Too Many Freshers!

Students arriving at Freshers Fair were faced with long slow-moving queues

Bristol is struggling to cope with a record number of first year students arriving in the city. Term is barely two weeks old but student haunts are already being over-run due to the massive increase in first year students. Almost 600 more first year students have arrived this month compared to previous years, producing a total of 4,477 freshers. Students at the university now face:

• Classes spread across many buildings

• Split lunch hours to accommodate additional teaching hours

• Increased competition for places in competitive societies and teams

• Further over-crowding in already strained libraries

• Disruption from building work at Hiatt Baker to accommodate the increase in numbers

• Insufficient university-owned housing for first years

There are also fears that students will face bigger classes and less personal contact from tutors. The university has recruited 37 new teaching staff in response to this concern.

Future lectures at Bristol?
(Photo: James Cridland)

The rise in admissions, up from 3,907 last year, follows the government’s decision to allow, “unrestricted recruitment of high achieving students,” in its July 2011 white paper. This opened the floodgates for Bristol University to increase without limits the numbers of students they admit.

Whilst the white paper specified that additional students must achieve a minimum AAB at A-level, Bristol’s reputation ensures that it attracts students of this quality anyway. Only 20% of Bristol students achieved lower A-level grades. The problems with such rapid expansion are already starting to show. One student told The Tab that those attending the Freshers’ Fair last week faced, “queues around three sides of the union”. Split lunch hours have been introduced so that enough teaching hours can be found. However, societies planning to meet at lunchtime are no longer able to do so at a time that suits everybody. As a result, students may regularly skip lunchtime lectures.

Not a good hangover cure
(Photo: Magic Madzik)

Further disruption comes from a sizeable extension at Hiatt Baker to house new students. The Tab understands this will not be completed until 2014, meaning residents will be disturbed by noise for the next two years. Although some windows at the hall have been double-glazed, one student told The Tab, “space is really restricted by the building work, getting around the grounds is already difficult”. It is also likely that study areas, such as the ASS library, will suffer from extreme over-crowding once exams start. The Law Library is also currently severely affected by refurbishment works, forcing students to work elsewhere. 

However, the university has refurbished The Hawthorns to create a new ‘student study space’, with space for 300 students.

It’s not just university life that’s struggling. The queue for Lizard Lounge has gotten so bad that there are unconfirmed reports of people beginning to queue from as early as 10pm!