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Farnborough College

UCAS Code: F66

Location: Hampshire, southern England Show on Map

Site: Main site in Farnborough; additional site in Aldershot

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Specialist college of technology

Student Population

Total Students:	6,938
Undergraduates:	12%
Postgraduates:	1%
FE Students:	87%

Undergraduates

Total undergraduates:	808
Male:	46%
Female:	54%
Full Time:	69%
Mature on Entry:	62%
UK Students:	89%

Teaching Staff

500 full-time and part-time

Broad study areas

Aerospace & motorsport engineering, business, computing, media, leisure & sport studies, childhood early years study.

Freshers

Admission Information:	UCAS tariff adopted and key skills taken into account in students' profile.
Points on Entry (Mean):	200
Drop Out Rate:	9%
Accommodation:	No college accommodation; local student housing lists provided to students.

Institution

Founded:	1957, originally as training wing of former Royal Aircraft Establishment.
Site:	Main site in Farnborough plus construction courses at site in Aldershot.
How to get there:	Easily reached from London: Farnborough campus on A325, close to M3 (junctions 4 and 4A); 40 minutes by train from London Waterloo and short walk to campus from station. Good local bus service.
Special features:	Maintains close links with industry, commerce and local community, giving good work placements for students in their chosen field.

Student services & facilities

Student advice & services:	Counselling service, occupational health unit, student finance adviser, accommodation officer, learning support unit. Weekday nursery school throughout the year.
Amenities:	Restaurant, hair and beauty salon, floristry studio, theatre, charity and fund-raising events.
Sporting facilities:	Gym. Local recreation centre has indoor sports facilities (10 minutes' walk); a dry ski slope nearby in Aldershot.
Accommodation:	Help with finding local accommodation; rents approx £70–£90 per week self-catering.

Study opportunities & careers

Library & information services:	LRC (learning resource centre) with collection of books, journals, audiovisual and electronic information; links to national and local libraries for resources not available on site. Information provision, £50 pa spent for each student (FTE). Library and computing services converged. Open-access PCs on college network and with internet access; wifi hotspots. LRC staff give general and IT support.
Other learning resources:	Language and science laboratories, engineering workshops, fitness suites, TV and radio stations. Students can also hire a range of equipment, eg digital camera, digital video camera and LCD projectors.
Careers:	Information, advice and placement service.

Money

Living expenses budget:	Minimum budget of £5500 pa recommended (excluding tuition fees).
Term-time work:	College allows term-time work for full-time students (approx 80% believed to work).
Financial help:	Learner support fund. Bursary for first degree students whose family income is up to £25k pa and possible for those with family income of £25k-£42.6k pa.
University tuition fees:	Home students pay £6000 pa for first degrees. International students pay £7000+ pa.

Courses

Academic features:

Range of courses including A-levels, vocational and professional courses, Foundation degrees and first degrees. Fast-track 2-year full-time honours degrees.

Awarding body:

University of Surrey

Main undergraduate awards:

BA, BSc, FdA, FdSc

Length of courses:

2 or 4 years; 2 years (FdA/Sc)

Main subjects offered:

Aeronautical Engineering
Automotive Engineering
Broadcasting
Business Administration
Childhood Studies
Communication Engineering
Complementary Therapies
Computer Technology
Computing
Counselling
Criminology
Education
Electrical Engineering
Electromechanical Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Graphic Design
Health
Hospitality Management
Information Technology
Interactive Multimedia
Internet Technology
Leisure Studies
Management
Marketing
Media Studies
Media Technology
Motor Sport Engineering
Multimedia
Music Technology
Performance Arts
Photography
Psychology
Social Studies
Software Engineering
Sports Sciences
Sports Studies
Tourism
TV Studies

Student view

Living

Based on the main Farnborough Road, the campus is 100 yards from Farnborough Airfield - great for the air show but can cause major traffic problems. College has parking facilities; 5 minutes' walk from town centre. Well-stocked library and recently improved computer facilities for all students. Sports centre and playing fields rented. Large refectory offers snacks, hot drinks and food. Loads of courses for mature students through to under-18s. Quite a few foreign students. Very friendly college with helpful staff and lecturers. Easy to change course in first year. Part-time work available with local business. SU building, with 2 bars, is open all day but closed at night; since there are few pubs and no clubs in Farnborough, most students go out in nearby Guildford, Farnham or Reading. London is another option (but expensive). Students run a college radio station and TV production company. A nice place to study (especially media or engineering) although lacks the feel of a big university.

Summary

Housing: College student services help. Eats: £2 for a meal in college. Domino's Pizza, Ham & Blackbird £7-£10. Drink: Most beers £1.60+. Nightlife: SU organises events nights; trips to clubs and pubs. Locals: Commuters and families. Sports: Gym and basketball court; good teams. Jobs: Ask union or local agencies. Financial help: Good record of hardship loans. Best features: SU building; other students, Westminster theatre. And worst: Lack of young life in town centre.

Past Students

Verity Larby-Walker, Peter Hull (Olympics), Beverley Kinch (long jump and 100 metres), Steve Benton (national cyclist), Vicki Elcoate (Deputy Director of Council for National Parks), Jet (Gladiators).