City of Bath
Bath is 156km west from London, and has a population of around 80,000. The city was first established as a spa resort in early history, and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The city has a variety of theatres, museums, and other cultural and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major centre for tourism, with over one million staying visitors and 3.8 million day visitors to the city each year.
Bath is slightly wetter than the rest of England, though rainfall is very low compared to Singapore. Mean temperature is around 10ºC, with temperatures dropping to an average of 1ºC in winter (December – January) and 24ºC in summer. Strong winds are expected during the winter to spring seasons together with high precipitation.
Bath is mainly a tourism town, with over 10,000 visitors to the city daily, most making heritage and cultural tours. The main attractions include the Roman Bath, Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent, and the Thermae Bath Spa (where you can take a relaxing warm spa). There are also day trips to the nearby Stonehenge. Bristol is only a 15min train ride away and return tickets only cost around £3.
Cost of Living
| Accommodation | University Accommodation |
£83-130/week |
| Private Accommodation | ||
| Food | Home Cooked |
£70-£120/mth |
| Eat Out | £3-£25/meal | |
| Mobile Bill | O2 Pay-as-you-go, unlimited SMS |
£5/mth |
| O2 30-day Plan, 100mins, unlimited SMS |
£10/mth | |
| O2 12-mth Plan, 300mins, unlimited SMS, unlimited web browsing |
£15/mth | |
| Transport | Uniconnect 36week pass |
£215 |
| FirstGroup 36week pass (recommended if you’re staying off-campus as this service is more frequent and you have early classes) |
£249 |
Total: as low as £650 per month (or even less if you don’t join in social activities, stay in your room after classes, etc.)
University of Bath
Location: Claverton Down, Bath
The campus is situated at the top of a hill surround the city and is a 20minute bus ride from the city centre. It has an altitude of around 200m (the road leading to the University from the city inclines at an angle of 15º!). The campus itself is not very big, and it is possible to walk from one end to the other within 20minutes.
Facilities
Facilities at the campus include a fitness suite, 4 squash courts, a 25m and a 50m indoor pool, 110m (indoor) and 400m (outdoor) tracks, 8 indoor tennis courts, judo/karate/jujitsu halls, multipurpose halls, synthetic/natural grass pitches for soccer, rugby, field hockey and lacrosse.
The campus also has a number of F&B outlets, including restaurants, bars, a small supermarket, an oriental supermarket, 3 banks and a travel agency.
Free high-speed WiFi internet is available around campus for students, ensuring that you can be sitting by the lake and still work on your projects!
Academics
The University of Bath is known for its physical sciences, mathematics and technology. Students are usually encouraged to take a 1year industry placement course in the middle of their course to help in their studies. Out of 26 subjects, UoB has 23 that are ranked top 10 in the UK. For academic year 2011, Architecture ranks 2nd, Accounting and Finance and Business Administration rank 3rd, Psychology ranking 4th, Aeronautical Engineering and Mathematics ranking 5th in the United Kingdom.
More than 25% of the students are international students, many coming from Asia, Germany and Greece.
Settling into the town is relatively quick, considering the fact that the city centre is smaller than the whole Orchard Road, and the UoB Students’ Union helps with induction one week before academic lessons start.
Chay Him
Aeronautical Engineering (First Year Undergraduate) ’09/10