Your offer guide
2019
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Congratulations A huge well done for successfully making it through the interview stage and earning your place at the University of Gloucestershire. Starting university may feel like a long way off, but there are some important steps you need to take between now and then, so we’ve made you this useful guide with information about the next steps in your application. Now you’ve received your offer from us, the next step is to accept your offer, start thinking about where you’ll call home and get excited about university life in Gloucestershire.
Contents Your next steps
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Location 6 Campuses 8 Facilities 10 Accommodation 12 Lecturers 14 Trips and placements
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Your Future Plan
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Support 20 Bursaries and scholarships
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What next?
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I felt immediately welcome here. Without the self-discovery and education that have been encouraged throughout my time here, I would never have become the person I am today.� Aimee Sullivan, Illustration graduate
Confirm your place now Visit UCAS Track to respond to our offer and confirm your place with us.
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Your next steps Confirm your place Visit UCAS Track to respond to your offer and confirm your place with us. You can also make some new friends before you get here by joining our open Facebook group for all first year students at www.facebook.com/uniofglos/groups
4 | Your next steps
From March 2019
Apply for student finance
Understand what funding you’re eligible to receive and get your student finance in place. You can apply online at: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
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By 1 May 2019
By 4 July 2019
If you have applied by 15 January you should have received all your decisions by 31 March. You then have until 1 May to reply to all offers.
If you make us your firm choice and apply for accommodation by 4 July, we guarantee you a place in university halls of residence or university-managed housing. To apply and check out our accommodation options visit www.glos.ac.uk/accommodation
Confirm your firm and insurance choices via UCAS Track
Guarantee your accommodation
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From July – August 2019
The long wait is over – you did it! Once you’ve received your results, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call us on 03330 141414.
September 2019 University life begins!
Ahead of enrolment, we’ll be in touch about moving in, Freshers’ Fortnight and getting to know the area, so you feel prepared and excited to start in September.
Your next steps | 5
GLOUCESTER QUAYS
GOLD CUP, CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE
BREWERY QUARTER, CHELTENHAM
GO APE, THE FOREST OF DEAN
Location
From busy cities to stunning countryside, there’s lots to discover in Gloucestershire. Be sure to check out the area when you visit us and find out first-hand from current students what it’s like to live here. Explore
From theatre to fashion, Art Deco swimming baths to Gothic cathedrals, Cheltenham and Gloucester are at the heart of culture. If shopping is your bag, you won’t go without as Gloucester is home to its own outlet shopping centre, while Cheltenham has both high street brands and independent boutiques.
Nightlife
Whether you prefer pubs or clubs, cinemas or eating out, there’s always something to do with friends. Check out the Students’ Union club night at MooMoo in Cheltenham, welcoming top DJs to three clubrooms, or enjoy al fresco dining next to the water in Gloucester’s renovated docks.
6 | Location
Adventure
Explore the forests and hills on foot or bike, hit the slopes at Gloucester’s very own ski centre, or paddleboard and kayak along the rivers and waterways. If you’d rather be a spectator, check out Premiership Rugby at Gloucester’s historic Kingsholm stadium or go along to the famous Cheltenham Racecourse, which attracts celebrities and royals among its 250,000 visitors every March, for the Gold Cup. All journeys on Stagecoach West bus routes are just £1.40 for our students – handy for exploring other places in Gloucestershire. We also have great cycle routes and you can buy cheap second-hand bikes with our partners at www.gloucestershirebikeproject.co.uk
Festivals Gloucestershire has over 45 festivals a year, including jazz, science, literature, food and drink. When they’re not among the crowds, our students can be found performing and working backstage, making valuable industry connections.
Location | 7
Campus life We have three stunning campuses – two in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester. Each has its own distinctive atmosphere and subject areas taught on campus, but all three offer a supportive and close-knit community to all our students.
Oxstalls - 15 minutes’ walk from Gloucester city centre and station
8 | Campuses
Located in the heart of Gloucester, Oxstalls is home to our nursing facilities, Performing Arts and Events Centre, and brand new sports arena and School of Business and Technology. Here, our students train and compete with elite athletes, perform and produce shows, work alongside real businesses and gain valuable industry connections. This is a high-energy campus of forward-thinking and competitive students.
Francis Close Hall and Hardwick - 10 minutes’ walk from Cheltenham town centre - 20 minutes’ walk from Cheltenham Spa station
Referred to as ‘the Hogwarts campus’, Francis Close Hall (FCH) is a truly inspiring place to study. Home to our health and social care, liberal arts, education and natural and social sciences courses, this is a campus of ground-breaking research and modern theory. It’s complete with a Gothic library and chapel, as well as high-tech labs and cutting-edge VR equipment.
Park - 20 minutes’ walk from Cheltenham town centre - 15 minutes’ walk from Cheltenham Spa station
Originally laid out as a zoological garden with its own lake and elephant walk, Park campus is far from quiet. Home to our high-tech Media Centre, state-of-the-art Computing and Technology Suite and brand new Design Centre, this campus has a real buzz. Our creative hub of artistic and innovative thinkers inspire each other, collaborating on projects or just hanging out in the beautiful grounds. Campuses | 9
NURSING FACILITIES
EDUCATION GRADUATE, WORKING IN LOCAL SCHOOL
PERFORMING ARTS AND EVENTS CENTRE
MEDIA CENTRE
Cutting edge Our students work with industry-standard equipment in fully equipped facilities. Health and Social Care
Education
Our brand new nursing facilities and simulation ambulance give you the chance to learn new skills and put them into practice, before gaining real experience on placements. Within our very own versatile clinical room, using Lifecast manikins and state-of-the-art equipment, you’ll be well prepared for the frontline of healthcare.
You’ll be on placement in a range of settings during your education degree, but you’ll always have our active community of experienced teachers and practitioners to support you, as well as our dedicated teaching facilities. We have mock classrooms for you to practice in and the latest interactive, touch-screen technology to provide an immersive educational experience.
Performing Arts
Media
Based in our purpose-built Performing Arts Centre, you’ll be able to hone your craft and develop work of your own. Practice and choreograph dance routines in our sprung-floor dance studios complete with mirrors and bar. Experiment with digital performance and stage design in our multimedia suite and develop your skills in stage combat, improvisation, voice and mask-work in our devising studios.
10 | Facilities
Our expanded and updated Media Centre provides a transformative space to prepare you for the industry. Complete with the same cameras and lighting equipment used at the BBC; film and TV studios, editing suites, gallery, newsrooms, recording studios, animation suites and rehearsal spaces – all kitted out with the latest software, you’ll feel at home on placements and well-prepared upon graduating.
Art and Design
Based across our campuses in Cheltenham, our vibrant School of Art and Design sees students explore their creativity in dedicated spaces. Park campus is home to our new Design Centre, where our design students will work on live briefs in a professional and creative space. Francis Close Hall is home to our rooftop landscape architecture studios, with panoramic views of Cheltenham and our illustration studios, complete with
Cintiq-equipped Apple Mac suite as well as printmaking, letterpress and book-binding equipment. Just a few minutes’ walk from Francis Close Hall, Hardwick is a thriving hub of creativity with its own spacious photography and fine art studios, complete with darkrooms, an extensive range of industry-standard cameras and offers a unique space for each fine art student based on their chosen discipline.
Facilities | 11
If you apply by 15 January and have made us firm by 1 May we guarantee you a place in halls of residence or university-managed accommodation. You must apply for your accommodation by 4 July. Visit www.glos.ac.uk/accommodation to apply and for more information.
12 | Accommodation
Accommodation Moving away from home is an exciting step to take, but it can also feel a bit scary. Don’t worry, whether you want support and a family away from home, freedom and independence, or the best of both worlds, there are lots of options to suit everyone. Halls of residence
Halls of residence can be a great start to university life. All halls are situated on or near our campuses, as well as being close to the town and city centres and are all served by our university bus service. The university has approximately 1,800 places in halls of residence, including spaces in our brand new accommodation: Pittville Student Village Almost 800 rooms, many en-suite, landscaped grounds, bar, SU shop, gym, faith space and 24/7 on-site security. The village is a 15 minute walk to Cheltenham town centre, with regular bus services running until late on student nights. Blackfriars, Gloucester city centre A mix of townhouses, cluster flats and studio bedrooms, our Blackfriars Residences, developed in partnership with CityHeart, are situated in the centre of Gloucester.
Other types of accommodation University-approved housing You may want to consider a shared house or flat with other students that is off campus and privately owned. All university-approved housing is advertised here: www.glosstudentpad.co.uk University-registered lodgings In lodgings you rent an individual study bedroom and share the communal facilities (kitchen, lounge and bathroom) with the resident landlord/lady and possibly their family. The accommodation team produces a list of study bedrooms available. Visit www.glos.ac.uk/accommodation for more information.
You can get to know your neighbours before you get here too, by joining our Halls of Residence Facebook groups. To find out more visit: www.facebook.com/uniofglos/groups www.glos.ac.uk/accommodation
BLACKFRIARS
Accommodation | 13
It’s challenging supporting individuals and families in need. My students will go on to help change people’s lives for the better – how many people can say that?” David Hambling, Academic Course Leader, Social Work Qualified social worker and producer of specialist assessments for child and family-focused social work teams.
14 | Lecturers
We are a top 10 UK university for high-quality staff and lectures (Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018)
Learn from the best Our lecturers
Our lecturers are award-winning, industry-experienced and there to support and challenge you, throughout your degree. From Vogue photographers and BAFTA-award winners, to experienced healthcare professionals, and journalists for Grazia magazine and Sky Sports – our staff are the best in the business.
Personal tutor
We guarantee you support to ensure you make the most of every opportunity while you are here at university. You will have your own personal tutor who will support you throughout your time with us. They will work with you to identify a range of exciting opportunities that will enable you to achieve your future aspirations. For more information visit www.glos.ac.uk/yourfutureplan
We are proud to have been awarded Silver in the inaugural Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The TEF assesses excellence in teaching at universities and colleges, and how well they ensure excellent outcomes for their students in terms of graduate-level employment or further study.
Lecturers | 15
Adventure Our international field trips and placements will shape the way you think about the world, your place in it and where you want to take your career. Global inspiration
(Art and Design and Media courses) Showcase your portfolio at exhibitions in London, Amsterdam or the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France*. Capture the moment on photography trips to Shanghai, Paris and Vancouver* and work on documentary projects in Palestine, the Philippines and Nepal*. Our students also complete work placements for global giants such as the BBC, The X-Factor, The Times, ASOS, Dreamworks and Universal Music*.
Teaching and learn
(Education courses) We have a network of over 300 schools in Gloucestershire and beyond. You can try a range of placements, not all
16 | Trips and placements
classroom-based, including galleries and museums, community centres and you can even travel to Stockholm, Sweden*, to discover what makes them the international leader in early years practice.
Care for the community
(Health and Social Care courses) Our healthcare students complete work placements in a variety of challenging settings across the UK, including homeless charities, mental health organisations, hospitals, care homes and social housing. The care they provide is both inspiring and demanding so when the day is done, our dedicated staff are always there for them.
96% of Study Abroad students reported an increase in self-confidence (SmartStudy 2017)
Study Abroad Why not spend a semester, or even a whole year, studying abroad at one of our partner institutions? We have approved partners all over the world, including Canada, Italy, France, Germany, New Zealand and even the USA! You can view the full list of Study Abroad opportunities for each course at www.glos.ac.uk/yourfutureplan
Learn from the best on Broadway
(Performing Arts) Sing, dance and perform in New York City*, training with Broadway actors and learning from professional directors and producers. You can also devise your own work, supported by our lecturers, for a tour at Edinburgh Fringe as well as local theatres, including the Everyman and Cheltenham Playhouse. Our students also produce site-specific pieces, performed at National Heritage sites, from suffragists and war-torn physical theatre productions in Georgian mansions, to full costume Shakespeare adaptations in Gothic castles or our very own Gloucester Cathedral*.
*Terms and conditions apply. See course pages for more information www.glos.ac.uk
Trips and placements | 17
The university gave me a really great starting point to push on into the industry – I love every aspect of my job.� Lewis Arnold, Film Production graduate Lewis is now a guest lecturer at the university and director of several films and TV productions including Misfits, Humans and Broadchurch (pictured with stars David Tennant and Oliva Coleman on location).
18 | Your Future Plan
Become the graduate you want to be We want you to have the time of your life while you’re here, but we also want you to leave feeling ready for the next step. Whether you know what career you want to progress into or you’re not sure yet, we support you to explore all your options, clarify your goals and develop the skills you need to progress through Your Future Plan. Your Future Plan
95% of our graduates are in employment or further study within six months of graduating. (DHLE 2017/18)
Your Future Plan at the University of Gloucestershire is all about YOU, your future career possibilities, and helping you to make the most of employability opportunities throughout your time at university. From the day you arrive, the Your Future Plan team is here to provide all students with personalised careers and employability support and professional development opportunities, to help you develop the skills, capabilities and confidence to equip you
for a successful future in your chosen field. It’s not just about turning up for lectures – by choosing the right field trips, work placements, sports clubs and volunteering roles, you will gain the experiences you need to progress. Find out more: www.glos.ac.uk/ yourfutureplan www.facebook.com/ futureplanuog www.twitter.com/ futureplanuog
Your Future Plan | 19
Stay supported Our outstanding support staff will find the best way to meet your living and learning needs. We offer a range of advice and support services: Finance
We have a dedicated Money Advice team who are here to help you understand your options, whatever your situation. We can offer confidential advice on how to support yourself and successfully budget. We also offer financial support packages through our scholarships, bursaries and loans. Please visit www.glos.ac.uk/money for further information, or contact our Money Advice team on 01242 714535 or at moneyadvice@glos.ac.uk The tuition fees for 2019/20 entry will be £9,250* and you can apply for student finance online at www.gov.uk/studentfinance. Remember, you only start to pay back your tuition fee loan when you’ve finished university and earn more than £21,000 per year.
Disability
Our Student Services offer confidential, one-to-one support prior to and throughout your time at university. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact one of our Disability Advisers on 01242 714541 or email disability@glos.ac.uk
Helpzones
All our campuses have a Helpzone to answer any questions and solve any problems, no matter how large or small. We provide an accessible drop-in service for you to ask about anything including finance, accommodation and coursework. Visit www.glos.ac.uk/support, call 01242 714444 or email: helpzones@glos.ac.uk for more information.
*Fees may increase in subsequent years.
20 | Support
The University of Gloucestershire is ranked top 20 for student support (Whatuni? 2018) Support | 21
Merit Scholarship The University of Gloucestershire Merit Scholarship is awarded to recognise academic excellence. If you’re an outstanding undergraduate candidate, you could be eligible. The award is £1,200 to support you with the costs of your studies. You choose how you allocate the annual contribution of £400 – this includes: • halls of residence rent discount • course materials and trips or excursions that are part of your course • book vouchers. Terms and conditions apply, see www.glos.ac.uk/meritscholarships
Disclaimer: The information provided is accurate at time of printing. The university will take all reasonable steps to provide financial support as described. However, it does not guarantee the provision of such services. Please check appropriate websites for the most up-to-date information on finances and funding.
22 | Bursaries and scholarships
Bursaries and scholarships | 23
What next? Confirm your place Visit www.ucas.com and sign in to your UCAS Track to confirm your place with us. Any questions or concerns call us on
03330 141414 or email
enquiries@glos.ac.uk
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