Coventry University Undergraduate Student Guide

New Student Guide

New Student Guide 3

Welcome to Coventry University

Many congratulations on gaining your place to study at Coventry University. We wish you every success during your time here.

Over the next few weeks, as you prepare to come to University, and when you arrive here, you will receive lots of advice and information about becoming a full time undergraduate student – from managing your finances and planning your studies to making the most of the extra-curricular activities that make up student life.

This booklet signposts some of the many varied aspects of student life and helps you prepare for the start of your time with us. It’s not comprehensive – we don’t believe in overloading you with information at this stage – because when you arrive you will be given lots more information from your new academic department, our Student Services department and the Students’ Union, among many others.

Of course a lot of information is available online – go to our special pages for new students at www.coventry.ac.uk/newstudents. And don’t forget to keep the letter that came with this pack safe – it gives the date, time and location of your first session at the University.

In many ways this is the Recruitment and Admissions Office – who most new undergraduate students deal with over the course of the application process – handing you on to the rest of the University. And wishing you all the best for the future as well.

We understand that arriving at a new place, especially one as big and confusing as a University, can be a bit daunting but bear in mind that you’re not alone and there are thousands of others experiencing the same feelings as you just now.

Coming to University presents you with a great opportunity. The University will do all it can to help you along the way but how well you do here - both academically and socially - is really down to you. So grasp the chance with both hands and make your time here as successful and enjoyable as possible.

This is where the journey really begins. Prepare to enjoy...

Claire BamforthDirector, Recruitment and Admissions OfficeCoventry University

2 New Student Guide

It is extremely important that you enrol online prior to the start date of your course. However, if you experience any difficulties, please email [email protected]. Staff will be available to assist you in person in The Student Centre on both Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September. When you arrive on campus you will be able to obtain your Phoenix Card (an ID card) which you will need to gain access to buildings and rooms around campus, for printing services and other functions. The University is carrying out a pilot this year for the electronic submission of photographs for the Phoenix Card. You will receive an email if your course has been selected for this pilot, with instructions on how to complete the process.

Further information can be obtained from our online enrolment guide at www.coventry.ac.uk/enrol

New Student Guide 54 New Student Guide

A few administrative things

to deal with first...

Enrolment

You will receive an email from the University in early September

about Online Enrolment. The email will contain important

log-in and online enrolment details. Please make every effort

to go online and enrol as soon as you receive this email. If

you have not received this email by Friday 9 September 2011,

contact us by emailing [email protected]

Student Funding

The Student Funding Office is here to help you explore

all the different sources of funding available and provide

you with professional, impartial and confidential advice.

Funding options include loans and grants available from the

Government at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

There are also scholarships and bursaries available and

emergency help in the form of short term loans. Please note

that the deadline to apply for our academic scholarship is

31 August 2011.

For further information please visit

www.coventry.ac.uk/fundingsupport or

call 024 7615 2040

How to pay your fees...

There are many ways you can pay your tuition, accommodation and other types of fees including direct from your bank account, over the counter in the Student Centre and online at www.coventry.ac.uk/epayments

To discuss how to make a payment or for confirmation that a payment has been received, please contact the Treasury section on 024 7615 2255 or email [email protected]

If you have any difficulties with unpaid fees, please contact the Credit Control section for advice on 024 7615 2266 or email [email protected]

If you need advice setting up a direct debit or if you believe you have been incorrectly invoiced, please contact the Invoicing section on 024 7615 2277 or email [email protected]

Coventry School of Art and Design

www.coventry.ac.uk/csad

Main School buildings:

Graham Sutherland

Ellen Terry

Faculty of Business, Environment

and Society

www.coventry.ac.uk/bes

Main Faculty buildings:

William Morris (Coventry Business School)

George Eliot (including Coventry Law School)

Faculty of Engineering and Computing

www.coventry.ac.uk/ec


Armstrong Siddeley

Sir John Laing

Alma

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

www.coventry.ac.uk/hls


Richard Crossman

James Starley

Charles Ward

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How the University is structured

6 New Student Guide

As an undergraduate at Coventry University you will probably be

taught in one of the four big Faculties or Schools that make up

the University. These are the Coventry School of Art and Design,

the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society, the Faculty

of Engineering and Computing and the Faculty of Health and

Life Sciences. We say probably because the Enterprise and

Entrepreneurship degree is actually part of the School of Lifelong

Learning and we do have one undergraduate course - Global

Business Management - taught at our London Campus.

Your induction into the University will be through one of these Schools or Faculties, normally starting on the Monday of Induction Week (that’s the 26th September this year). You will of course get to know your own Faculty or School very well but you will also get to know something about the others too through the friends you make here and the activities you join in with. To find out more now have a look on the web pages for each one.


Student Services

Coventry University has a dedicated Student Services team,

ready to help you settle in to University life and give you all

the support you might need while you are here. Specialist,

professionally qualified staff can offer help with a whole

range of things, including:

• Help with finding a place to live through the Student

Accommodation team;

• Personal support from the CU Living team including a

counselling service, the Spirituality and Faith Centre and

the Welfare and Disabilities support office as well as a

childcare service;

• Medical assistance and care through Health and

Wellbeing, which has a doctors’ surgery and NHS nurses

on site;

• Access to a wide range of sports and recreation activities

designed to keep you fit and healthy;

• The Careers and Employability Service, including

Add+vantage modules, help with work placements and

general advice and support.

We know that for many of our new students this will be your first time away from home so we do all we can to make sure that the move is as easy as possible. For instance, our Customer Service Advisers in the Student Accommodation team offer support during the moving in period, and beyond.

We aim to make our students’ time at University a happy and healthy one and are very proud of the provision we have for sport and recreation, designed to give you a complete active experience. Indoor sport and recreation facilities, located in the Sports Centre in Whitefriars Street, include:

• Fitness suite;• Four-court hall - suitable for volleyball, basketball, netball, cricket and football;• Two-court hall - suitable for table-tennis and badminton; • Dance studio - ideal for exercise classes.

The University outdoor sports facilities are based at Westwood Heath, about four miles from the campus.

IT Service support at CU has been rated very highly in the latest

Student Satisfaction Survey. All the help and advice for new

students is available online, naturally, at

http://www.coventry.ac.uk/cu/its/userinfo

Your computer service registration is done automatically as part of

the enrolment process. It’s also worth noting that the campus has

extensive WiFi coverage and remote printing facilities and that IT

Support will endeavour to connect any wireless device - laptop or

PDA – to the network.

The Student Portal provides access to a range of on-line services

and is accessible directly from the main University website.

There is also an IT Service Desk on the ground floor of the

Library to help you with any IT problems you may have.

Other online services that you will soon become familiar with

include the Moodle learning environment, Echo 360 automatic

lecture capturing and an online portfolio space for students. Echo

360 is especially good – it’s like having iPlayer for lectures. It

captures then converts lectures into mediums such as podcast,

video and other forms of rich media so you can catch up later.


TheHub is home to many of the services described in this booklet, including:

• The Careers and Employability Service and thefutureworks office; the Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship; Welfare and Disabilities; Health and Wellbeing, including the doctors’ surgery and NHS nurses; the Spirituality and Faith Centre including a multi-faith lounge, chapel and prayer rooms;

• Food and drink outlets, including the University Food Court, a branch of Costa Coffee, Grab and Go food bars and a Pizzeria. There is also a convenience store which includes a pharmacy;

• Informal learning spaces, many based in pods designed for group project work, and lots of online access;

• Coventry University Students’ Union, including the Advice Centre and Volunteering Services along with the SU bars, snack bar and Square One.

And if you are planning to carry on living at home while you are studying here, TheHub will be a major benefit, giving you a home from home at the University where you will be able to touch down between lectures, get a coffee and catch up with friends or use the flexible work spaces.

TheHub Students’ Building

We are very excited about the opening of TheHub, the brand

new students’ building on Jordan Well, right in the centre of the

campus. Throughout the day TheHub will be a place for you

to relax, have a coffee or a meal, meet up with friends or study

informally on your own or in work groups. In the evening the

building will become an entertainment venue with bars and the

Students’ Union club called Square One, which can also be used

as a cinema, a nightclub and live music venue.

Computing

Friendly and knowledgeable staff can be found on all floors, so do make the most of them to find out about all that is available and how things are organised. The IT Services Help Desk and the Maths Support Centre are based in the Library, and we also work closely with our neighbours in the Centre for Academic Writing.

The Library staff look forward to welcoming you in the Autumn term. Look out for the introduction to the Library in your Freshers’ Week timetable. This is your chance to meet your Subject Librarian and to find out where the materials for your course are located. Most courses include a teaching session with your librarian later in the first term.

For further help, you can also ask at any of the enquiry desks or look out for the study support assistants in their bright yellow t-shirts. You can also find out more at www.coventry.ac.uk/library


Focus on the Library

The award-winning Library in the Frederick

Lanchester Building plays a key role in the University

and is one of the busiest buildings on campus. You

will be surprised by how many hours you can spend

there! The main focus of the Library, and of the

Library staff, is on helping you develop as a student.

There are a whole range of study environments from

group areas to silent rooms for individual study.

Computers are available on all floors, and the building

is wireless throughout so you can either bring your

own laptop or borrow one if you wish.

Study materials are provided for all subject areas

and we try to stock all the books recommended for

your modules, though you may need to buy some

key texts. CDs, DVDs and videos are available from

Media Services on the top floor and stationery from

the Resources Shop on the ground floor.

The adjacent Deli Marché café provides refreshments

and there are also vending machines in the popular

Learning Lounge in the basement, a good place for

meeting up with friends.

Centre for Academic Writing (CAW)

The Centre for Academic Writing helps all Coventry

students with the basics of essay writing; structure,

referencing, organising an argument, spelling, grammar

and punctuation.

They run a series of regular workshops, writing

groups, 50 minute book in advance one-to-one writing

tutorials and 20 minute book on the day one-to-one

writing tutorials. The CAW is based in the Frederick

Lanchester Annexe – opposite the entrance to the

Library. For more information and contact details visit

www.coventry.ac.uk/caw

Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship (IAE)

The IAE is home to all student related enterprise and

entrepreneurship activities and supports students in a variety

of ways, such as enterprise skills development, networking,

workshop events, ideas and planning, venture creation and

business start-up. Pop in and see them on the first floor of

TheHub or find out more at www.coventry.ac.uk/iae

Mathematics and statistics support (sigma)

The University’s Mathematics Support Centre has linked up

with the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough

University to develop a service for students called sigma.

Drop-in support for students is available on the ground

floor of the Library and is open every weekday in term-time

to help all Coventry students with their mathematics and

statistics. There is also specialist support available from the

Statistics Advisory Service to students who are gathering

and analysing significant amounts of data, usually as part of

a large scale project. sigma also provides specialist support

to students with dyslexia and dyscalculia who are studying

a mathematics, statistics or quantitative module as part of

their course.

Supporting and preparing you for a graduate career

Coventry University aims to help all its students and graduates achieve their ambitions whether this is in further study, self employment or a graduate job. Most of our courses are employment related and have been designed to provide you with industry related projects and/or work experience.

We are proud of our success in supporting students into employment and postgraduate study and, in 2011, 94% of our students were in a ‘positive destination’ after completing their course.

For further information and advice:

www.coventry.ac.uk/careers

[email protected]

What the University will do to help you

achieve this

• Our unique Add+vantage employability programme

provides a huge range of modules, including languages,

volunteering, work placement, IT, leadership and project

management. These modules form an accredited part of

your degree and will help you to recognise and develop the

important transferable skills that will be needed for success

in the graduate job market;

• Students will be supported by their lecturers, tutors and

‘work placement’ staff in the Schools and Faculties.

Many of these staff have worked in industry/commerce

and they will help you understand the professions and how

to create a network of contacts;

• The Careers and Employability Service will help you to

make career choices, source opportunities and secure

a graduate job. The service is available throughout

the year, including the summer periods, and after

you have graduated.

• The University is in contact with many employers who are interested in recruiting Coventry students and graduates. Graduate job vacancies and internship opportunities are available through the Careers and Employability Service and your department and staff are available to support you with your CV, applications and interview preparation;

• The Careers and Employability Service organises Employer Events which bring many employers and other organisations into the University, including professional bodies, volunteering providers and work and study abroad agencies;

• Other staff are available in the University to support your employability. These include ‘thefutureworks’ (University Job Shop); Volunteering and Employability and The Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship which will help you develop entrepreneurial skills and run your own business.


We’ve also launched the Marco Polo mobility scheme for visits to China. This scheme is designed to help students and graduates become more familiar with Chinese and other Asian cultures and business practices, thus preparing you to become more globally-aware and globally-employable and ultimately to enter the global graduate market with those skills and attributes employers value. Funding is available for study in a number of destinations for short-term or longer-term placements, up to one full year.

You will also be able to gain international experience by working overseas. The University actively encourages students who want to spend time as an overseas intern, on short and long placements. Recent students have gained work experience in businesses, charities and organisations in China, India, Africa, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Wherever possible we will help you apply for internal and external funding to help subsidise the additional costs involved.

Since 2006 the University has helped hundreds of graduates gain work experience within the European Union (EU). In fact, we are the leading UK University in our use of the EU Leonardo da Vinci scheme to support students seeking international work placements. Recent students and graduates obtained valuable experience with companies including Fiat, Audi, Opel, Renault, BNP Paribas, Kuoni DMC, Bertrandt,

Airbus, Atlantic Whale Foundation, and Action Against Hunger. All Leonardo work placements are fully funded. China is increasingly the number one business

destination for the globally-aware and globally-employable graduate. Our Marco Polo programme gives our students the opportunity to work or volunteer in this part of the world. To help you prepare, Mandarin classes are available through our free Linguae Mundi programme. We also have programmes to enable you to gain international experience working or volunteering in India (Vasco da Gama programme), the US and Latin America (Columbus programme).

Finally the Global Volunteering programmes help students and graduates engage with communities worldwide and support volunteering missions in developing countries. Recently students have volunteered to help communities in Thailand, the West Indies, Indonesia and other developing countries. For example, the Safari programme specifically supports volunteering and local development in Africa.

To find out more visit IEMS in the Student Centre building or go to www.coventy.ac.uk/iems


Developing Global Graduates

At Coventry, we are immensely proud of our strong

international links and through the International Experience

and Mobility Service, which is based in the Student Centre, we

have put together a catalogue of opportunities to help you gain

international experience and become attractive to employers

around the world.

These opportunities include being able to study, work and / or

volunteer abroad, going on field trips and taking part in international

projects and competitions. Many of these opportunities are funded

but where no funding is otherwise available, our international

experience suite of mobility programmes provides grants towards

travelling and / or subsistence costs. We also offer free language

classes in 12 languages to help prepare you for experiences abroad

through the Linguae Mundi programme.

Coventry University is very proud of its long association with the

Erasmus scheme. Erasmus offers you the opportunity to study

abroad, where you can experience, first hand, the joys and challenges

of integrating into another culture whilst gaining additional credits

towards your degree. Years spent studying abroad are exempt from

tuition fees and Coventry University offers additional maintenance

grants. Erasmus students can study in a range of countries, with

popular destinations including Nicosia in Cyprus, Malaga, Valencia

and Barcelona in Spain, and Paris, as well as many other cities in

France. Outside the EU, it is also possible for you to study in the US,

Canada and China.


Shops on campusThe University bookshop can be found in the Lanchester

building, right next to the Library. It’s operated by Waterstone’s

and stocks textbooks, paper, pens and lots more besides.

Coventry University students receive 10% off purchases

between 27th September and 18th October*. There are also

a number of bundle deals available at the start of term for

new students. If you can’t find what you’re looking for the

booksellers can help you order any book and, in most cases,

you’ll have it in 48 hours. Waterstone’s Coventry University

can be contacted on 0843 290 8261 or via facebook.com/

wstonescoventryuniversity and twitter: @wstonescovuni

The University Resource Shop is located in the Library

walkway too, just opposite Waterstone’s. It provides a

comprehensive range of print, scanning, copying and binding

services, including the printing of technical drawings for

courses like Architecture and Engineering. The Resource

Shop also sells stationery and art supplies. You should see the

queues outside when final year students are handing in their

dissertations to be bound...

The opening of TheHub students’ building means that many

shops and services are now centralised there. These include

the convenience store, Amigo’s, which is open from 7.00am

to 10.00pm six days a week and from 12.00pm to 6.00pm

on a Sunday. It sells all the student essentials and includes a

pharmacy. TheHub also has the Mop Shop hairdressers, a

branch of Costa Coffee and numerous other food and drink

outlets around the food court.

Students on Art and Design courses (and anyone else for that

matter) can get art supplies from the shop located in the

basement of the Graham Sutherland Building, while students on

media and performing arts courses can use the free equipment

loan service - everything from cameras to cables - that is available

from the shop on the ground floor of the Ellen Terry building. The

Media Loan Shop also carries a wide range of films on DVD which

can be borrowed free of charge.

Being a city centre campus means we don’t really need our own

bank branches – all the high street banks and major building

societies can be found on High Street, which is a two minute

walk from TheHub students’ building going towards Broadgate.

There are cash machines though – one in the Student Centre,

two on the ground floor of TheHub, one next to the entrance to

the Richard Crossman building and one at the back of the old

Students’ Union building (next to Priory Hall).

*Offer ends 18th October 2011. Offer period exclusive to Waterstone’s Coventry

University. Selected items only. See in store for details

Sports ******* Societies ******* Support

Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU) is an independent,

student-led charity that represents your interests within the University.

It is also a place to meet new people, make new friends and find new

passions. On top of the sports, social clubs and entertainment, CUSU

is there to offer you advice, support and the chance to campaign on

issues you feel strongly about.

Get involved at www.cusu.org or visit facebook.com/CoventrySU


There’s more to university life than lectures

22 New Student Guide

Going Green...At Coventry, we take our responsibility for the care of the planet very seriously, and aim to help you manage your carbon footprint during your time with us. Our key objective is to become a low carbon campus, and we have set a challenging target to reduce our carbon footprint by 35% between 2010 and 2015.

This means the University’s Environmental Policy is delivering action on energy efficiency, waste minimisation and recycling, travel, and even natural wildlife – planting over 1,000 native trees and shrubs in 2011. We are pleased to have achieved a 2:1 in the People and Planet Green League in 2011 – find out more at http://peopleandplanet.org/green-league-2011/table

You can start planning your sustainable living at Coventry before you arrive on campus...

Due to our city centre location, proximity of student housing and a main coach/bus station, the University has an enviable low car use by students. If you are new to the city, walking and cycle routes can be found at http://walkit.com and http://cyclemaps.coventry.gov.uk For cyclists the campus has rails and hoops, and also lockable facilities.

If you are interested in using bicycle garages or containers, please email [email protected] for further information. Also, there are great student discounts for bus and coach travel. Further information and journey planners can be found at www.networkwestmidlands.com

Re-use is the best environmental option for unwanted goods and also saves you money. Coventry’s own enterprising students have set up a secure website for students with coventry.ac.uk email addresses to trade items; take a look at www.cutrader.co.uk

If you are living in one of our halls or houses, or in private

accommodation, you can easily take control of and

reduce your carbon footprint by switching off unwanted

lights and electrical equipment whenever you don’t need

them. This year we will be working with students to try

new and fun ways to communicate how to save energy

so look out for that.

There are groups and events you may wish to get

involved with if you are a more active environmentalist.

Look out for Fairtrade Fortnight activities or local cycle

groups such as www.coventrycyclist.org.uk. You may

even wish to enrol on our Add+vantage environmental

courses, which won a Green Gowns Highly Commended

award in 2010 (www.eauc.org.uk)

The University has a lot of student support for

its environmental activities. We look forward to

your involvement!

The campus recycling target for

2011/12 is 60%, and we continue to

improve recycling facilities particularly

in our residences. Within University

buildings look out for the easy to use

mixed recycling scheme for paper,

card, cans and plastic bottles. From

our administrative and technical areas

we recycle electrical equipment, printer

cartridges, green waste and batteries.

The main environmental impact of

the campus is carbon emissions from

our use of energy in buildings. Last

year we invested heavily in insulation

and lighting so that people are more

comfortable and can actively switch off

unwanted lights. Our new Hub building

is full of exciting features for students,

and includes our first renewable energy

source – ground water cooling. When

the new Engineering building opens

in 2012 we will have biomass heat on

site too.

New Student Guide 23

Food shoppingAs in most cities, the really big supermarkets are located outside the city centre, including Europe’s largest Tesco at Arena Park. Most local to the University is the Amigo’s convenience store in TheHub and the Sainsbury’s in Trinity Street – very close to the campus and very handy for students. There is also a Tesco Express in Shelton Square, a food department in the Co-op on Corporation Street and an Iceland in Queen Victoria Road. Coventry market is also on this road and sells a big range of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, bread and fish. And before you arrive take a look at the Student Food Survival Guide at www.coventry.ac.uk/cu/hospitality/survivalguide as this will give you a list of the basic kitchen items you’ll need if you are going into self-catered accommodation.

MuseumsOur next door neighbour on University Square is the recently refurbished and extended Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. You may have been in there and not realised, if you came to a University Open Day. It has eight permanent galleries and there are regular temporary and touring exhibitions as well as a History Centre and media studios. It’s also got a smart cafe and the museum is free to get in. Go to www.theherbert.org for more details and check out www.emergemag.co.uk for information on the local art scene.

Our own Coventry School of Art and Design has two exhibition spaces – one in the Graham Sutherland Building and one in TheHub. These are well worth keeping an eye on for new exhibitions, especially during May and June when the Art and Design Degree Shows take place.

The city’s motor industry heritage is captured at the Coventry Transport Museum which has the largest collection of British road transport in the world, much of it originally built in Coventry. They also do some really interesting temporary exhibitions – ice cream vans through the ages anyone? Again, entry is free and it’s well worth a look especially if you’re new to the city - you’ll learn a lot about the history of the place. Go to www.transport-museum.com for more.

Music VenuesThe Kasbah is the city’s most popular live music venue and is a short walk from the campus and very close to Singer Hall and Raglan House. The Kasbah has been an iconic venue in the city for years and attracts a diverse range of top acts. The last few months has seen gigs by, among loads of others, Foals, Example, Public Image Ltd, White Lies and The Cribs.

Taylor John’s House is well worth visiting for a chance to see some of the country’s best upcoming talent in a small scale setting. Taylor John’s also arrange occasional performances in St John’s Church in the city (on Corporation Street) which is a great alternative venue for live music. Coventry’s stadium venue is at the Ricoh Arena on the edge of the city. Some of the top bands to have played there in the last year or so are Kings of Leon, Pink and Take That. There’s a large hall venue at the Ricoh too which gets some good bands.

Nearby Leamington Spa is home to The Assembly, a regular winner of best live venue awards. The Assembly boasts an impressive catalogue of past performers including Pete Doherty, Primal Scream and Pendulum.


Beyond the University and into the city...Cinemas and FilmThere are two multiplex cinemas in Coventry showing all the

latest releases. These are the Odeon at the Skydome in the city

centre and, further out of town, the Showcase Cinema which

is at Junction 2 of the M6. Far more interesting are the regular

film nights held in the School of Art and Design and the Roots to

Shoots events that take place every last Thursday of the month

at Taylor John’s House in Coventry. The best place to see films

that are on limited release is at Warwick Arts Centre. There are

also film societies at the University, including the very active and

very popular East Asian Film Society which regularly manages

to get exclusive UK premieres of some of the best in Asian

films, often with talks by directors, writers or producers.

See www.cueafs.com for more.

Coffee ShopsThere are coffee shops everywhere, including lots of independent

ones, and it’s often best to seek them out, try them and choose

your own favourite. The big players are here too of course, with

a Starbucks in Broadgate, Costa in the Precinct (opposite HMV)

and also inside the Waterstone’s bookshop by the fountain in

the Precinct (as well as on campus in TheHub). And there’s a

BB’s Coffee and Muffins on the Food Court in the West Orchards

Shopping Centre.

FestivalsThere are numerous festivals in the Coventry and Warwickshire

area and the good news is that many of them are free. The

biggest by far is the Godiva Festival (http://godiva.coventry.

gov.uk) held on the first weekend in July in the War Memorial

Park. Running over three days, the Godiva Festival has grown

fast over the last few years and now features a big main stage as

well as lots of smaller tented stages, a carnival procession and a

fun fair. Acts to have played there in the last three years include

The Enemy, Idlewild, Glasvegas, Super Furry Animals, Ash and

Badly Drawn Boy. This year saw appearances by Heaven 17,

Young Knives, Athlete and Lethal Bizzle.

In Warwickshire the annual Peace Festival in Leamington

(www.peacefestival.org.uk) in June is now a well established

event which attracts a really interesting mix of music, poetry

and arts while Warwick hosts an annual Folk Festival in late July

(www.warwickfolkfestival.co.uk)

TheatresThe Belgrade in the city centre is the biggest theatre in the city and

hosts a wide range of events including (deep breath) jazz, comedy, drama,

pantomime, West End shows, musicals, live music, stand-up comedy and

dance. It’s set in the new Belgrade Plaza development, just off Corporation

Street, which has some good places to eat before or after a show too. The

Belgrade offers discounted tickets for students so check out their website

at www.belgrade.co.uk

Smaller, more intimate, theatre performance venues include the Criterion

Theatre in Earlsdon, which is owned by an amateur theatre company

in Coventry and was voted Best Theatre in the 2009 Godiva Awards,

the Loft in Leamington and the Abbey Theatre in Nuneaton. Or why

not try out the UK’s first professional shop front theatre, run by Theatre

Absolute, based in a former fish and chip shop in the City Arcade. See

their web site at www.theatreabsolute.co.uk for more. And don’t forget

to look out for the many shows and performances that take place at the

University itself, mainly put on by students in the Department of Performing

Arts. These usually take place in the Ellen Terry Building or TheHub.

A bit further afield, Warwick Arts Centre on the edge of Coventry is

the largest Arts Centre in the Midlands and holds over 2000 theatre,

film, music, comedy, dance and visual arts events each year.

Stratford-upon-Avon, home of the highly acclaimed Royal Shakespeare

Company, is just a train or bus journey away and £5 tickets for a variety

of performances are available to those aged 16-25. And Coventry is also

only twenty minutes by train from Birmingham and its many big venues

including Symphony Hall, the Hippodrome and the Repertory Theatre.

26 New Student Guide New Student Guide 27

Sport in Coventry

The city has a long and proud sporting tradition - the football

club was founded in 1883 and the rugby club is even older,

founded 1874 – although these days it’s a newer sport that’s

the most successful. So there’s always some sport going on,

much of it on your door step.

The Coventry Blaze ice hockey team are one of the most

successful British ice hockey teams. They celebrated their 10th

anniversary season in 2009-10 and were given the perfect

gift – a third Elite League title in four seasons that made it 10

trophies in 10 seasons since they came to Coventry in 2000.

They play at the Skydome in the city centre, so it’s a really easy

place to get to. There are regular home games on a Sunday

evening and in mid week.


Coventry Bees speedway team are another Coventry institution with a passionate support. Based at Brandon, about 5 miles out of the city (car or lift needed really), the Bees ride in the Elite League and are the reigning league champions. There is also a basketball team in the city – the Coventry Crusaders, who play in EBL Division 1 – based in the City of Coventry Sports Centre which is in Fairfax Street, so just next door to the University.

For anyone interested in cricket we have the mighty Warwickshire Bears! They may play their home games in Birmingham but they are still our county team. And just occasionally they play a game in Coventry or Stratford.

The other big sporting tradition in Coventry is swimming and the City of Coventry Swimming Club is one of the best known in the country. The city’s swimming baths are located virtually on the campus – next to Priory Hall in fact. And finally some very exciting news for next year: Coventry is going to be a 2012 Olympic venue as the Ricoh Arena – or the City of Coventry Stadium as it is being renamed for the Olympics – is a host venue for the Olympic football tournament. Should be great!

Coventry City Football Club play at the Ricoh Arena

on the edge of the city. There are match day buses to

get you to the ground and students can buy tickets

at a discount. Although playing in the Championship

we actually think that the football is better than the

Premiership – but then we would say that! Anyway, if

you’re moving to Coventry they should be your newly

adopted team. Play up Sky Blues.

Coventry Rugby play at the Butts Park Arena which

is in Spon End – so very handy for anyone living at

the Sherbourne or Apollo halls or in the Earlsdon area

(popular with students). Like the football club, they’ve

slipped out of the top division – currently in National

League One – but they still enjoy a decent support and

it’s a good place to go on a Saturday afternoon.


You may be the kind of person who is already compiling lists of what to bring – or you may be the type that just throws some stuff in a bag the night before. Either way, if you are bringing a TV, you will need a licence for it. You will also need to bring bedding, some form of ID (passport or driving licence) and your medical card. Passport photographs are always useful too, as are clothes hangers. Also note that all University owned and managed accommodation now comes with a personal possession insurance policy.

You can check out the accommodation website for lists of things to bring, but we asked some of our current students for their advice on some of the more unusual items. Here are some of their tips:

• School tie (for the school discos you’re BOUND to have!) and fancy dress items;• A warm coat, gloves, scarf, hat and a brolly - so many students pack in sunny September and get caught out when Autumn comes round;• Ice cube tray and straws and a cocktail recipe book;• Enough clothes for two weeks (you can go back and collect the rest later);• Don’t bring a kettle, toaster, iron or sandwich toaster until you have moved in and seen what the rest of your flat mates have brought. There’s no point in having six kettles. You can get all of these items for around £10 each.

Alternatively...If you don’t bring anything, you meet lots of people when you ask to borrow their stuff...


Travelling and CommutingAnd finally...

If you are already living locally and travelling in from home to

the University on a daily basis you will find that the single site

city centre location makes travelling in really straightforward

because everything is in the one place.

A number of bus routes, including the number 27 – which

runs between the Railway Station and University Hospital

– pass right through the campus, down Cox Street and

Gosford Street, with stops under the ring road between

the Graham Sutherland and William Morris Buildings.

The National Express Coventry site at

http://nxbus.co.uk/coventry has all the information you

need for getting around the city and the county.

Another option for travelling in, given that the public car

parks around the campus can be both busy and expensive,

are the Park and Rides located in the North and South of

the city. Park and Ride North is especially useful if you are

coming in from the Nuneaton and Bedworth area as the bus

comes through the campus. Details can be found at

http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/parkandride


Before you arrive why not check out...

facebook – stay in touch with what’s

happening here by becoming a fan

of our facebook page at

http://www.facebook.com/

coventryuniversity

twitter – follow our tweets on

http://twitter.com/covcampus

YouGoFurther – the social network run

by UCAS where you can chat with other

students coming to Coventry

www.yougofurther.co.uk

CUTV, a student channel with loads of videos

from Coventry University. Students can also

submit their own work to the channel at

http://www.youtube.com/covstudent

iTunes U – podcasts, talks and videos for

students to listen to, including our media

movers and shakers programme of

Coventry Conversations at

http://www.coventry.ac.uk/itunesu

See you in September...!

Some useful numbers

Main Switchboard 024 7688 7688

Academic Registry 024 7615 2200

Accommodation 024 7688 7303 or 7304

Careers & Employability 024 7765 2011

Fees – Payments 024 7615 2255

Fees – Credit Control 024 7615 2266

Fees – Invoicing 024 7615 2277

Funding (loans and grants) 024 7615 2040

Funding (bursaries and scholarships) 024 7615 2050

Medical Centre 024 7765 8333

TheHub 024 7765 6565

Welfare and Disability 024 7765 8029

www.coventry.ac.uk/newstudents

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DisclaimerWhile the University makes every effort to check the accuracy of the factual content in this guide at the time of publication some changes may occur before the start of the academic year to which the document relates. External companies and services are referred to for guidance purposes only and inclusion in this guide does not mean that the University necessarily endorses these companies or services. Accordingly, Coventry University does not accept any responsibility and shall be under no liability whatsoever for any loss suffered as a result of a third party’s failure to supply goods and/or services.

Produced by the Recruitment and Admissions Office, Coventry University, August 2011Please recycle this booklet when you have finished with it

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