Freshers' FAQs

Below are the answers to some common questions asked by freshers and prospective students. If there are any others check out the Bristol University and UBU groups on Facebook.

FAQ overview

• How far is Stoke Bishop from the University?
• What is public transport like between Stoke Bishop and the University?
• How is driving in Bristol?
• What's a JCR?
• When do I get my NUS card?
• What happens in Freshers' Week?
• Do I need a suit or dinner jacket?
• What's the Arts & Social Science Library like?

How far is Stoke Bishop from the University?

Depending on your speed, it can take between 25 and 45 minutes to make the journey from Stoke Bishop to the university precinct. The walk may seem daunting, but the time really flies by when you're walking and chatting with friends.

What is public transport like between Stoke Bishop and the University?

First Buses in Bristol run a variety of services that connect parts of the university to stops close to the halls of residence in Stoke Bishop. Two stops on Whiteladies Rd - across from the Wills Memorial Building and outside Sainsbury's/Clifton Down Shopping Centre - are popular with Bristol students. The fair is around £1.20 and buses stop either at Whitetree roundabout (1,41,54,55) or on Saville Road (43).

How is driving in Bristol?

A warning to those of you who want to drive: you'll end up leaving at the same time or earlier than those who walk to guarantee yourself a space on or around Woodland Road. Don't try and get away with parking illegally - you will be caught, and possibly towed as well, incurring a cost of over £100. Some people drive down and park on some of the side streets close to Sainsbury's/Clifton Down Shopping Centre and walk from there. This is one way to ease the walk back up Black Boy Hill at the end of the day. It is also worth mentioning that it is part of the University Accommodation guidelines that you only bring a car to Bristol if you have a car parking permit from your hall of residence. The number of parking spaces varies by hall, but there are generally enough for all who want them. Contact your hall for more information.

What's a JCR?

JCR stands for Junior Common Room. Traditionally, this was the room that undergraduate residents hung out in at university. Nowadays, it refers to the committee of undergraduate students who organise and run events in hall, and Orbital for those of you lucky enough to be living in Student Houses! Different halls have different policies for running their JCRs. Some will recruit in the first few weeks (for instance: Hiatt Baker, Durdham and Badock) to run things for the academic year while others will recruit towards the end of the spring term for the following academic year, with those chosen staying on in hall for a second year. These posts are typically elected and depending on the hall either hotly contested or a relatively cold contest.

When do I get my NUS card?

Your University of Bristol student card acts as your student ID, library card, access card (for some of you) and sports pass for those who paid for one.

For £10 you can purchase an official NUS Extra Discount Card, which will qualify you for all NUS-negotiated discounts in the UK. To get hold of one of these, visit the Union's stall at the Freshers' Fair, or click here to order yours in advance so you can collect it at the Freshers' Fair.

Once you have your University Student Card, please make sure you keep it on you at all times when on University property. Some departments operate very strict policies on checking cards, and you will not be allowed access to the Students' Union in the evenings without one.

What happens in Freshers' Week?

Freshers' Week commences the moment you arrive in Bristol. It involves some teaching, lots of partying, and the opportunity to meet all the people you're never going to see again. The exact timetable varies depending on residence and course but generally speaking within the first few days you should expect talks by university officials, students' union sabbaticals, and the police. This will be followed by one or two days of course and faculty registration and a long time queuing to sign up with the Student Health Service - your local doctor.

The Thursday and Friday is Fresher's Fair - quite possibly the biggest in the UK. The general tagline is: imagine a six-story car park filled to the gunnels (whatever they are) with people, tables, food, noise, sweat and sticky patches on the floor. This is your opportunity to sign up for clubs and societies, sell your soul to Bristol's nightclubs for a Drumstick, and find the union building - that's the concrete monstrosity in Clifton: it's a bit rough around the edges but a place some of us like to call home.

During this time, your JCR will put on events most evenings to give you the chance to meet other residents and have a good time. These compete with Union-organised clubnights in Bristol. Tickets for the clubnights are available from the Union until the day of the event and also in the mailout you'll receive before you arrive.

Freshers' Week becomes Freshers' Fortnight as you enter the first teaching week. The Union and some JCRs arrange more events for the evenings culminating in the Freshers' Ball on the Friday evening. Tickets available beforehand from Union mailouts or during the Fresher's Fair.
Do I need a suit or dinner jacket?
Wills Hall has a formal every weekend for which there is a dress code: men must wear suits or dinner jackets; women must wear clothing that is similarly appropriate. All must wear gowns. Other halls don't have any form of dress code for meals. Balls often require some form of dress code, and in these cases you can hire a dinner jacket. However, you may find that there are some cheap offers to buy these during the sales and you may want to get one as an investment.

What's the Arts & Social Science Library like?

It's a three storey library and is located on Tyndalls Avenue, next to the Computer Centre.

On the lowest storey is a small short loan collection where lecturers put books that are popular and important to the course. Usually these books are either confined to the libraty, have a 3 hour loan spell, a 1 day loan spell or a 3 day loan spell. If you go over the loan date for these books you will be very heavily fined. If you bring a book back three times late then you will be called in for a caution by the librarians.

There are also computers and a load of photocopiers on the lowest floor. The latest periodicals are kept here as well before they are sent upstairs in large, binded volumes at a later date.

The other two storeys are full of aisles and aisles of books. Books are classified by category, although sometimes they are found in strange places. Most books up here are on 3 day, 7 day or 4 week loans. This is clearly marked on the plate at the front of the book. Books confined to the library are marked with red tape on the spine.

Computers are located by the stairs on each floor where you can enter the title, author or even category of the book you want and a classmark will be produced. From these computers you can also reserve books that have been taken out. When you have set up your PIN at the issue desk you can use your home computer to reserve books away from the library. If you have one of your books recalled, you will be notified by an email to your university email address and will have up to seven days to return it.

Serials and oversize books are kept on each floor in separate areas to the books. The classmarks of these books are prefixed with the code SER and OVR to make it obvious where to find them.

Trolleys are left around the library with books that have been used or returned and are yet to go back. It is worth scanning these for a book that the computer says is in the library but is not in its home. Library assistants will be happy to help you.

Ample work stations and tables are available on the 1st and 2nd storey, many by the windows. These get busy at exam time - but don't forget there are many other much quieter libraries around the uni!

A small number of people will visit the basement, where the rarest and oldest documents and books are housed. Also, there is a store full of books that are rarely requested. If you want one of these books then you need to note the title and ask at the issue desk who will collect it, usually within a day or two.

That is essentially it. If you do a degree that requires a high amount of library work then I suggest you sign up for a session teaching you how to use the library and the catalogue; however, some departments (History for one) provide this as part of their induction.

NB: Please remember your university student card - you will not gain access to the library without it!