. It has fantastic transport connections
Hillhead G12 so you don't need to walk home at night. Plenty of
Everyone wants a flat in Hillhead. It’s the square that good (if a little odd) shops about too.
runs from Byres Road to Gibson Street and along to
Great Western Road (so it’s about as close to campus Hyndland G12
as you can get). The properties in this area are nearly all The area north of Partick going up to Great Western
sandstone tenements and are usually well maintained. Road. You'll find leafy streets and beautiful properties,
Prices and availability reflect this. You occasionally get but at a bit of a premium. This is a safe, upmarket,
lucky but be suspicious of anything going too cheap family area so it can get expensive and depending on
in this area or anything that’s been on the market for your neighbours loud parties don't always go down
longer than a month or so. If it sounds too good to be that well.
true, it probably is. If you're in this situation, find out
what’s wrong with it and see if it’s something you can Jordanhill/Knightswood G13
live with. West beyond Partick it gets cheaper but less gentrified.
There's a lot less competition with other students and
Woodlands/St Georges Cross G4 it's much cheaper than the rest of the West End. It's
The area between campus and city centre, Woodlands inconvenient for campus, though, and the bus can take
Road and Great Western Road. Almost as convenient ages in the rush hour traffic.
for uni as Hillhead but generally slightly cheaper and
more widely available. Still, be careful: Woodlands Maryhill/N Kelvinside G20
is particularly rife with unscrupulous landlords and The area around Queen Margaret Drive and going up to
rundown flats, so check any flat very carefully before Maryhill Road is very pleasant. If you’re prepared to live
moving in. As an area, though, it has a great multi- that bit further out, you can pick up a bargain. However,
cultural vibe and you can take advantage of the the scarcity of transport and lack of local amenities can
excellent shops on Woodlands Road. cause a problem. Also, the further into Maryhill you go,
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Renting and buying – Travel and housing
“There is no reason
why you shouldn’t
be safe, happy and
warm wherever
you live, so don’t
be afraid to ask
your landlord to
get things changed.
Bring a good map when you're flat hunting. It'll help.
The Advice Centre
is always there to
the more dodgy it gets and the higher the crime figures rise. You are advised to
advise you on your
”
stay in the more gentrified Kelvinside end if you can.
rights.
Shawlands
The cultural hub of the south side is becoming increasingly trendy and it’s
more affordable than the West End (and there’s less competition from other
students). However, there’s no subway, so unless you have a car you’ll be
bussing it everywhere. Luckily the Shawlands/campus/city centre bus service
isn’t bad and it's well serviced by the light railway.
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Travel and housing – Renting and buying
Who to speak to
Here are some useful
Other concerns
contacts at the University
and in Glasgow if you're HMO licences
looking for some advice
about moving into a new Any flat which houses three or more people who are unrelated is a House in
flat. Multiple Occupation (HMO) and the City Council requires the landlord of such
properties to maintain certain standards of repair and safety. If you're flat
SRC Advice Centre hunting with two or more people or think you are likely to move in to a flat that
John McIntyre Building already has two or more residents then it's important from a safety perspective
www.glasgowstudent.net that the landlord has a current HMO licence for the property. If they don't, then
/advice you shouldn't take the flat. It's just not worth the risk. The information below
advice@src.gla.ac.uk should give you a good idea of how the system works. It gets a bit complicated
0141 339 8541 but if you have any questions let your landlord or letting agent know.
Accommodation Service Before signing a tenancy agreement check that the landlord holds an HMO
http://www.gla. licence. If you live with an owner they do not count for numbers towards
ac.uk/undergraduate/ deciding whether a house is an HMO. For example, you live with the owner
accommodation/ and another lodger then this isn’t an HMO but if you live with the owner and
privateaccommodation/ two lodgers then this is an HMO. If you're part of a couple living with one other
73 Great George Street person, your landlord also doesn't need an HMO licence. Any owner operating
accom@gla.ac.uk an unlicensed HMO will be liable to prosecution. However, your tenancy rights
remain unaffected and you can only be evicted by court order if you breach
Shelter (housing and your tenancy.
homeless charity)
scotland.shelter.org.uk From May 2006 anyone who rents out a flat or house must be registered with
0844 893 5560 the local council under the Antisocial Behaviour etc., (Scotland) Act 2004.
Holders of HMO licences are automatically registered. Landlords must be a ‘fit
Glasgow City Council and proper person’. It is illegal to let out a property without being registered
www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/ and the council can stop the rental income of unregistered landlords.
Residents
Licensing Section (HMOs): If you’re in any doubt, Glasgow City Council’s Licensing Section can help you
0141 287 4535 on 0141 287 4535. You can get free advice at the SRC Advice Centre or by
visiting www.glasgowstudent.net/advice.
Types of accommodation
Self-Contained furnished flats
These are flats or houses with one or more bedrooms where you will be
expected to sign a lease for the entire property rather than a room within it. This
is the most popular option for groups of students who wish to live together.
While these flats are furnished you will often be expected to provide your own
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Renting and buying – Travel and housing
“
Don't rely on letting
agents alone. Keep
your ears open as
often your friends
will know about
rooms to let before
Even if the flat looks inviting from the outside it could be falling
they go on the
apart on the inside. Try not to fall in love with a place until you've
market.
checked it out properly.
”
bed linen, crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils. Most of the information in
this guide will concern this type of property.
Room in a flat
This popular option is often advertised by a student or single person owning a
flat or a group of students who have taken on a flat and have ended up with
a spare room.
Bedsits
A bedsit is a room which provides sleeping and living/study space and
Ali Stoddart
occasionally a cooking area. The bathroom (and often the kitchen) is shared
Politics
with other tenants and may well be cleaned by the landlord.
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Travel and housing – Renting and buying
Buying
Why buy? • Some financial experts say that if you rent and
invest wisely, you can accumulate wealth faster than
Increasingly students are exploring the option of by going heavily into debt and buying. That's because
buying property. This is partly because rents in the just paying the interest on a large mortgage may often
West End are expensive, making buying a potential be greater than rent payments.
saving and investment. It also means you can avoid
unscrupulous landlords and unsafe flats. There are, • Rents in the West End are high. By buying a
however, complications and issues that need to be property you will avoid the astronomical rents that
considered before going down this route. Bear in mind landlords often charge – and if you rent remaining
that the economy is in a recession at the moment: rooms out to others you can get a healthy return on the
buying a house might not be as great an investment as investment, even while you’re still living there.
it was even a couple of years ago.
• Although borrowed money is not easily accessible
at the moment, some people are still buying when
Key points they can’t really afford to. Check all of the terms and
conditions of any borrowing you take out to make sure
• You will most likely need a guarantor to back you you know what you are taking on. If you do get into
financially. Generally it must be a parent, guardian difficulty with mortgage payments, remember you have
or someone close to you. Guarantors must be either the right to ask for time to pay under the Mortgage
British citizens or permanent UK residents. Rights (Scotland) Act 2001.
• The bank will lend you up to a percentage of the • If you own the property, then you will be responsible
price of the flat. However, in Scotland properties are for maintenance and repairs – this includes a share of
advertised as ‘offers over’ a base price. For flats in the costs for common areas such as the roof or the stairs.
West End you usually have to pay at least 10-20%
above the asking price. Whatever you pay above the
asking price, you’ll have to stump up. Fees and purchase costs
• Flats in the West End and the City Centre are not Buying property can be very expensive. Before you’ve
cheap, so calculating whether buying or renting will be even moved in, there are some hidden costs that very
better for you in the long run is very important. quickly mount up:
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Renting and buying – Travel and housing
If you're going to be spending a lot of money on property, it's a good idea to check all of your
options.
• Moving costs. If you decide to use a removal firm property will still apply – the difference is that you're
it may be a good idea to get more than one quote the landlord, so it's your responsibility to make sure
as prices can vary. It is also a good idea to check that the property complies with safety standards etc.
what insurance any companies have to cover your
possessions during the move For HMO licensing an owner occupier does not count
• Conveyancing: the legal bit that actually makes the as a qualifying person. This means you can have two
property yours, such as conducting property searches. tenants in addition to yourself and not need a licence.
If you do need an HMO licence you'll need to pay a
fee to the Council as well as for any necessary work
And finally... on your property.
If you are thinking about buying and then covering It’s also your responsibility to make sure that your
some of the costs by renting out some of the rooms tenants pay their rent. When it’s friends involved, this
then most of the points on the checklist for renting can be harder than you’d think.
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Your new flat – Travel and housing
By the time you leave University you should be able to do a few basic repairs, but be sure you know
what you're doing if you're taking apart electrical devices.
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Travel and housing – Your new flat
Checklist
Never accept accommodation without seeing it first • Get insurance for your own property and identify
and going through a checklist of queries. A quick way your belongings with an indelible pen.
to judge the suitability of a property is to talk to the • Is a smoke alarm fitted and does it work?
current occupants and neighbours. You may also find it • Do any gas or electric appliances look unsafe?
useful to make notes using the following list as a guide. • Are carbon monoxide detectors fitted near gas
It might not seem like much fun but it means you'll get appliances?
the right place for you and know it's safe and secure. • Familiarise yourself with emergency procedures,
especially the way out in the event of a fire.
Furniture and fittings • Are there soft furnishings or combustible materials
• Is it adequately furnished for your needs, including in the shared hallways? This is a fire risk.
a desk and shelf space?
• Is the kitchen suitable for the preparation and Services
storage of food? • What services are provided/included?
• Is all the furniture included in the lease? • Who cleans the windows?
• Is everything in good condition and in working • Make sure you aren't responsible for repairs and
order? renewals.
• Is there an inventory of contents? If not make • If the garden is your responsibility, where are the
one and get your landlord to sign it so you don’t tools?
get charged for existing damage. • Who maintains common/stair lighting?
• What is the arrangement for disposal/collection of
Gas/Electricity/Water rubbish and waste?
• Take gas/electricity meter readings as soon as you • Where is the nearest medical centre?
take up the tenancy. • Where’s the nearest supermarket?
• Is there a certificate of inspection for any gas • Is there access to storage facilities e.g. for bikes?
appliances? Is it up to date? • Is there free parking nearby?
• Do you have to share the bills with other tenants? • Remember that the TV licence is your
• Check heating appliances work properly. responsibility.
• If plugs on any equipment get hot, the wiring may
be faulty. Money
• Check the cooker works properly – rings, oven, • How much is the rent and when is it due?
grill and timer. • How should the rent be paid? (Make sure you get
• Look for signs of damp and leaks, especially gas receipts if your landlord wants cash).
and water. • What does your rent include?
• Does it include water rates and council tax? If all
Safety and Security the people in your flat are full-time students you
• What is the neighbourhood lighting like? will be exempt from Council Tax if you have
• Are there late night buses to the area? submitted an Exemption Form.
• If the flat is at ground level, is it secure? Inspect • Is there a deposit/retainer? This is usually
door and window locks. one month’s rent, but can be up to two.
• Do the windows open for emergency purposes? • Do you have a receipt for all payments made?
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Your new flat – Travel and housing
Note down the numbers on all of your meters as soon as you move into your flat. That's the best
way to avoid utility companies overcharging you.
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Getting around
While many places in Glasgow are walkable, it's worth
learning the best ways to get around, especially late at night.
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Getting around – Travel and housing
Buses depart from Buchanan Bus Station to all major cities throughout the UK.
Night Bus
No.62 On Friday and Saturday nights there's a good bus
Where Partick to town, past the service through the night in Glasgow and as long as
bottom of Byres Road you know where you’re going, and the route that the
When 24 hr. Every 10-15 mins bus takes, you’ll be fine. Bus drivers are unlikely to give
evenings, 60 mins at night (15 you much information so find out for yourself from
at weekends) Traveline Scotland (0871 200 2233).
Destinations Baillieston/Faifley
Where to get it Trongate, Sub Club, bottom of Assaults, muggings and pick-pocketing do take place
in town Hope Street, St Vincent St. on the buses, but these are rare, especially on the buses
Alternatives 11 out to the West End (numbers 66, 9 and 62). Still, be
careful. If anyone is bothering you, sit at the front near
No. 18 the driver. Get off and on at well lit, busier bus stops if
you can. The flat fare at night for First Great Western
Where Maryhill Road to town via
Queen Margaret Dr, Byres Rd buses is £2.50 or £3.50 for an all day ticket but beware,
and Sauchiehall St they don’t give change, so remember to keep some
When Every 15 minutes during the shrapnel in your pocket for the trip back.
day, 30 mins in evening til
midnight
Destinations East Kilbride/Summerston Subway
Where to get it Trongate, Sub Club, bottom of The Glasgow Subway system opened in 1896, making
in town Hope Street, St Vincent St. it the third oldest in the world behind London and
Alternatives 16 Budapest. It has never expanded past its one circular
line, although a new line is currently being planned. It's
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Travel and housing – Getting around
quite far from halls, but it serves the West End and city centre well. The nearest
stations to Uni are Hillhead on Byres Road and Kelvinbridge on Great Western
Road. Buchanan Street and St. Enoch drop you in the centre of town. Trains run
4-8 minutes, Mon-Sat 0630-2330, Sun 1000-1750.
Cost
Single journey: £1.20, Discovery: £3.50 (unlimited travel after 9.30am),
10-journey ticket: £10.
SRC Bus
“
The SRC runs a free bus service taking students from halls to campus on
weekday evenings, and are introducing a morning service this year, running
from 0800-1030 – check www.glasgowstudent.net/services for up-to-
date timetables and locations. The minibuses run at the following times on
With night buses weekday evenings:
that stop near
student halls and Campus to Murano Street
SRC1: 17.45, 18.15, 18.45, 19.15, 20.00, 20.30, 20.50, 21.30, 21.55, 22.35
the underground
SRC3: 20.10, 20.55, 21.40, 22.25 (other halls on request)
running until
midnight, I found Murano Street to Campus
Glasgow such an SRC1: 18.00, 18.30, 19.00, 19.30, 20.10, 20.40, 21.10, 21.45, 22.15, 22.45
easy city to get Murano St to Wolfson
around on public SRC3: 20.25, 21.10, 21.55, 22.40 (all times approx)
”
transport. Campus to Cairncross, Kelvinhaugh Street, & Cooperage Place
SRC1: 20.20, 21.20, 21.55, 22.25, 22.55
SRC3: 17.45 18.30, 19.15
Cairncross, Kelvinhaugh St, & Cooperage Place to Campus
SRC1: 20.25, 21.25, 22.30, 23.00
SRC3: 17.50, 18.35, 19.20
Campus to Wolfson
SRC2: 17.45, 18.25, 19.05, 20.00, 20.30, 21.00, 21.30, 22.00, 22.30
SRC3: 20.10, 20.55, 21.40, 22.25 (other halls on request)
Wolfson to Campus
SRC2: 18.05, 18.45, 19.25, 20.15, 20.45, 21.15, 21.45, 22.15, 22.45 (all
times approx)
SRC3: 20.40, 21.25, 22.10, 22.50
QM Halls to Wolfson Hall
SRC2: 17.55, 18.35, 19.15, 20.10, 20.40, 21.10, 21.40, 22.10
Campus to QM Halls
SRC3: 18.00, 18.45, 19.30
SRC2: 20.00, 20.30, 21.00, 21.30, 22.00, 22.30
Scott Forsyth QM Halls to Campus
Philosophy & SRC3: 18.15, 19.00, 19.45, 20.45, 21.30, 22.15
Archaeology Minibuses also run 0800-1030 weekday mornings.
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Getting around – Travel and housing
Other Travel You've heard it all before, but obviously if you're going
for a night out, leave the car at home. Glasgow's public
Coaches transport is great, and driving drunk is a staggeringly
Buchanan Bus Station serves not only as the hub of stupid thing to do. Even one drink can affect your
Glasgow bus routes but also provides coach services driving ability more than you think. Don't drive, and
throughout the country and into Europe. don't get into a car if you think the driver's been
drinking. If you don't have a choice but to take a car,
Flying designate a driver. Contrary to popular belief, it is
Glasgow is served by two airports, Glasgow and possible to have a good night out sober.
Prestwick, offering a range of flight destinations and
operators. Both airports have good bus links from Walking home
Buchanan Street; Prestwick is also served by a rail link Sometimes when the taxi queue is huge or you’re
from Central Station. feeling a bit skint, walking can seem like a good idea.
Unless you do something stupid, this is fine. Glasgow
Trains is no more dangerous than any other big city – but
Glasgow's got two large train stations in the city still, be wary. Avoid walking around at night on your
centre: Queen Street, which has trains to Edinburgh own: arrange to meet friends before you leave the
and the north and east of Scotland, and Central, which club or party. Kelvingrove Park is notorious for attacks:
will take you pretty much everywhere else. The city is never walk through it at night. If you think someone’s
also well served by a light railway system, which has a following you go into a 24 hour shop and phone for
large number of stations within the city and beyond. a taxi. Make sure that you keep to well lit areas and
main roads, and walk in the centre of the pavement;
Taxis have your keys ready before you get to your door; avoid
Taxi ranks are dotted all over the city centre and the carrying around more cash than you need; carry your
West End, and you can hail a black cab if they have wallet or purse in a front rather than a back pocket.
their orange lights on. You rarely end up paying much It's worth considering carrying a personal alarm just
more than eight quid wherever you are in Glasgow. in case.
The black cabs are vetted by the City Council and
completely safe, but slightly more expensive. There are Travel Discounts
also private taxi companies and minicab firms, which Travel companies offer a number of discount schemes
are cheaper but can’t be hailed and must be called out. for people who tend to travel a lot. SPT offer deals
It's worth getting a couple of numbers, but if not, many like the Discovery ticket (£3.50 for one day's unlimited
pubs and clubs will be able to give you the number of a Subway travel after 9.30am) and Zone Cards (which
reputable firm (check Useful contacts [P172]). can provide access to all SPT services for varying areas
and periods); check www.spt.co.uk/tickets. First Bus
Driving also offer a range of short and long term bus tickets
Owning a car in Glasgow can be tricky – there's very at www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/scotland/swscot.
little free parking in the West End and the one-way Railcards are a good way to save money if you travel a
systems are often baffling. It's worth asking yourself long way from Glasgow a lot – all students (including
if you really need your car in the city; it might be best mature students) can apply for one, saving you a third
to leave it at home. If you do need your car, consider off all rail journeys. They're £26, or £18 if you have a
getting a residents' parking permit from the Council – disability. You can save that much on just one trip to
it'll allow you to park in pay and display bays in your London. Check www.railcard.co.uk – it's worth it to
area for free. Give them a phone at 0141 287 4040. avoid sitting on a Megabus for eight hours.
85
Rent
Bills
Food
Booze
Bail
Lost behind sofa
Last night (oh God, last night)
Never wanted it anyway
Pint of milk at M&S
Rocket car fund
MONEY
UNI IS AS MUCH ABOUT LEARNING TO LIVE AWAY FROM HOME AS ANYTHING
ELSE. A HUGE PART OF THAT IS LOOKING AFTER YOUR BUDGET. BORING, YES,
BUT VITAL.
Budgeting
GRANTS, LOANS, BUDGETS AND BANKS. OH MY!
P88
Jobs
SELLING YOUR SOUL TO THE MAN FOR PENNIES. OR, SOMETHING LIKE THAT
P94
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Budgeting
Ready to enter the wild world of income-assessed loans,
travel expenses and bank charges? Read on, and try to contain
your excitement.
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Budgeting – Money
There's no need to get stressed out about forms; just get on with them.
threshold for repayments is a gross annual income of at an associated institution, such as the Art School,
£15,000). If you work as an employee, repayments or students on a foreign exchange year, are eligible to
will be automatically deducted, like tax, from your pay. apply for these awards. The hardship fund is something
If you are self-employed, you’ll have to sort this out of a last resort: it's intended to give small loans or
when you file your tax returns with the Inland Revenue. grants to provide short-term support for students
You should receive a statement every year letting you who are in danger of having to drop out of university
know how much you have paid back and how your because of financial circumstances beyond their control.
loan currently stands. Your loan is linked to inflation, You will be expected to show that you have taken up
which means that although it gets bigger as a number, all other sources of finance available, such as student
it doesn’t get any bigger in real terms: you will only ever loans, bank overdraft etc. Applications are accepted
pay back what you borrowed. throughout the year, and forms can be obtained from
the Financial Aid section of the Registry and SRC Advice
Centre (see side of next page for contact details). If you
Support available receive a hardship loan, you will be unable to register
for your next year at university without having paid
There are a range of funds that may be eligible to you, back at least 80% of it. If you receive a grant from the
depending on your circumstances. See side of next page fund you won't have to pay it back.
for sources of information and contact details.
SAAS Hardship Funds
University of Glasgow hardship fund Only students from the UK are eligible to apply for
All students at the University, except those studying these awards, and you must meet certain criteria.
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Money – Budgeting
Sources of Grants and loans [contd.] To qualify, you must live in your own home
Information or in some form of rented accommodation; have childcare costs, including
travel costs incurred by taking children to childcare; have additional costs
More information and arising out of a disability which are not met by the grant-awarding agency; or
advice on finance, loans, be a mature student, that is, over 25 at the start of the current academic year.
fees and banking can be Students on part-time under-graduate programmes can also apply for limited
found here: support towards course and travel costs.
SRC Advice Centre You must have already claimed your full student loan entitlement, if you are
Ground Floor, John entitled to one, and your parents must already make the full contribution that
McIntyre Building might be expected.
0141 339 8541
glasgowstudent.net You can apply throughout the academic year by picking up a form from the
Mon 10.30am-4pm, Tue- University Registry, the SRC Advice Centre, the Vet School, the Dental School or
Thu 10am-4pm, Fri 10am-3 the Student Advisory Service at Crichton Campus.
(11am-3pm holidays)
Money is also available for students from the UK who were aged 25 or over or
Student Financial Aid were married when they started their course, or were self-supporting for three
The Fraser Building years before they started their course. This money is primarily intended to help
University of Glasgow with the cost of childcare. You can apply at the Registry, the SRC Advice Centre
65 Hillhead Street or the Student Advisory Service at Crichton Campus.
G12 8QQ
Monday to Friday Scholarships, bursaries and trusts
9am - 5pm There are literally hundreds of these available for students to try their luck
(Wednesday 9.30am) with. Each one normally has a list of very specific and occasionally peculiar
requirements which you must meet to qualify, but it’s worth a try.
Student awards agency for
Scotland (SAAS) Information on some of the awards available can be obtained from the
Gyleview House, Scholarships section of the University’s Student Recruitment and Admissions
3 Redheughs Rigg Service (SRAS). Their website is www.gla.ac.uk/scholarships. The Registry
Edinburgh, also has software available called Funderfinder, which is designed to help
EH12 9HH. students find this kind of funding.
0845 1111711
saas.gov.uk Benefits
Lone parents, students with disabilities, student couples with children, and
Student Loans Company partners of full-time students may be eligible for some benefits. To find out
(SLC) 100 Bothwell Street, more, contact the SRC Advice Centre.
Glasgow, G2 7JD
0800 40 50 10 Travel expenses
slc.co.uk If you're from Scotland and you're outside of easy walking distance to
University, you may be able to claim back some of the costs of your travel from
Department for Education SAAS. Forms for travel expenses can be picked up from the Student Services in
and Skills the Fraser Building and the SRC Advice Centre or you can apply online at www.
dfes.gov.uk saas.gov.uk. You can apply for this from December.
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Budgeting – Money
Spending money
Major expenses
As well as the small fortune you will have to pay in rent, bills and any uni fees
there are also a number of other expenses to think about. If you own a TV you’ll
need to get a licence for it, which costs £142.50. You’ll also quickly realise that
things like mobile phones will cost you from £10 a month and food is a big
“
expense – learning to cook will make your life a bit cheaper but you’ll still find
there isn’t much left for partying.
”
Some places only advertise an NUS discount (Glasgow isn't part of the NUS),
but it's always worth showing your student card and trying your luck anyway.
• Buying your entire booklist will be expensive, so ask your tutors which are
the absolute essentials. Use the library or if you have to buy books, try the SRC
second hand bookshop. Many people will advertise books that they've finished
with for sale around your department. If you know someone on the same
course as you, you could consider sharing books and reducing the cost.
• Only withdraw the actual amount of money you need from the bank.
• Pay your bills by monthly budget plans such as with direct debit. This will
help you to budget for the year and there are often discounts given for paying
this way.
• Make your own meals. Always make a list when going food shopping and
never shop on an empty stomach. If you live with others, try going shopping
together and sharing the cost of the basics such as bread, milk, toilet roll,
cleaning products, etc, as it works out cheaper than buying for one.
• Beware of store cards – these are credit cards, usually with a high APR.
• Beware interest free credit that is time limited.
• Keep track of debit card transactions – it's easy to spend more than you
Catriona Meriel
mean to.
4th year
• Get help with debt! SRC Advice Centre staff can help you with negotiating
History of Art
with creditors.
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Money – Budgeting
Banks
Although you'll probably have a bank account already, It may sound like a lot of money but it disappears
you should definitely think about getting a student quickly and it’s good to have a safety net if things go
bank account. Alongside the sign-up bonuses like wrong.
railcards and free cash (which can be genuinely useful),
they're prepared to give you great big interest-free Graduate services
overdrafts – sometimes as much as £2750. • How long will my overdraft remain interest free
after I graduate?
It’s not quite free money (you'll normally need to pay it • What kind of services do they offer for recent
off within three or four years of graduating), but as long graduates?
as you stay within the agreed limit, they won't charge
you for borrowing money. And banks aren't normally Credit cards
that generous. • Do they offer a student credit card?
• What’s the credit limit?
Banks are keen to get students as customers for • What’s the rate of interest?
two reasons: students are likely to go on to be
young professionals with decent salaries who need It can be a good idea to take a credit card out even
mortgages, and they are likely to stick with the bank if you don’t use it (cut it up if you don’t trust yourself
they start with. Students will also soon be picking up not to use it) as this will improve your credit rating,
thousands of pounds in student loans which they will which makes it easier to get mortgages and loans after
want to deposit somewhere (this is often a condition of you graduate. Remember: taking out a cash advance
a student account). through a credit card is one of the most expensive
ways to borrow money – repayment rates are around
Look at all the deals on offer and choose carefully; +20% APR.
it may be the last time in a while that a bank needs
you more than you need it. Don’t just go for the best Conditions
gimmick offers of a popcorn maker or an iPod. • What is expected of me to remain eligible for the
account? (Minimum payments etc.)
• When does the overdraft get renewed?
Choosing a bank account • Is there anything that I am obliged to do?
Sometimes banks hide lucrative clauses in the
The following questions should help you get the best small print. Lucrative for them, that is.
deal available to suit your financial situation and
specific needs. Savings
If you have savings or you are in the position where you
Overdraft can start saving, then it’s worth thinking about opening
• How big is the interest free overdraft? a high interest account as well as your student account.
• Can I extend it? Make sure you get an account with an appropriate level
• How easy is it to extend? of accessibility (really hard to make withdrawals from
• What happens if I accidently go over my agreed if you think you’d fritter it away or easy enough if you
overdraft limit? think you’ll need it regularly). If you have a lump sum
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Budgeting – Money
Take a look at this photo. Drink it in. Chances are, you won't see this amount of money in the same
place again for a long time.
it’s worth looking into investing it, but be extremely money back (eventually – all claims are currently frozen
careful and take lots of advice from as many different pending the result of a court case).
sources as possible – there's an awful lot of ways to
invest your money, and some will be better for you While banks say charges cover their costs, it is estimated
than others. that UK banks make £3bn each year from charges,
making their position very dodgy. The courts could
also find that charges are ‘unfair’ under the Consumer
Unfair bank charges Contract Regulations 1999/2003.
There has been a lot of attention paid recently to The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruled in April 2006 that
the legality of the charges banks make on you. For such fees should not exceed £12, and some banks are
example, you exceed your overdraft limit by £15.98, now complying with this ruling. However, the OFT is
some banks will send a letter charging £30 and a £28 currently conducting a detailed investigation of bank
monthly unauthorised overdraft fee, and they may charges. A decision is expected in October 2009.
charge interest on unauthorised overdrafts. While the
law regarding this is very complicated, very often these If your bank or credit card company imposes potentially
kind of charges can be regarded as unlawful. If you feel unlawful penalties on your account, visit the SRC
that charges the bank has made against you are unfair, Advice Centre’s webpages for more information:
it might be worth kicking up a fuss – you could get your www.glasgowstudent.net/advice/bankcharges.
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Jobs
Getting a dull job to pay the bills is a fact of life nowadays. It
doesn't need to be that bad, though.
Chances are you’ll need a job at least some of the time The direct approach
you’re at university. Whether it’s a few hours a week Many shops, bars and restaurants advertise for staff
all year round or an intensive marathon during the with signs in their windows. Touring the city and asking
holidays, it’s essential to know where to get a decent around may well turn something up.
job, what sort of jobs to apply for, and what rights
you have. Printing off a pile of CVs is essential, possibly even
a couple of different ones for applying for different
types of jobs, and it’s even worth keeping a copy on a
Where should I look? USB drive so you can print it off quickly when you see
something interesting.
SRC Job Shop
The SRC runs a classified section on their website Looking on campus
which lists job opportunities in the city, at www. The SRC, Unions and the University all employ students
glasgowstudent.net/services/jobshop/. There's in a variety of different capacities. The Job Centre
also a list of vacancies suitable for students on the first visit campus once weekly, advertising vacancies and
floor of the John McIntyre Building. registering job seekers on Mondays and Wednesdays
12pm-2pm in the McMillan Reading Room.
The Job Centre
The Employment Service provides Job Centres where
vacancies can be advertised and applied for. There is What kind of work?
one in Partick near the junction of Byres Road and
Dumbarton Road, and another one in the city centre What do you want out of a job? For most students
on Bath Street. The Partick centre specialises in helping money is the main motivation but perhaps you can find
students, and runs special student nights. You can find something that will not only pay the bills but you will
more information on the services Job Centres provide at also enjoy. You might even find something that relates
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/index.html. to what you’re interested in.
Temping agencies Think about whether you want your job to be exciting
These can be ideal for students, as they are often and stressful (e.g. most catering and waiting jobs) or
looking for short-term work. If you visit a temping dull but easy (e.g. call centres, shelf-stacking, factory,
agency, you can tell them your skills and what sort of cleaning and most retail work). Be honest with yourself
work you need, and they will put you on their database – if you’re under pressure to meet your academic
and call you if anything comes up. targets do you really want a stressful job as well?
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Jobs – Money
Coffee shops and cafés often take on casual staff and it's usually a lot more fun than a call
centre.
Summer jobs and they may even find a job for you. Working in a
These can be more tricky to get than you’d think. A lot summer camp is another popular option, and many
of employers don’t want to take you on if you’re only companies offer the chance to work in a camp in the
going to be there for a couple of months. Temporary USA and Russia too. Don’t forget to get hold of an ISIC
summer vacancies are usually hotly contested between (International Student Identification Card) before you
every student in Glasgow, all with the same idea: to go so you can benefit from student discounts all over
work as much as possible at the beginning of the the whole world.
summer and then go travelling at the end. It’s best to
try to find a job before summer starts, but this is during
exam time and not always feasible. Some jobs might Your employment rights
offer you hours during the summer if you continue
working at least part time during term time. If you are working part-time and are a student,
employers may try to take advantage of you. Remember
Working abroad that even though this job may not be part of a
You might want to combine work and travel by working long-term career plan, you still have certain basic rights.
abroad over the summer, to not only gain experience These are outlined below, but you can check www.
but also to see a bit of the world. If you have an EU glasgowstudent.net/advice/employment or the
passport, then you are entitled to work anywhere SRC's new pamphlet, available in the John McIntyre
within the EU. Building, for more detailed information.
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Jobs – Money
must also receive an itemised pay slip detailing your salary and all deductions
on or before every pay date. You probably won’t have to pay much tax, but the
government may still want to see it. Make sure you know what you’re liable for
and what you need to do to get any exemptions you’re entitled to. If you have
overpaid tax, you can claim it back at the end of the tax year (usually April).
Minimum wage
If you're over 16, then you can't legally be paid less than the national minimum
wage. From October 2009, the minimum wage is £3.57 for people aged 16-17,
£4.83 per hour for people 18-21 and £5.80 per hour for people 22 or older.
“
Holidays
You have the right to paid holidays, totalling 5.6 weeks per year (so that's
28 days for someone working 5 days a week, although this includes public Part time work is
holidays). Part-time workers are entitled to the same amount of holiday, a great way to get
calculated pro rata. yourself a bit of
extra cash while
Trade Unions
at uni. But be
Joining a trade union is a great way to protect yourself from problems you might
careful not to let it
encounter at work. You might not think it’s worth joining a union if you’ve only
interfere with your
got a part time job, but you can still have accidents at work or a boss who’s
studies too much.
happy to take advantage of you, and a union can protect you against problems
like these. Many offer reduced membership rates for students, as well.
”
Dismissal
Seek advice from the SRC Advice Centre (see SRC [P32]) as soon as you can if
you think you have been unfairly dismissed, or any of your employment rights
are breached.
Careers Service
While student media [P46] and volunteering [P62] can give you skills that will
look great to an employer, it can still be difficult to know how to sell yourself
to employers or to know what you want to do once you graduate. The Careers
Service is able to advise you on what to do while you’re at University to improve
your employment prospects in later life.
The Careers Service run workshops on learning to assess your skills, writing CVs
and covering letters, preparing for interviews, on-line applications, psychometric
tests, and assessment centres. The large resource library in the Fraser Building
Shona Morrison
provides a fantastic source of inspiration, but if you’d rather talk to someone,
Film and TV &
you can also arrange a meeting with a careers adviser. You can use this service
Politics
for up to a year after you've graduated.
97
Hung over
Cardiograph
tutorial
Soulja Boy
dance marathon
Argument about
toilet roll
Your health
VISITING THE DOCTOR, EATING YOUR GREENS, AVOIDING STIS
P100
Wellbeing
KEEPING HEALTHY, HAPPY AND SANE AT UNIVERSITY
P110
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Your health
We're not about to go all Gillian McKeith on you or
anything,but taking just a little care of your body will pay
dividends in the long run.
Giving up
Medical
smoking
Doctor
Everyone knows the
dangers of smoking: It's really important that you register with a doctor in Glasgow, and there are
they're written on the side loads of options in the West End. On campus, the Barclay Medical Centre is
of every cigarette pack. available Monday-Friday 9am-5.30pm, and can be found on the first floor of
Starting university can be the Fraser Building. You can make an appointment by phoning 0141 531
one of the easiest times in 8822. However, you may wish to pick a GP which is closer to where you live:
your life to quit. all practitioners in the area surrounding the University are familiar with the
particular medical needs of students. Other surgeries in the West End include:
One of the many difficult
things about giving up Buckingham Terrace Surgery: 31 Buckingham Terrace, G12 8ED. 0141
smoking is that it's a 211 6210
social habit. Going out Northcote Surgery: 2 Victoria Circus, G12 9LD. 0141 339 3211
with mates that you Woodside Health Centre: Barr Street, G20 7LR. 0141 531 9200
normally smoke with is
tough, although the public The start of the year tends to be when most people come down with some kind
smoking ban helps. But of illness, as students introduce new and exciting strains of illnesses from all
when you start out at uni, over the country to people who haven't built up immunities yet. The so called
you get a new social circle Freshers' flu is usually no more than a bad cold but there have been outbreaks
– one you’re not used to of mumps and even meningitis in the past, so it's important to look out for
smoking with. Giving up the danger signs if you are ill. It's not very likely that you're going to come
is always hard but at least down with meningitis in your first week at university, but both illnesses can be
if you do it at this point immunised against, so speak to your GP if you are particularly concerned.
you won’t have everyone
making a big deal out of Having a doctor is good, but never having to use one is even better. Many new
it. Give it a thought. students have never had to regularly cook for themselves, and don't realise
how important a balanced diet is for fending off illness. Your body will be much
Speak to your GP for more more able to fight infections if it has a decent supply of the right vitamins
advice on quitting. and minerals, so try and make sure that you eat lots of fruit and vegetables,
particularly during winter. Even drinking a glass of fruit juice a day will help.
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Your health – Health and wellbeing
Getting yourself checked up regularly is important, even if your mate who's studying medicine
says you're fine.
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Health and wellbeing – Your health
Sexual health
STIs New methods of testing for chlamydia are now available
which will allow easier and more widespread screening
Yes, they even found a way to make sex not fun. In of the infection.
recent years there's been a sharp rise in the number of
people diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections Genital warts
(STIs), particularly women in their late teens and men Genital warts, caused by some strains of the human
in their early twenties – that is, people exactly like you. papilloma virus (or wart virus), are the most common
Most can be easily prevented if you use condoms. So, sexually transmitted infection seen in Genito-Urinary
know how to use a condom properly, always carry Medicine (GUM) clinics. The highest rate of infection is
condoms with you but make sure they are not out of among women aged 20-24 and men aged 25-34.
date or damaged, and never use a condom more than
once. I mean, ew. Symptoms: Warts can take a year or more to develop
after infection with the wart virus. Warts are not always
Free condoms are available from the SRC, the Sandyford visible, especially if they occur inside the vagina –
Initiative (see overleaf) and the QM's C Card scheme. particularly on the cervix – or in the anus. If warts are
You can get details about all STIs from not present, the virus cannot be tested for.
www.sandyford.org or www.brook.org.uk
Treatment: Warts can be treated by applying special
Here are a few of the most important STIs to know ointments or paints, by freezing or surgical removal
about: under local anaesthetic.
Treatment: Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotics. Treatment: A drug may be prescribed to relieve
However, if left untreated it can cause pelvic symptoms and reduce the length of the illness. But the
inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to infertility. most important thing to remember is to avoid having
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Your health – Health and wellbeing
sex during a recurrence. It can inflame symptoms and lead to your partner
becoming infected.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and while it is slightly rarer than the
other STIs discussed, it's still a danger to anyone having unprotected sex.
Symptoms may appear up to six months after contact with the infection. If
problems occur they usually include mild fever, tiredness, loss of appetite,
abdominal discomfort and yellowing of the skin and eyes. After a few weeks
“
most recover completely. Nevertheless vaccination is still possible and will avoid
you becoming a carrier of the disease – showing no symptoms but still able
to pass it on.
”
HIV infection is concentrated in young adults between 15-39. In recent years
the number of new cases acquired through heterosexual sex has outnumbered
those acquired through homosexual sex, contrary to popular belief.
Symptoms: People with HIV may have no symptoms for 10 years or more. HIV
almost always leads to Aids, which can lead to tumours, deadly lung infections
and a litany of other diseases.
Treatment: HIV is preventable and treatable, but not curable. Current treatment
consists of a combination of three or more antiviral drugs. This combination
treatment has enabled people with HIV to maintain good health. However,
Sophie Hall
25% of new HIV cases are found to be resistant to one or more of the
SRC Vice President
antiviral drugs and the long term outcome for people treated with combination
(Student Support)
therapies is still unclear.
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Contraception
“
Condoms are the only form of contraception that protects against STIs but
there are other options to prevent unplanned pregnancies. For example, lots
of people use the contraceptive pill in addition to condoms. Women can have
a contraceptive implant which releases progestogen directly in to the blood
With the abundance stream. It's best to discuss it with your GP, and find what is best for you.
of free condoms
available on Condoms
campus, you should We all know about them, but here's a couple of bits of information you may
never find yourself not know and may find useful. Condoms can deteriorate if not stored properly
without should the as they are affected by heat and light. It’s best not to use a condom that has
need arise. If the been stored in your back pocket, wallet, or the glove compartment of your car.
need doesn't arise Also, if a condom feels sticky or very dry you shouldn’t use it as the packaging
for a while, don't may have been damaged. Condoms should be disposed of by being wrapped
keep your condom in tissue or toilet paper and thrown in the bin. Condoms should not be flushed
hanging around down the toilet as they cause blockages in the sewage system, and pollution.
in your wallet for Manufacturers say that 12% of the 15% condom failure rate is due to not
too long: heat and using a condom correctly so it's probably worth learning how to put one on.
pressure will start
”
to break it down. Morning after
If you haven’t used contraception or the condom has split, the emergency
contraceptive pill can be taken up to 72 hours after sex. The sooner it is
taken the more effective it is. This is available free from your GP and from the
Sandyford Initiative (see opposite page for details). You can get it over the
counter in some pharmacies for around £22. Ask for it by its name – Levonelle
– for a much smoother process and a less embarrassing trip to the pharmacy.
An emergency IUD (coil) can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex. If in
doubt or wishing further advice contact your GP or family planning clinic.
Pregnancy
The most obvious early sign of pregnancy is a late period. But a late period
Alan Govan
doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. Stress, illness and changes in diet can
Music
also cause the menstrual cycle to be upset.
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The Sandyford
Initiative
The Sandyford initiative
provides services
for sexual health,
contraception and
women's health in
Glasgow as well as
counselling and a range of
specialist services:
The University now has a Student Maternity, Maternity Support and Adoption The Initiative is based
Policy that applies to pregnant students and their partners. The policy covers at 2-6 Sandyford Place,
issues such as time off from your studies, health and safety, how to manage Sauchiehall Street (near
missed work, and your return to studies after the birth of your child. Kelvingrove Park).
The important thing is that you see someone such as the Family Planning www.sandyford.org
Association as soon as possible. Having an abortion is a serious decision – 0141 211 8600
make sure you get as much information and support as possible.
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Health and wellbeing – Your health
Alcohol
Simple Precautions Drink Spiking
Drinking lots – sometimes too much – is undeniably There is currently a lot of media attention surrounding
part of the student lifestyle for most people, and that's the danger of rapists using alcohol “date rape” drugs,
unlikely to change any time soon. But keeping an eye such as Rohypnol and GHB, as well as alcohol, to
on how often and how much you drink will greatly neutralise resistence. Police evidence surrounding the
increase your chances of having a good night out rather use of “date rape” drugs is extremely limited. Forensic
than a drunken mess. Try to bear these tips in mind evidence of many drugs are often difficult to obtain, as
while you're out. traces of drugs may not remain in the body for long
periods of time. Furthermore, the most common drug
• Eat something before you go out. Food helps to used is alcohol – slipping a few extra shots into a drink,
slow the absorption of alcohol and gives you for example – which is obviously untraceable.
energy so you can handle the pace.
In addition, rape victims where date rape drugs were
• Make sure that if you're going out with your mates used are even less likely to report the crime than other
they look out for you and that you look out for rape victims, so the statistics are very low. Victims
them in return. often feel responsible because they feel they just drank
too much, and they can’t remember what actually
• Don’t dehydrate. If the plan is to stay out late, get happened.
a pint of water or a soft drink every couple of
rounds. Drink plenty of water before you go to Whether instances of drugs being dropped into
sleep (it will take the edge off the hangover). unsuspecting people’s drinks are as widespread as
some newspapers suggest, or the reports are vastly
• If you have a low tolerance rate, then think about over-sensationalised, it is worthwhile being aware of
starting to drink later in the evening – it sounds the issue, and how you can protect yourself.
obvious but it’s far, far cheaper.
The makers of the drug Rohypnol have taken certain
• Pace yourself. If you don’t want to look like a steps of their own to prevent its misuse in this way.
wimp, the oldest trick in the book is to drink Previously, it was a colourless, odourless drug which
bottles rather than pints and shots. dissolved into drinks rapidly. Now, it has been coloured
blue, it will fizz on contact with liquid, and it will float at
• Set aside some money so that you can get home the top of a drink for about twenty minutes after having
safely at the end of the night. Is another drink been placed in the liquid.
really worth as much as your safety?
The best thing you can do is keep an eye on your drink
• If your plans change, make sure you know how to and your mates’ drinks and be a bit careful about
get home with a friend. accepting drinks from people you’ve just met. If you
think your drink has been spiked, or you start to feel
• Avoid leaving drinks unattended and be wary of unwell, tell someone right away (a friend or a member
drinks bought by folk that you’ve just met. of staff).
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Alcohol
The recommended maximum daily
intake for men and women is
3 4
units units
That’s about… 2 medium-sized glasses of wine
(1.5 glasses for women)
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Health and wellbeing – Your health
Drugs
Some things to remember Drugs you may encounter
As well as alcohol, there are a multitude of illegal Cannabis
substances that change hands each and every day Comes in a variety of forms (oil, leaves, resin) and an
in Glasgow. Each of these fiddles with your brain’s even wider variety of strengths. It’s usually smoked with
function to produce effects ranging from the sublime tobacco but can also be ingested in food. Effects include
through the ridiculous to the terrible. Before going a feeling of well-being, relaxation, and a heightened
any further, it’s worth underlining the fact that all the appreciation of daytime television, but can also cause
drugs listed below are illegal. This means two really nausea and paranoia. Cannabis got upgraded from a
important things: class C to a class B drug in 2009. Some people seem
to be able to smoke dope regularly without any major
You can’t trust your supplier change to their lifestyle. Most people can’t. Before you
Buying drugs isn’t like buying something from a shop. know it you’ll be watching Teletubbies and failing your
You have no guarantee that what you pay for is what degree. You’ve been warned.
you get. This might just mean that you get sold rubbish
which does nothing for you. More worryingly, though, Cocaine
it means that your drugs could be cut with whatever This class A drug gives users strong feelings of
your dealer’s supplier had sitting about the house, from wellbeing and exhilaration. These effects are fairly
baking soda to rat poison. short-lived, peaking about 15-30 minutes after using
it. It is highly addictive, and snorting coke regularly can
The University, and the police, don't like you seriously damage the membrane of the nose and can
If you get caught with drugs in halls or by any University lead to heart problems as well as making users restless,
official, then the University’s policy says two things. anxious and aggressive.
First, they will report you to the police. Second, you will
face University disciplinary action, which, especially if Speed
you get caught with a class A banned substance, could Increases your heart rate and makes you feel more
well end in expulsion. alert, confident, and cheerful. It can also make you feel
paranoid, aggressive, panicky and anxious. It will make
When the police get hold of you, the result will again you grind your teeth, suppresses your appetite and
depend on what you're carrying, as well as how much disrupt your sleep. It lasts about three hours and leaves
you're caught with. However, at the very least you will you feeling awful for the next couple of days.
get your drugs confiscated and face a fine. That could
mean a criminal record, which has implications for your Ecstasy (MDMA)
University career and your employment prospects. And Ecstasy comes in powder or in pill form, and comes in
not good implications, either. a wide variety of shapes, colours, and – importantly
– strengths. There are cases of people having allergic
It also seriously affects any travel plans you might have. reactions to MDMA, but these are very rare – most of
Many governments, especially that of the USA, won’t the dangers associated with the drug relate to how it is
let you set foot in their country if you have a drugs- used, and what it is cut with. Aside from the usual stuff
related offence on your record. that suppliers might cut with any drug (baking soda,
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If you're
taking E...
Make sure someone knows
what you've taken. In the
event that something goes
wrong it's really important
that someone's able to
inform medical staff that
get involved.
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Wellbeing
Staying happy is just as important as staying healthy. It's
important to make sure you're on top of things.
Mental health
Being at university can be a stressful experience. As • Changes in appetite: loss of interest in food or
well as pressure from your course, finance, friends, overeating.
employment, relationships, and family can all weigh • Diminished sex drive.
you down. This may begin to impact more seriously • Difficulty relaxing without feeling guilty.
on your mental wellbeing as well as affecting your • Difficulty making decisions.
academic progress. The first thing to remember, though, • Emotional changes: extreme distress at slight
is that you are not alone. interruptions or frustruations.
• Use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco more than
Below you will find some of the most common problems usual.
encountered by students, some advice on how to cope,
and pointers towards some of the solutions available
on campus. What can I do?
There are ways to relieve stress and ease the pressure.
Stress They tend to be different for everyone but the following
steps are a good starting point:
Signs of stress
Whatever the source, the result of prolonged stress is • Try to identify what things are making you stressed
that you are left feeling like you can’t take control of
and what you can do about them. Some things
your own life in the way you would choose and simple you won’t be able to change – or not immediately
tasks become difficult to cope with without getting – but some things you might be able to.
tense and uptight. People often experience some or all • Try to eat a sensible diet and go to bed at a
of the following symptoms: regular time.
• Many people find physical activities help (e.g.
• Physical health problems such as headaches, swimming or yoga).
indigestion or a sore back. • Talking it over with someone you trust can help
• Usual sleep patterns become disturbed: difficulty you work through your feelings.
get to sleep, disturbed sleep, or the need for much • If you’re not the sort of person who finds it easy to
more sleep than usual. talk about your feelings, try taking up a sport or
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Wellbeing – Health and wellbeing
Just talking to a friend can be a great start to working through your problems. But don't be
ashamed to get professional advice if you feel you need it.
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Health and wellbeing – Wellbeing
then rid themselves of it by vomiting or with laxatives, People harm themselves for many different reasons.
out of guilt and disgust. Self-harm can be a sign of low self-esteem,
powerlessness, loss of control or fear of loss of control.
Worried about a friend? It doesn’t “just happen” but is a part of a recurring
As a friend or relative you can help. Your concern for cycle of responses to triggers which occur throughout
their health may make you want to urge them to seek someone’s life. These may be feelings of guilt and the
help and to change their eating habits. However, be feeling that they need to be punished, or it can act as a
aware that endless confrontations are exhausting and release and a way to manage moods or feelings.
will leave your friend with an even lower opinion of
themselves and possibly a greater determination to If you know someone who self-harms, it is important to
resist your efforts to help. talk to them about it immediately and encourage them
to seek help. For more information about self harm visit
Your role may be to encourage your friend to talk www.nshn.co.uk
more freely about what it is that distresses them to
the extent that they react in this way. Try to be open
and honest about your own feelings without getting Who can help?
angry. Encouraging them to take up a new interest and
doing things together can help shift the focus away University Counselling Service
from food. Counselling differs from other sorts of help. It's not
advice or a means by which the helper provides
If your friend acknowledges that they need help, you solutions. It is a process where one person helps
can assist them practically by finding out about support another by purposeful conversation in a supportive and
available – from the University and in the local area. understanding atmosphere.
Most of all, remember to look after your own needs too. Counsellors can help with a wide range of difficulties.
Worrying about a friend is stressful and can leave you Common problems that students experience include:
feeling powerless and exhausted. You’re allowed time
out. For more info about eating disorders go to: • Homesickness, loneliness, anxiety, depression;
www.anad.org. • Problems in relationships;
• Family problems and troubling past experiences;
• Bereavements and losses;
Self harm • Life changes such as pregnancy and illness;
• Sexual and cultural identity;
Some people respond to difficulties and distress in • Suicidal feelings;
their lives by deliberately inflicting physical pain on • Crisis such as assault;
themselves. Most people who self harm can make • Academic difficulties.
a clear distinction between suicidal acts and other
motives for self-harming behaviour. Some of the For those suffering from addictions or chronic eating
ways people may harm themselves include cutting problems, it would probably be best in the first instance
or scratching the skin, particularly the arms, burning to consult either your own GP or one of the doctors in
themselves, biting or punching themselves or hitting the Barclay Medical Centre. For more information on
their body against something. Some people may also the service and how it could help you go to www.gla.
swallow or insert objects into themselves or pull out ac.uk/counselling or the Barclay Medical Centre at
their hair or eyelashes. www.barclaymedicalcentre.org.
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Wellbeing – Health and wellbeing
we’re
all
7pm – 7am every night
during term time
ears
“
Whether you’ve forgotten where your exam is in the
morning or you just want to sound off because you’re
fed up, or worried, Nightline is here to help.
Nightline is a confidential information and listening
service for students at Glasgow University and run
by trained students with the SRC.
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The Chaplaincy
Glasgow University is well served with two Chaplaincy Services
centres which are friendly, welcoming places open to Sunday morning service: 11am
all students and staff regardless of faith (or none) or The 10 Minute Service: each weekday, during term-time
religious denomination. The University Chaplaincy is from 8.45-8.55am led by chaplains, students and staff.
next to the Chapel, in the West Quadrangle. Turnbull Ecumenical Eucharist (Anglican) service: Thursday,
Hall Catholic Chaplaincy is at 15 Southpark Terrace. It 1.15 pm
has places to study or to sit and have a coffee, with a Free Church of Scotland Service: Fridays, 1.05pm
selection of daily newspapers. Turnbull Hall even has Other services and events are held as advertised.
computers with access to the University’s network.
Turnbull Hall (15 Southpark Terrace)
Sunday masses: Vigil (Saturday at 6.15pm),
Interfaith 11.30am and 6.15pm
Holy days 12.05pm,1.05pm and 5.05pm
The University has an Interfaith Room which has books Weekday masses 1.05pm daily.
and worship materials for the Buddhist, B’Hai, Christian, Additional mass at 12.05pm during Lent.
Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh faith communities and the
Humanist community. This room can be booked by Contact
faith community student societies such as Glasgow
University Muslim Students Association, the Hindu University Chaplain
Students Society, Jewish Society, Sikh Students Society, Rev Stuart D MacQuarrie
Buddhist Students Society and so on. There are shoe West Quadrangle
storage and washing facilities for ritual ablutions. University of Glasgow
Glasgow, G12 8QQ
The Interfaith Room is located next to the dining room 0141 330 5419
in The Square. Chaplaincy agreements are now in place chaplaincy@gla.ac.uk
for several Christian denominations, Buddhist, Hindu, www.gla.ac.uk/chaplaincy/
Humanist, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities.
Details of services and meetings for faith communities Catholic Chaplain
are listed on the notice boards at the entrance to the Fr John Keenan
Interfaith Room. Turnbull Hall
13-15 Southpark Terrace
Glasgow, G12 8LG
Christian Worship 0141 339 4315
rcchaplaincy@gla.ac.uk
University Memorial Chapel http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/
The Chapel is inter-denominational and is open daily catholicchaplaincy/
to everyone for prayer and meditation. Throughout View the University Chapel Live on
the week there are various services in the University http://mcu.gla.ac.uk/chapel-live.html
Chapel, which can be viewed online.
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“The Chaplaincy is
here as a resource
for all students
whether they
are Buddhist,
Jewish, Muslim,
Sikh, Christian
or Humanist.
Sometimes it's just
good to get a bit of
”
space.
Rev Stuart
MacQuarrie
The majestic gothic University Chapel was built in 1929.
University Chaplain
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Health and wellbeing – Wellbeing
The Police
It's unlikely you're going to get involved with the police • stolen property;
any more seriously than a noise complaint, or if they • alcohol if you are at certain major football or
catch you drinking in the park. But it's still well worth rugby matches or on public transport travelling to
knowing your rights in case anything does happen. such an event;
• evidence in relation to an offence under the
Power to stop & question Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002;
A police officer may stop and question you if s/he • fireworks which you intend to use in an anti-social
believes you have committed or witnessed an offence. manner;
You must give your name and address when asked but • cash or the cash equivalent of £1000 or more
you do not have to give any other information. It’s an which is the result of criminal activity.
offence to give a false name and address. If the police Before they stop and search you they must have
suspect you of committing an offence they may ask you reasonable grounds for suspecting that they will find
for an explanation of your behaviour. You have the right these things. In these situations, an officer does not
to refuse to give an explanation. If the police want to have to be in uniform but if they are in plain clothes
ask you more questions and they suspect you of having they must identify themselves and provide documentary
committed a crime they can: evidence of identity if asked to do so. Obviously if a
• ask you to attend voluntarily at the police station to person claims to be police you should ask them for
help with enquiries; identification immediately and not give them any
• detain you for questioning for up to 6 hours; information until they do so.
• arrest you for allegedly committing an offence.
If the police suspect you of being a witness to a crime In the above situations, the police should not require
they can invite you to attend the police station to help you to take off any clothing other than an outer coat
with enquiries. You don't have to and can't be detained or gloves and they can't carry out an intimate search,
at the police station, but in most cases it can't hurt to for example, an internal body search, without having a
co-operate with the police. If you have been questioned warrant to do so. Before carrying out the search, the
by the police, either as a suspect or a witness, the police police officer must give their grounds for the search.
should make clear before you are released or leave the
police station what further action, if any, will be taken, If you have not been arrested, the search should be
for example, whether you have been charged and if this carried out in a place as private as possible by an officer
will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal or whether you of the same sex as you, and should be outwith the view
have been eliminated from the enquiry. of members of the opposite sex. The police do not have
the power to take any fingerprints, palm prints or body
Stopping and searching samples, such as a blood sample, unless you have been
The police can stop and search you without having arrested and detained.
a search warrant if it is in connection with the
prevention of terrorism, or if they suspect you of being Once you have given the police your name and address
in possession of: it is up to them to decide whether they want to ask
• drugs; more questions. If they don’t then you should be
• an offensive weapon; allowed to go.
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Ethical living
As global warming starts to become more and more • Don't leave lights and switches turned on when
evident, and our natural resources are depleting, we not needed, and turn TVs or monitors off completely
have to think about the way that we act and whether – don't just put them on standby. Up to 25% of
it is a responsible way to treat the planet. We're not household power is used for items on standby.
expecting you to start living in trees and wearing tie-dye • Place reflective foil behind radiators to conserve
but there are some easy ways which will at least start to heat.
minimise your impact on the environment. • Keep thermostats at the lowest reasonable
temperature or try just turning them down by 1 degree
Reduce, re-use or recycle for a few months.
Recycling need not be a burden, and can really help • Use economy programs on washing machines and
reduce your footprint on the planet. As well as taking similar appliances, and try to have full loads whenever
bottles and paper to some of the recycling bins dotted you use them.
around the city (the car parks on Gibson Street and • Close your curtains to trap heat inside.
the corner of Byres Road and University Avenue are • Use energy saving light bulbs – they last much
handiest for uni), there are other things you can do. longer and keep electricity bills down.
• Only boil as much water as you need at a time – it
• Buy Barr's glass bottles: this way you get a cheap uses less electricity, plus, it's cheaper, quicker, and
bottle of pop that gets even cheaper when you return reboiled water tastes nasty.
the bottle and the shop keeper gives you 20p. Genius. • Don't buy over-packaged goods – what's the point
• Donate to and shop in charity shops: They say that in individually shrink wrapped carrots anyway?
one man's junk is another man's treasure, and the rise
and rise of charity shops is proof that while you don't Home-owners (either you or your landlord) can also
like a top anymore, someone else will. consider bigger changes to make your property more
• Freecycle.org: Log on to this international website environmentally friendly. Here’s a few suggestions:
and get other people's stuff for free. It's like a modern
day multi-coloured swap shop. • Installing double glazing;
• Bags: Every time you go to a shop, think about • Insulating loft and outer walls;
whether you really need the bag you are offered, could • Upgrading your boiler to an energy-efficient model.
you put your purchases in another bag. Make sure to
save bags from one shopping trip for the next. Whether you just swap regular bulbs for energy-saving
ones, small changes do contribute to the sustainability
An ecological home of environmental security. As more people make small
Whether you’re in halls, rented accommodation or have changes in their homes, significant changes happen.
your own property, there are some simple measures you
can take which will help you to save both energy and Travel
money. Aside from the warm fuzzy glow that saving It's really worth thinking about how much of an effect
energy gives you inside, it also works out much cheaper your travelling is having on the planet. It is becoming
for you in terms of bills. So, even if you couldn't care more and more common for students to drive, but while
less about climate change, it is definitely still worth for some it's a necessity, it may not be for you. If you
giving these a try: live in or around the West End then walking or cycling
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Fairtrade
Glasgow Unversity is one
of a growing number of
Fair trade Universities
around the country. This
means that the University
and all the student bodies
have signed an agreement
stating that, where
possible, fairly traded
options will be made
available.
If you would like to get more involved at a University level, think about helping
the SRC with their Green Day, running in 2009 on 28 October. They're running
loads of activities on Green Day, giving students at Glasgow the opportunity
to think about looking after the environment and planet, and contribute to
keeping Glasgow as green as possible.
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get to fopp
Cd Bk
B
The Beatles
Go
George Orwell
00.00 00.00
Cd Cd Fm Fm Fm Fm Fm Bk
Sm Rs
The Smiths Rolling Stones
Ms Ah Qt
Martin Scorcese Alfred Hitchcock Quentin
Os Ca Sm
Oliver Stone Cary Grant Stephenie
Advert
Tarantino Meyer
00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00
Cd Cd Fm Fm Fm Fm Fm Bk
Db Dr
David Bowie Dizzee Rascal
Ap Ss
Al Pacino Steven Speilberg
Sj
Spike Jonze
Fg
Family Guy
Rdn Hp
Robert de Niro J K Rowling
00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00
Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Fm Fm Fm Fm Bk
R
Radiohead
Vm O2 Ff
Van Morrison Air Franz Ferdinand
Pr
The Prodigy
Li
Nirvana
Bb P
Beastie Boys Prince
Ut
Uma Thurman
Dc Au Pl
Daniel Craig Audrey Hepburn Pans Labyrinth
Am
Alan Moore
00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00
Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Fm Fm Fm Bk
Fi
Friendly Fires
Lr
La Roux
Pf
Pink Floyd
Q
Queen
Ac
AC/DC
Pb Bl
Led Zeppelin Bat For Lashes
La
Lily Allen
Am Jd
Arctic Monkeys Johnny Depp
Tb
Tim Burton
Mb Iw
Marlon Brando Irvine Welsh
00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00
Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Cd Fm Fm Bk
El
Elbow
Ps
Primal Scream
Sr
Stone Roses
Pe Mi
Public Enemy Miles Davis
Fl
Fleet Foxes
Ma J$
Massive Attack Johnny Cash
Bs
Belle &
Bd Cg Co Sk
Bob Dylan City of God Joel Coen Stephen King
Sebastian Ethan Coen
00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00
The
PUB
10
pm
COOL
11
pm
BAR
12 pm
1 am
2 am
3 am
TAXI
4 am
GOING
YOUR FRIDGE IS STOCKED, YOU'RE GOING TO LECTURES AND YOU'VE FOUND A
OUT
FLAT: WHAT'S NEXT? TIME TO EXPLORE GLASGOW AND HAVE SOME FUN!
Shopping
CLOTHES, BOOKS, RECORDS, AND MORE: A GUIDE TO SOME OF GLASGOW'S BEST SHOPS
P124
Culture
CINEMAS, MUSEUMS AND THEATRES GALORE FOR A BIT OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT
P135
Shopping
Got your student loan? Great! Here's a few thousand
ways to get rid of it as fast as you can.
Clothes shopping
“ Glasgow has long held a reputation for great shopping, and it's well deserved.
The 'Golden Z' of Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street
contains pretty much every single clothing shop that you could require. If you
get off the tube at Buchanan Street station, shut your eyes and throw a brick,
you're more than likely to break the window of a huge branch of any high street
store you could name – Miss Selfridge, Burton's, Primark, The GAP, Top
Shop (twice), Debenham's, Schuh, TK Maxx, Zara, and many, many more
“
all reside on one of those three streets.
”
shops. Cruise and Ralph Lauren.
If high street brands aren't your thing, there's plenty more options available
to you, with many excellent independent clothes shops in the West End and
city centre. Kings Parade is a good place to start – this road and the area
surrounding it just south of Trongate is very much Glasgow’s arty quarter.
Hidden amongst the artists' studios, leftfield shops and hairdressers, and round
the corner from the 13th Note (see Live music [P148]), Mr Ben is a haven
for all things retro and a bit cuckoo. If you're looking for a military jacket, a
wedding dress or fifteen pairs of men's flannelcloth swimming trunks, you
should probably start looking here. It's not always cheap, but there's usually
something nice to be found.
Nicola Pritchard
3rd Year Also on Kings Parade you’ll find Kozi, a hopelessly outdated but equally
Geography charming hippy-rave shop complete with glow in the dark bracelets and vests
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Shopping – Going out
Mr Ben: a wonderful combination of the chic, the lame and the very, very strange.
with flashing lights. Oh, and awful mid-90s trance The West End is also brilliant for charity shops of all
on loop while you browse. Complete the shopping kinds, from clothing to furniture. Byres Road is full of
experience with a visit to the fetish shop at the end of the things, including many different Oxfam shops. The
Kings Parade where you can pick up a corset or a nice most interesting of these is Oxfam Style – yes, really.
pair of crotchless knickers. They collect the best clothes from the Oxfam shops in
the area, and sells them at a bit of a premium (that
The West End is also pretty good for independent is, for a charity shop). It's still dirt cheap, and worth
clothing stores. Just off Byres Road on Ruthven Lane checking out.
you’ll find the wonderful Starry Starry Night,
Glasgow’s best vintage clothing shop. Here you can The Cancer Research shop on Dumbarton Road is
pick up a Marilyn Monroe dress for as little as £30 as pretty good for clothes, especially smarter stuff like
well as men’s overcoats and some delightfully over the suits. Make sure to check it out if you're broke and
top costume jewellery. you've got an interview tomorrow.
Further down Ruthven Lane, the Glory Hole sells mint Live Again on Dumbarton road is also pretty decent
condition second hand designer and high street brands – although it's huge, and not for the faint hearted.
at cut prices. Next door, Darling sells a limited range There's a rush for the best stuff every Wednesday when
of very beautiful one-offs at affordable prices (£20-£30 they have a furniture delivery, but there's some serious
for a top, £40-£50 for a pair of jeans). bargains to be found.
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Going out – Shopping
Essentials
Food They put together ridiculously good value bundles, so
buying a packet of fish fingers usually entitles you to
If you've just left home for the first time, chances are a week’s worth of free food – from ice cream to oven
you've never had to do much of the shopping in your chips – that you don't need but will pick up anyway.
house. The first thing to remember is not to go crazy;
you may have a lot of disposable money but that If you’re in Murano St. or Wolfson Halls, you’ll probably
doesn't necessarily mean that you need three different soon discover Maryhill Tesco. It’s got the usual huge
varieties of balsamic vinegar. Be sensible about what selection of food, and is a marvel for student fodder,
you buy and shop around for the best or cheapest especially if you take advantage of the famed stripy
products, especially for those you buy regularly. Tesco Value range. Many students discover their 10p
noodles and eat little else for four years – it's tempting
Even if you are living in catered halls you will find at the time, but really it's just a very cheap way to get
that buying your own food is essential. Buying lunch scurvy. They offer a freephone taxi service; useful if
out every day is expensive in Glasgow and usually not you've got 15 bags of shopping to carry home.
particularly healthy. If you’re making all your own meals
then it’s worth finding the cheap places and hidden Down next to Partick train station is Morrisons. It’s
gems of the West End for supplies. slightly nicer than Tesco and they also offer a freephone
taxi service. If you live in the Hillhead/Partick, or
Supermarkets Yorkhill/Finnieston areas, this is the best place to go.
There isn’t really much to call ‘super’ about the It’s large, decently priced and the range can’t be argued
supermarkets in the West End. They are usually with, especially when it comes to their meat and baked
overpriced, pretty hopeless, or both. goods counters. You'll also find a Sainsbury's around
the corner, which is a slightly more pricey option, but
At the time of going to print, the supermarket at the they do have some good food.
top of Byres Road is changing hands from Somerfield
to Waitrose. The Somerfield is no great loss: it was However, the best supermarket in the West End is Lidl
expensive and completely rubbish. While you still on Maryhill Road, near St George's Cross Underground.
probably won't be able to shop there once it's a Don’t be put off by the obscure European brands: some
Waitrose, at least it'll be a bit nicer, probably. of them are great, some of them are hit and miss. They're
particularly good for fruit juices, tinned food, cheese
The nearby Byres Road Marks and Spencer is and fresh meat, as well as a comprehensive range
much sexier, but again usually useless for low-budget of frozen foods, household products and worryingly
eating. It caters mostly for yuppies on the go, so it's cheap alcohol. Their fruit and veg section is infamously
horrendously pricey. They put their reduced stock out at rubbish, though – probably best to give it a miss.
about 8pm, so check around then for bargains.
For many essentials, though, the supermarkets are
Iceland, next to Hillhead subway, and Farmfoods undercut and completely outclassed by some of the
at the bottom of Byres Road both cater more for the excellent independent shops in the West End. Have
student budget. They’re most useful for buying bread, fun exploring them, and you’ll reap the reward with
milk, and toilet roll, but they do have some great offers. cheaper and much more interesting food.
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Glasgow Farmers’
Market
Go to Roots and Fruits if you want to meet people who get really, Most stalls will let you
really excited about vegetables. try before you buy and
you can spend a happy
Fruit & Veg morning wandering round
In the West End you should never need to buy your greens from the and picking up plenty of
supermarkets. While they may seem convenient and cheap, they just can’t samples without buying
compare to the abundant local greengrocers in terms of range and quality. anything.
De Marco’s at the bottom of Byres Road (opposite Farmfoods) offers a basic There is also an impressive
selection of local fruit, vegetables, fresh herbs, some staples and some more array of hot snacks
exotic offerings. The fruit is particularly well priced. available including ostrich
burgers and wild boar
Anderson's half way up Byres Road, next to Hillhead subway, is more sausage rolls.
up-market, with a wider selection of fruit and veg, lots of exciting dry goods
and flowers spilling out onto the street. Best of all, they’ll give you a student Since farmers tend to be
discount, so you’ve got no excuse not to go there. early risers the market
is usually over by mid
Probably the best place to buy fruit and veg, though, is Roots & Fruits. They afternoon. You’ll need an
have a branch on Byres Road (next door to Somerfield) and a second shop on early start if you want
Great Western Road. They stock a huge selection of organic produce, whole to get that all-important
foods and healthy snacks as well as decently priced basics. It’s a great place goats cheese.
to go if you’re vegan as well. They offer a student discount, too, so make
sure you check it out. Grassroots at the bottom of Woodlands Road offers
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a similar range of products with the advantage of crowd, with a fruit and veg selection which outshines
having an extensive natural body care section. any of the others and staff who don’t mind taking a
bit of time to advise you on your purchase. Another
Also worth discovering is Solly’s on Great Western great find is Lupe Pinto's on Great Western Road:
Road. This African and Caribbean grocers sells an this Mexican and Spanish deli is the place to go for all
incredible range of fruit and vegetables, many of which the hot sauces, tortillas and beers that you need for a
are impossible to find anywhere else. If you feel like mexican meal.
experimenting with something a bit different or want
to cook something from back home then this is the 24 hour shopping
place to go. Strangely enough, the West End is rather underserved
when it comes to 24 hour shops – you might have to
Look at Hakim Bros. on Woodlands Road and any of walk a few blocks if you get a desperate need for some
the grocers on Dumbarton Road for super cheap fruit Doritos in the middle of the night. Here's a couple:
and veg, though the range tends to be a bit limited.
Co-op: 470 Great Western Road, G12
Meat, Fish & Pulses Mo’s: 532 Sauchiehall Street, G2
While greengrocers in the West End thrive, butchers are Nisa: 258 Great Western Road, G4
unfortunately almost non-existent. However, you can 310 Dumbarton Road, G11
save a fortune on chicken and lamb by going to the Shop 24/7: 404 Byres Road, G12
specialist Asian and continental shops in the Woodlands
and Dumbarton Road areas and buying Halal meat. The Off-licenses
best of these shops is the KRK on Woodlands Road Most of the places above will sell you beer, wine and
where you can also buy all your spices, rice, lentils and spirits. If you're looking for a bit more variety, The
pulses at wholesale prices. Cave on Great Western Road has all kinds of drinks
from around the world, including a great selection
For fish, the only place to go is the Alan Beveridge of beers, and if they don't have what you want they
Fishmongers at 188 Byres Road (beside Hillhead can try to source it. The law states that you can’t buy
Underground), where you can buy fresh catches at booze after 10pm, but there are some places in the
affordable prices. West End with a late licence. Members of the QMU
can buy off-sales during normal shop hours as well as
Delicatessens untill 12am on Tuesdays, 3am on Fridays and 2am on
The West End hosts some truly divine delis. On Byres Saturdays. Several pubs will also offer off-sales from
Road, Peckhams (which also has stores on Clarence behind the bar, but usually the only way to find out is to
Drive and Hyndland Road), Kember and Jones ask. Your best bet is to send the best-looking member
and Heart Buchanan fight it out for supremacy. If of your group and get them to bat their eyelashes.
you’re going to be tempted by yuppie-priced quality
food, make sure you try these out. Heart Buchanan
probably has the most character but all three sell Other essentials
excellent meats, cheeses and cakes as well as an array
of tempting but expensive snacks. Post Offices
• 687 Great Western Road, G12 (Inside Nisa)
Better than all these though is Delizique (corner • 384 Dumbarton Road, G11
of White Street and Hyndland Street). It’s virtually • 76 St Vincent Street Terrace, G3
undiscovered by most of the usual West End deli • 136 Maryhill Road, G20
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Pharmacy cheap and trendy household goods – consider it an
For a late night pharmacy, try Munro’s, (693 Great IKEA alternative, if you can't be bothered driving out
Western Road) which is open til 9pm every day. there, or you don't need a futon with a funny name.
The St Enoch Centre branch of Boots The Chemist While chain stores are a dependable source of cheap
provides a whole range of services including the furniture, there is a chance you'll find yourself with
morning after pill. Call 0141 248 7387 for details. much of the same furniture as many of your friends.
If you're after something a little more individual then
Household why not check out the abundance of charity and second
IKEA is the obvious student choice for cheap household hand shops in the west end. The Salvation Army
goods. It's only 10 minutes drive from the West End if and British Heart Foundation shops on Dumbarton
you have a car, or if not, the number 747 bus runs every Road both specialise in furniture and will even deliver
hour from Partick Bus Station to Braehead Shopping for a small fee. You'll also be doing some good with
Centre via IKEA. Alternatively, the number 55 bus from your money.
Buchanan Bus Station stops outside IKEA and runs
every half hour. IKEA deliver large items, but at a price. Key cutting
It’s a good idea to get a spare set of keys cut. There are
Staying local, there are many cheap home stores on a couple of places on Byres Road and Great Western
Dumbarton Road and Great Western Road selling Road. Expect to pay £2-3 for a Yale key. Dumbarton
almost everything you need. Au Naturale on Road has a few places that will do it even cheaper but
Woodlands Road is another great student choice, with watch out for quality.
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Second hand
Oxfam Music
Record shopping
Byres Rd, Victoria Rd
Glasgow has two of While Glasgow has its fair share of the near-obligatory HMVs, for a long time
Oxfam’s flagship music now there is only one name that needs concern the average record shopper:
outlets. Makes crate Fopp. If you're looking to fill any holes in your Bob Dylan collection, you'll
digging easy by well probably be able to pick them up here for three quid, and new releases
organised stock and generally come in at a tenner or less. The DVD collection has expanded to take
marking quality, but you up around half the shop, and houses similar bargains – expect to pick up TV
will pay for that privilege. series for £10 and films for as little as three quid. Fopp sent students across
Britain into a panic last year by suddenly closing all their stores but HMV have
Mixed Up Records bought the brand and intend to continue running the stores seperately to their
Otago Lane other ventures. Both of the chain's Glasgow shops (on Byres Road and Union
The best stocked second Street) have now reopened and so far it's been business as usual, despite their
hand shop in the city. new evil corporate overlords.
Well sorted and displayed
records with underpriced While Fopp's collection of CDs is dirt cheap and expansive, if you're a true music
gems all over the shop. nerd you might start to find the shop a bit lacking in depth. But don't worry!
We've got you covered. Whether you're into classic rock, minimal techno or the
Missing Records Baltimore noise scene, there'll probably be a specialist shop ideal for you.
Oswald Street
Lots of indie and guitar Specialist music shops
based classics to be found
although the pricing seems Monorail
to be somewhat random. Kings Parade
If your knowledge of alternative music extends beyond what brand of eyeliner
Cancer Research Brandon Flowers is using today, Monorail will be your second home. It is built
Sauchiehall Street into the determinedly independent drinking hole/grocery/lending library/venue
It's mostly rubbish Jimmy Mono, and it shares its friendly, slightly eccentric atmosphere. They range from
Shand and James Last, the very best in trendy Canadian bands to great electronica, metal, leftfield
but everything is a pound. hip-hop and noise, obscure folk records from the 60s, Japanese imports, and
There's usually at least things from genres that you never even knew existed. The only slight caveat is
one great tune buried in the price – you will be lucky to find anything that costs less than twelve quid,
here. unless you look hard in the great second hand section.
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23rd Precinct the chance: by this time next week it'll probably be on
Bath Street the Moon or something.
23rd Precinct is more commercial than Rubadub, but
aside from the trance they also have a good range of Avalanche
deep house and US garage, as well as happy hardcore Dundas Street
(which it has always been quite famous for). If you're A small, unassuming shop that can eat hours of your
interested in kicking off a DJing career, you'll find all the time. If you're looking for the next big thing in indie
staples you need in here. rock, and you want to find it four years before the NME,
you'll find it here. They also have a large catalogue
Missing Records covering the last 20 years of music with guitars in, and
Argyle Street a good collection of music DVDs.
This shop seems to open and shut seemingly at random
in various points around Glasgow, lending it a slightly Lost in Music
mystical air. After a slightly extended absence, it's DeCourcy's Arcade, Cresswell Lane
currently lurking under the railway bridge on Argyle The real ale of Glasgow's record stores. If you're
Street. It sells a great variety of CDs and DVDs like a looking for heavy rock, classic metal or psychedelica,
slightly low-rent Fopp. However, the staff tend to be you'll find what you're looking for here. If, that is, you
friendly and knowledgeable about what they're selling, can work out the shelving system, which seems to have
so don't be afraid to ask. Try to visit while you've got been developed by a four year old with a crayon.
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More shopping
Books Fishing Weekly, Scratch, Architects' Journal, Spanish
Cosmo, and more. They also have loads of things to
In the town centre there is the usual selection of massive write on and with.
bookshops like Borders and Waterstones, but around
the West End there's a much more interesting selection Voltaire & Rousseau, Thistle Books (both off
of first and second hand bookshops. Otago St.) and Caledonian Books (Great Western
Rd.)
SRC Second Hand Bookshop These three second hand bookshops, which are all
John McIntyre Building, University Avenue within two minutes' walk of each other, may well
Textbooks on University course reading lists usually contain every book ever published, in huge, ceiling-
cost about £30 each in John Smiths or Waterstones. scraping piles. Their esoteric and extensive range is
The SRC offers students the option of both selling something that must be experienced first hand.
old course texts and buying second hand ones. Books
are around half the price you'd normally pay and you
might find your copy already has some good notes in Other shops
if you're lucky.
Felix and Oscar
Oxfam Books Great Western Road
Byres Road It calls itself "the coolest shop on the planet" and it's
Not happy with their Music and Style specialist shops, probably got a fair claim to that moniker. Felix and
Oxfam also opened a second hand book shop in Oscar is a treasure trove of knick-knacks, gewgaws and
the West End. It's always good for classics (English trinkets from tremendously stylish designers. If you're
Literature students take note) but you can often get looking for a two-tier cake tray to finish off your new
prescribed books for other subjects, as many lecturers home, you'll probably find a good one here.
donate their unwanted books here.
A1 Comics
John Smiths Parnie Street
John McIntyre Building, University Avenue Sells pretty much every comic you could ever want, from
If you can't find your academic texts anywhere else, superhero classics to more obscure collections.
John Smiths will definitely have it. They stock almost
every course text and can order in pretty much Richer Sounds
anything. It's still usually worth checking out the Jamaica Street
second hand stores and high street shops if you can't Quality hi-fi equipment on a budget. If it's time to ditch
find something in here, though. that £50 mega bass boost system for a real setup, then
these are the people that you should speak to.
Barretts
Byres Road Tiso's
This seemingly normal West End newsagents actually Buchanan Street
houses an amazing selection of specialist magazines Outdoor goods for those strange souls who like walking
and newspapers. Their stock includes MAD Magazine, up big hills in the rain for fun.
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The Grosvenor offers comfy seats and a drink with your film. And it's £2 on Tuesdays.
Lunacy!
guide
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Culture
From huge concerts to tiny art exhibitions,
Glasgow's got it all.
Cineworld
Cinema
Renfrew Street
Student tickets £4.90
This cinema – the tallest in the world, according to a sign in the lobby – hulks over Glasgow city centre and
boasts 18 screens, leaving ample room for both the biggest blockbusters and short-run indie flicks. While there's
the unmistakable stench of blank-faced corporatism in the air, there's simply no other cinema in Glasgow that can
match it for the range of films on offer – if you just head down at any time of day, it's more than likely that a film
you want to see will be starting in five minutes. Its bar is decent for grabbing a quick drink before the film, if you
can stand the constant barrage of advertising in your ear.
It isn't the cheapest cinema in the world, but the more dedicated film fan can purchace an 'Unlimited' card which
allows you to see as many films as you like for a mere £13.50 a month. It's recommended to anyone that goes to
the cinema more than once a fortnight, and is guaranteed to make your friends jealous (although, they don't tend
to check the picture on the card, so if your friend's got one and you want to go for free… I'm just saying).
Grosvenor
Ashton Lane
Student tickets £4 (£2 Tuesdays)
Situated on Ashton Lane, a couple of minutes walk from uni and amid overpriced pubs and posh restaurants, this
is how cinemas should be – huge plush leather seats, decent screens and friendly staff. It's even fully licensed, so
you can buy a pint in the attached bar, The Lane, and take it in with you for your film. If you want to impress your
date you can hire a sofa at the back of the cinema for as little as £12. It generally shows two or three of the bigger
current films, but sometimes shows less mainstream movies as part of film festivals.
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The Kelvingrove is just the other side of the park from the University and is packed to the rafters
with fascinating stuff.
etc). Recent highlights included a Whistler retrospective cream of international and homegrown talent, along
and an avant-garde graphics exhibition. The museum with the occasional gig. It's worth checking the website
section benefits from a recent renovation. regularly to see if there's anything that takes your fancy.
While you're there check out the Hidden Gardens
St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art (hidden, er, round back). About two minutes on the
Castle Street train from Glasgow Central to Pollokshields East.
This lovely little museum, situated just next to Glasgow
Cathedral, aims to "promote understanding and respect Museum of Transport
between people of different faiths and none". It holds Bunhouse Road
many pieces of art from most of the world's major 10am-5pm Mon-Thurs & Sat,
religions, and several fascinating exhibitions. It can be a 11am-5pm Fri & Sun
little tricky to get to, on the other side of the city centre, Opposite the Dumbarton Road entrance to the
but it's well worth checking out. University, the Museum of Transport is a great place
to kill time on a rainy day and gives a bit of an insight
Tramway into the history of the city. There’s a reproduction of a
Albert Drive 1938 Glasgow street scene including a pre-renovation
Event/price details www.tramway.org subway station complete with vintage subway trains,
One of Scotland’s most internationally acclaimed art a collection of trams, trains and cars, and a strangely
spaces. Once the city’s main tram terminus, today the creepy model boat room. It's moving to a fancy new
site hosts stunning performance and visual art from the building in 2011.
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Theatre
Glasgow has had a thriving theatre scene for decades, shows for and by kids, while rarely dumbing down
and it offers something for everyone, no matter or patronising. Tickets for students usually come in at
what your taste runs to. If you're looking to see Paul half the normal cost, but if you live close by you can
McKenna hypnotise people into making fools out of purchase a Gorbals card, which knocks the price down
themselves, roll on up. If you're more of an Antigone to three quid.
kind of a person, you're in luck. It's all here. If you want
to feel worthy, and do your bit supporting the arts, try Cottiers
to visit some of the more obscure venues as well. 'Bard Hyndland Street
in the Botanics' brings you Shakespeare amongst the This converted parish church in leafy Hyndland (about
flowers in the Botanical Gardens, and Glasgow's own 10 minutes walk from uni) is worth a visit for the
acclaimed Apollo Players are worth a visit too. If you're building alone – when they're not putting on varied
lucky – or vigilant – you might also stumble across a exciting plays and performances, it's used regularly as
bit of street theatre. a set by TV production companies. It's also a good bar
with a beer garden for when the sun comes out.
Oran Mor
Byres Road / Great Western Road Gilmorehill G12
With the self-given mission to bring theatre back to the University Avenue
masses, Oran Mor introduced its hugely popular 'Play, This university-run theatre, just down the road from
Pie and Pint' afternoons a couple of years ago. With big the main building, houses some of the most dynamic
name guests such as Robbie Coltrane, and the cream theatre in Glasgow. While the quality naturally varies,
of Scottish writing talent on board, though, you might tickets are always cheap and it's a great opportunity
have to sell your granny for a ticket these days. Also, to see some exciting new talent. Home to student
take a look at the walls: Alasdair Gray's drawn all over produced films and student theatre company STAG (see
them. Neo-pagan theme, apparently. Very nice. Clubs and societies [P54]).
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Festivals in
Glasgow
Glasgow Film Festival
February
Your chance to see over 100
different films over 10 days,
from future cult classics to
incisive documentaries.
International Comedy
Festival
March
This festival hosts
everything from stand-
up, to comedy theatre, to
classic Marx Brothers films,
featuring some of the
funniest men and women
on this planet.
Celtic Connections
January
19 days of traditional music
from Scotland and around
the world, with concerts,
ceilidhs, and workshops.
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“ Restaurants
Eating out in Glasgow is nearly always a great experience. There's very few bad
restaurants around, and all kinds of venues experiment with new ideas, like
Stravaigin's ostrich burgers or the Bothy mixing traditional and contemporary
Scottish flavours. Most places below are towards the cheaper end of the
budget, but there's one or two for impressing your date.
“
Chow
Byres Road
The West End is Upmarket little Chinese that’s relaxed enough to be intimate but stylish enough
packed with great to impress. Chow offers an excellent menu and main courses are under £10. It’s
restaurants – you small, though, so bear it in mind for romantic dates rather than huge parties.
don't need to go There's also some incredibly cheap lunch deals on offer.
to the same place
twice if you don't Ichiban
want to. Great Dumbarton Road and Queens Street
Western Road is Ichiban is a chic Japanese noodle bar, stylish yet great value. If you're feeling
brilliant for tasty, a bit worse for wear or just incredibly hungry then one of their noodle soups
cheap food. will sort you right out: they're large enough to swim laps in and absolutely
”
delicious. You can settle in for the evening with a Japanese lager or a plum wine
and soda water. They also do a great line in sushi and bento boxes.
Mother India
Westminster Terrace, Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow is recognised as the curry capital of the UK and this restaurant is one
of the reasons why. It’s not the cheapest but it’s probably the best – which is
why you have to book at least a day in advance if you want to get a table.
Pete Myall
Fusing traditional Indian cooking with local ingredients (like spiced smoky
Philosophy
haddock), Mother India is not your average curry house.
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The Bothy does fantastic sturdy Sottish cuisine. It's pricey, though, so wait till someone else is
paying.
The Wee Curry Shop institution. At the weekend its Ashton Lane branch is
Ashton Lane always crammed, hot and noisy, but it's worth it for
Owned by the same people as Mother India but about their fantastic curries.
half the price, this tiny restaurant is all about simplicity.
No fancy stuff here: just simple home-made grub the Ubiquitous Chip
way it was supposed to be made. Look out for the 2 Ashton Lane
course lunch menu. At £5.80, it would be a bargain For a long time considered Glasgow's finest restaurant
wherever it was, but on Ashton lane it's unheard of. You and still definitely up there with the best, the Chip is one
might have to book in advance, though. for a special occasion. The emphasis is on good Scottish
food and you certainly pay for the privilege. There's a
The Bothy surprisingly laid back atmosphere amongst the foliage
Ruthvern Lane and murals by Scottish author Alasdair Gray.
The faux-Scots menu makes it look like they're trying
too hard, but the food is great: hearty Scottish meals in Stravaigin
generous portions, spiced up with some contemporary Gibson Street
flavours, such as Irn-Bru. Really. Two dining options at this relaxed but stylish restaurant/
bar. The bar menu is the more affordable, serving up the
Ashoka best fish and chips in the West End and imaginatively
Ashton Lane (and other locations) flavoured home-made ice cream. Downstairs is pricey
Part of the near-monopolistic Harlequin chain, the and concentrates on fish, seafood and a great wine list.
Ashoka restaurants are something of a Glasgow Beautiful food, just don't offer to pick up the bill.
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Food and drink – Going out
You may turn your nose up now, but by Christmas you'll be swilling down Tennent's with the best
of 'em.
Nice 'n' Sleazy this is by no means a style bar: club posters jostle
Sauchiehall Street for position on the walls, pints rest on barrels and a
The place where hipsters and art-school dahlings go to fantastic blend of hip hop, soul, funk and jazz pounds
be beautiful. Somehow, though, this doesn't stop it from out of the soundsystem. Get extra cool points by
being a friendly little dive, handy enough for a quick knowing more people than your friends do.
pint before a gig and cheap enough for an extended
drinking session. It does tend to get busy (we're talking Three Judges
no standing room busy) sometimes, but it has a lovely Dumbarton Road
chilled atmosphere on quieter days. It has good food, Voted one of Scotland's finest pubs on numerous
too: the Sleazy Burger may sound like something you'd occasions, the Three Judges boasts one of the best
want to avoid, but it's surprisingly tasty. arrays of guest ales in the city. The staff will let you try
before you buy and the regulars always have plenty
Basement of advice for you too (though not always to do with
Byres Road the beer). At the weekend the in-house jazz band gets
Underground in both senses of the word the Basement going early.
is a haven for West End clubbers, musos and general
scenesters. At the weekend you’ll need to arrive pretty Brunswick Cellars
early if you want a seat but then sitting down isn’t Sauchiehall Street
really what the Basement is about. Everyone seems to This blink-and-you'll-miss-it gem sits (guess what!)
know everyone else here and the cramped environment underground on Glasgow's main drinking street, and
means you’ll quickly get to know those you don’t. But somehow manages to get ignored by the majority of
145
VODKA WODKA IS A LIVELY VODKA AND
COCKTAIL BAR AT THE HEART OF GLASGOW’S
WEST END. FAMOUS FOR OUR RANGE OF
VODKAS AND A POPULAR STUDENT HANG OUT
WHICH CREATES A GREAT ATMOSPHERE.
✮ Best beer/smoking garden you can find in Glasgow.
✮ Opened till midnight.
✮ You can enjoy budget lunch every day from 12 - 7pm
✮ Resident Djs play every night to get your nights started.
Check out our web side for updates on events every month.
www.vodkawodka.co.uk
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Live music
Exploring Glasgow's extensive music scene is one of tend to attract some of the larger touring bands in the
the greatest pleasures to be had while living in the country, such as Bloc Party and Biffy Clyro. The Arches
city: its reputation for being a hotbed of talent remains and the CCA, being the Arches and the CCA, tend to
well-deserved to this day. While Glasgow is probably put on larger bands of a more highbrow, beard-stroking
best-known for its guitar bands, like Franz Ferdinand, nature. If you're into heavier stuff, the Cathouse on
Mogwai, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, you'll find acts Union Street occasionally transforms from a dodgy rock
of every stripe in its fervent underground, including club to a slightly less dodgy venue.
electronic acts like Errors and Slam, as well as a rapidly
growing hip-hop and grime scene. If you're a music fan, you'll probably find yourself in all
of these caverns at one point or another, but you really
Glasgow is also a popular destination for touring bands. owe it to yourself to check out some of the smaller
If your favourite band is playing in the UK, chances are venues on offer in the area: it's the best way to check
they'll touch down here at some point. Thanks to this, out some local talent, or catch rising stars before they
there's a well-developed network of live venues of all become rich and boring. The best-known are probably
sizes in the city. King Tut's, on St Vincent Street, and Nice N Sleazy,
on Sauchiehall Street. Both are tiny – 200 capacity or so
Where to go – and steeped with history, providing the springboard
to launch both local and international bands to fame.
The biggest venue in Glasgow is undoubtedly the Most days of the week they'll put on acts ranging from
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, on pop-punk to avant-noise, and most bands they put on
the banks of the Clyde. It can seat an insane amount are at least interesting enough to check out.
of people, and hosts the largest gigs in the city, like the
Rolling Stones, Girls Aloud and U2. If you're a pop fan, The vegan pub/shop/lending library Mono, on King
you'll almost certainly end up here once or twice. Street, puts on some fantastic gigs in a unique
atmosphere – it's hard to beat watching a band while
Glasgow has all kinds of medium-sized venues, from reclining in a wicker chair drinking homemade cider.
the churchlike Carling Academy and the modern Across the street, the Thirteenth Note puts on tiny
ABC to the strange and delightful Barrowlands. They gigs in its basement, concentrating mostly on the
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Also remember to pick up venues' individual gig guides: Nice N Sleazy and King
Tut's, among others, offer printed pocket-sized guides to what's going on in
the next month. The window of Tickets Scotland on Argyle Street also offers an
extensive list (along with a handy place to buy). Some magazines have better
listings than others. The List, published fortnightly, is pretty comprehensive,
Iain Canning
although it'll cost you, and the charmingly earnest Skinny, for all its faults, runs
Zoology
a fairly good listing page and it's often worth picking up just for that.
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Clubs
In Dominic’s absence this past year, Harri has joined
forces with a group of talented young house DJs, Junior,
Telford and Esa who, along with guests like Raresh and
Move D, have kept Subculture in a league of its own.
With a club scene to rival London's, Glasgow is the
place to be for almost every kind of music imaginable, Numbers
from mnml techno to old-school metal via aqua crunk First Friday of the Month
and northern soul. Clubs like the ABC, The Garage Sub Club
and Campus unashamedly play to a student crowd Another forward thinking night that now finds its
with nights of chart, cheese, and indie pretty much home at the Subby, Numbers has been going for
every night, and you'll be undoubtedly bombarded with 6 years and its been one hell of a ride. Playing a
flyers for these the second you leave your front door, giddy mixture electronics, acid house, electro, crunk,
but if you want to try something a bit different, here's Baltimore, dancehall, disco, funk, grime, house, hip-hop,
a selection of Glasgow's more specialist nights. dubstep, R&B, rave and techno, their style takes as
much inspiration from London and Bristol as Detroit or
Pressure Chicago, and it's damn fine to shake your ass to.
Last Friday of the month
The Arches Men and Machines
Glasgow boys Slam make things go bang. So do their 4th Saturday of the month
mates: people like Jeff Mills, Green Velvet and Luarent Stereo
Garnier make their yearly pilgrimage to this monthly Slabs of the Tabernacle
mega-club. But the Slam empire extends beyond First Saturday of the month
stadium techno. Slam are the people behind Glasgow's Twisted Wheel
most important electronic record label, Soma, the label Proof that Glasgow’s club scene is the healthiest it
that launched Daft Punk onto the world and now has been in some time, these two nights have been
puts out cutting edge electronica from the likes of running little over a year yet regularly attract a huge
Alex Smoke, Vector Lovers, Mr Copy and Silicon Soul, following of clued-up clubbers. At Men and Machines
alongside Slam's own productions. At Pressure, Slam you’ll hear the most up to date house and techno with
attempt to balance musical credibility with populist some cheeky wild cards thrown in while Slabs focuses
big-name line-ups. It tends to be a bit expensive, but more on the disco and Italo side of things. Both bring in
when it works, nothing in Glasgow can touch it. smaller, well-chosen guests from all over Europe with a
definite eye on the underground. These nights represent
Subculture a refreshing change from some of the slightly tired
Weekly Saturdays stalwarts of Glasgow’s clubbing landscape.
Sub Club
Underground in every sense of the word, the Sub Club Optimo (Espacio)
is the home of house music in Scotland, and it's loved Weekly Sundays
by everyone – Derrick Carter, Carl Craig, and Omar Sub Club
S have all spoken about how much they love the 'You won't like it sugar', the posters warned us. And
place. Subculture is fiercely underground and musical certainly Optimo is not to everyone's taste, tending
credibility is all. Led by Harri and Dominic (the latter to straddle the fine line between achingly cool and
of whom has recently returned from a sabbatical in irresistibly subversive. Ranging from the musically
Barcelona) have never taken their ears off the musical breathtaking to what can only be called completely
pulse, and rank amongst many folks' favourite DJs. horrible, residents Twitch and Wilkes are wilfully
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Gigs and clubs – Going out
Death Disco at the Arches, during one of those rare, beautiful moments where no-one's actually
having sex on the dancefloor.
impossible to pigeonhole. They don’t book guest DJs by some of the city’s best underground DJs playing
but often have live acts, and in the past they've played deep minimal house, the atmosphere is unlike anything
host to Franz Ferdinand (before anyone had heard of else and come rain or shine the devoted Circus crowd
them), Little Boots, TV on the Radio, ESG, The Bug, LCD can be found going a bit mental on the courtyard’s
Soundsystem and a multitude of weird-as-it-gets bands two-level outside terrace.
that you will probably hate. You've been warned.
Record Playerz (RPZ) + Mixed Bizness
Baller’s Social Club Weekly Thursdays
Various nights/locations Art School
Glasgow is currently enjoying some attention at the Thursday night at the Art School has become a bit of
vanguard of electronic music production, with names an institution, with Boom Monk Ben and Jackmaster’s
like Hudson Mohawke and Rusty igniting forward Mixed Bizzness upstairs and the RPZ DJs down in
thinking dancefloors across Europe. At the centre of this the Vic attracting a huge crowd of young skinny, arty
is the Lucky Me crew. Keep an eye out for their irregular types every week. Upstairs showcases the freshest
parties under the guise of the Baller’s Social Club. These new electronic sounds from house to dubstep while
guys are doing something really unique and amazingly downstairs focuses on the trashy party vibe with a mix
fun. It's aqua crunk, yo. of electro, italo, indie, and everything else they can
get their hands on. It's dirt cheap, and although it's
Sunday Circus ludicrously precious, it can be great fun, and no-one
The Courtyard really minds if you look or act like a complete idiot. It
Various Sundays does get very, very busy, though – turn up early or get
For the extremely dedicated, Sunday Circus provides chummy with the bouncers if you don't want to queue
the highlight of Glasgow’s daytime clubbing. Hosted for hours.
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Gigs and clubs – Going out
Damnation & Absolution enough to ensure that everyone and their sister will
Weekly Fridays & Saturdays have a good time but underground enough to be cool.
Classic Grand It’s a tough line to tread but the Kitsch boys do it well.
Cheap drinks, punk, metal, hardcore and rock and roll If the mainroom electro gets too much don’t forget to
excess. Fridays are aimed at the more discerning punk check out the classic rock and roll played downstairs.
and metal fans, while you can hear anything from emo
to ska on the Saturdays. With residents Barry, Dec, Nice N Sleazy
Lewis and Div you’re in safe hands so grab a Jack and Thursday-Sunday
coke and rock out. With its doors open until 3 all week, this indie institution
hosts club nights downstairs on the weekends, and
Death Disco considering every hipster in Glasgow drinks here, it's no
Third Saturday of the month surprise they have an impressive roster of nights. From
The Arches Teamy’s Wrong Island to Error’s Black Tent and Mat One
The closest thing that Glasgow gets to fall-of-Rome More Tune’s Cheap and Nasty nights, there is usually
style manic debauchery. Straights, gays, and don't- something to get stupidly drunk to and fall over, spilling
know-yets fill the Arches' cavernous spaces as resident your White Russian all over someone beautiful.
DJ Mingo-go gets down and nasty with some filthy
mutant disco and anarchic electro. The crowd is open- Bass Warriors
minded, fun-loving and very, very drunk. You'll either Last Friday of the Month
love it or hate it: the only way to find out is to go. Art School
As Mungo's Hi-Fi play less and less, these guys are
Killer Kitsch Glasgow's best bet for blazing reggae, dancehall and
The Buff Club soca. Guaranteed good times with the mighty Bass
Weekly Tuesday Warrior Soundsystem. If this is your thing, don’t forget
Frequented by the same party types you’ll meet on to also check Bazodee on Thursdays in the Halt Bar.
Thursdays at the Art School, Killer Kitsch is populist Represent.
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Everything else – Going out
LGBT
Glasgow’s gay scene may lack the size and reputation FHQ
of other cities like London and Brighton, but its raw John Street
energy and friendliness shines through, with queer With the recent addition of FHQ, Scotland’s first and
contributors to writing, design, music, DJing and club only female gay bar/club, Glasgow has finally caught
nights. The upmarket Merchant City, just east of the up the UK’s other major cities. There is a lot to be said
city centre, is the biggest gay area in Glasgow, but you about the questionable Pink and Avril Lavigne themed
can find stuff going on all over the place if you know décor – every gay girl’s idol apparently – but with
where to look. different events and themed nights throughout the
week they are clearly trying. A little.
Bars Speakeasy
John Street
Revolver Situated downstairs from FHQ on John Street, Speakeasy
John Street has become a quieter alternative for a pre-Polo tipple.
Great name, great bar. Glasgow's gay scene can The crowd in Speakeasy is more diverse than the
sometimes be as exciting as watching lawn bowling, regulars seen in Dels’, with sofas, good quality booze
but this gay-owned and operated bar has always tried and regular DJs proving to be a refreshing change.
to be a bit more grown-up and to dismiss some of their
competitors’ cheesier and more stereotypical elements.
With a predominantly male crowd, ladies are welcome Clubs
but often they are few and far between.
Polo Lounge
Moda Nightly
Virginia Street When you ask any gay Glaswegian to think of one
Moda has become firmly established in the gay scene word to describe the scene, that word will probably
for the best in contemporary cocktail chic. Shed your be “Polo”. At the heart of the scene, Polo proves to
Wellingtons and ditch the filthy flasher mac: if you're at be popular night after night, with its varied music and
Moda, you're there to work it, and work it you should. well-stocked bar. Although the décor is slightly dodgy
However, attempts to be more pretentious than the bar and the toilets are bogging to say the least, Polo is
staff will always fail. always busy and usually a good night out. Beware
of the strict door policy, and the vast population of
Delmonicas scene queens. Choose a Friday for cheesy pop classics,
Virginia Street Saturday for dance mixes and pick Wednesday for Taste,
After a recent makeover, Delmonicas is one of Glasgow's a cheap and cheerful mid-week binge.
nicer gay bars, offering everything from karaoke to quiz
nights and more. With regular themed nights, cheap Utter Gutter
passes to the Polo Lounge wand drinks deals to boot, Occasional Saturdays
this makes a good pit stop before putting on your Art School
dancing shoes. Utter Gutter is one of those club nights you absolutely
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GIGS AND CLUBS – GOING OUT
A very proud member of the city's annual Pride Glasgow march, held in August every year.
have to go to, even if you’ve just escaped from a glitter Lock Up Your Daughters
factory with two odd shoes on. Nobody would notice! “Lock Up Your Daughters is a response to the boredom
In fact, you’d fit right in. Filthy disco and mutant house and braindead stagnation that plagues modern gay
is the order of the night. culture. It’s a cut’n’paste makeshift zine for queer
grrlies (and their friends). Strap in and remember that
Queerbash not every decision you make has to be judged within
One of the newest additions to the alternative gay an outdated and rigid political framework. Wanting
scene, Queerbash is still in its early stages. Gradually to have some fun does not make you a traitor.” ‘Nuff
gaining a deserved following, Queerbash provides good said. Great writing and art for straights and gays alike.
music and a welcome change for the gays of Glasgow: Find it in better record shops, or online at www.
vehemently anti-bling and pro glitch-pop surf-disco. lockupyourdaughtersmagazine.co.uk.
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GIGS AND CLUBS – GOING OUT
Everything else
Of course, if this guide was ten times longer it still of eight-year-olds it's kind of easy to forget. With smoke
couldn't begin to cover everything that happens in machines, lasers and pounding techno, it's a bit like a
Glasgow on any one day. Here's a few ideas that you nightclub. Without the girls.
can try when you think that you've seen everything that
you can see and eaten everywhere that you could eat. Mitchell Library
North Street
Botanic Gardens It's big, it's old and it's full of books: it's a library!
Queen Margaret Drive Housed in a beautiful neo-classical building, it prides
Approaching its 200th anniversary, this beautiful itself on being one of the biggest public libraries in
garden contains some wonderful examples of plants Europe, holding 1.3 million items. It also holds the city
from across the globe, both outside and in a series of archives: useful for if you want to know what happened
glasshouses. Everything feels old, august and friendly, in the April 7, 1977 meeting of Glasgow City Council.
like your grandma's back garden times a million. A
lovely place to spend a summer's afternoon. Loch Lomond
The next sunny day, take a train there and bring a
City Sightseeing picnic. If you go to Luss, on the shore, stop by the gift
George Square shop and pick up some shortbread, or possibly a suit
Sightseeing tours have a bit of a bad reputation, but of armour.
Glasgow's is actually very interesting, covering most of
the major sights in the city, with all kinds of information Glasgow Necropolis
about its past and present. Tours set off every 15 The Necropolis is a memorial to the Victorian merchant
minutes from George Square, and cost £7 for students patriarchs of the city, and contains the remains of every
(£6 online). It's worth it to find out a little bit about the eminent Glaswegian of its day, including monuments
place you're going to live in for the next four years. designed by Alexander Thompson and Charles Rennie
Mackintosh. Tours are available, thankfully free of out-
Ancient forest of-work actors leaping out from behind gravestones
Victoria Park and going "Woooooo".
How exciting can a bunch of old tree stumps be? Well,
how about a bunch of really, really, really old tree Glasgow Cathedral
stumps? Victoria Park houses eleven fossilised tree Cathedral Square
stumps, apparently from an extinct species of plant Founded in 1197 in the presence of King David, this is
called giant clubmosses which grew in tropical forests. the oldest Scottish medieval church still standing. It's
It's open from April till late September, and it's free. also lovely.
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