Self-guided audio tours

Our tour begins on the front steps of the Newton building. It’s the heart of our City Campus and one of Nottingham’s most iconic buildings.

Lots of things happen inside Newton. First and foremost, it’s home to Nottingham Business School.

There’s a real mix of teaching spaces inside – from huge lecture theatres, to comfy little rooms for seminars and group work. There’s a large suite of PCs on-site, and the School even has its own trading floor, where you can play the real-world business markets.

But Newton’s more than just a space for business studies. It’s a place where all our students come together – somewhere to eat, drink and socialise. It’s also where our Student Support Services team are based and where you’ll one day be walking around in a cap and gown with a glass of something fizzy as you graduate.

We also need to mention the building’s most famous tenants – not the Business School, but the two Peregrine Falcons who’ve set up home here. They come back every year to raise new chicks, and you can watch them on our webcam.

We’re about to move on to the next step of the tour – but before that, turn around and look over the road. Diagonally across from you, you’ll see 23 Goldsmith Street. It’s one of our newest buildings, and home to NTU’s Global Lounge.

Our staff and students come from more than 150 different countries, so it’s a truly international community – and the Global Lounge has helped introduce hundreds of people to jet-setting adventures all around the world.

This is a place to meet new people, make new friends, and try new things; as well as the cultural events we hold throughout the year, you’ll also find lots of opportunities for working and studying abroad.

Across the road, you’ll see the Centre for Broadcasting & Journalism (CBJ). And to your right, there’s Maudslay – home to our School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.

We’ll start with CBJ. At NTU, we’re all about learning by doing. The facilities in this building will help you get to grips with the hustle and bustle of real-world journalism; just as our business students have the Business Labs, our journalists get a newsroom, digital radio suites, and even their own TV studio.

It’s the same idea over at Maudslay. Our architecture and design facilities stretch from here, right through to the Arkwright building, which is where we’ll finish the tour. Again, the goal is to get you job-ready. There’s only so much you can learn about the built environment from books – so whether you’re studying architecture, construction, civil engineering, product design or property management, you’ll be using the same tools as the pros.

We’re talking dedicated studios for wood working and model making; a Heliodon, which tracks the movement of the sun in “solar-responsive” architecture; a virtual reality lab; waterjets, lathes and milling machines; laser and plasma cutters; 3D printers; and the same computer software that’s used as standard throughout the industry.

You’re now standing at NTU’s own dedicated tram stop. From here, it’s just a two-minute ride into the city centre, and five minutes to Nottingham station. Heading south, the two lines run to Clifton – which is where our second campus is based.

Look across the road, and you’ll see a glass-fronted building, back in the direction of CBJ. That’s Café Goldsmith – our newest catering outlet. Alongside Café Arkwright in the Newton building, it’s a great place to go if you’re looking for something more substantial than a sandwich.

The big, angular building that’s right in front of you is Chaucer. This is home to a couple of our largest departments: Nottingham Law School, and the School of Social Sciences.

We’ve already touched on dedicated facilities, and these two Schools are no exception. With the Law School, you’ll find three on-site courtrooms for criminal, family and civic trials. They’re exact replicas of real courts. They give you the chance to act as an advocate or solicitor and present your case to a judge, as you learn to think like a lawyer.

We’ve also got dedicated rooms for mooting, which is a really important part of your legal education, and just a great word in general. And best of all, Chaucer hosts NLS Legal – a service that helps the people of Nottingham fight the good fight in compensation claims, welfare tribunals, miscarriage of justice cases, and much, much more.

The School of Social Sciences covers a huge range of subjects, and because of that it’s split between our City and Clifton campuses.  You’ll be based here if you’re studying youth or social work, health and social care, sociology, or psychology.

You’re probably thinking: “it’s a library. It’s where they keep all the books.” And you’d be right. It is indeed where we keep all the books. But there’s so much more to it than that.

You see, the transition to university can be a challenge. Not an impossible challenge by any means – you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t manage it – but there are things we do and ways we study that’ll be different to what you’re used to. And that’s where the library team comes in.

As well as the support you’ll get from your tutors, the library team will help you get to grips with your key study skills. It might be referencing at the start of your course, or researching at the end of it – but their doors are always open, and they’ll make sure you’re working smart.

And yes, there are books – thousands of them. There are online databases too, with access to every journal, periodical and research paper under the sun. Even if we don’t have something you need, just ask, and we’ll aim to have it in your hands within three working days. It’s an amazing service, and we’re very proud of it.

There’s a beautiful rooftop garden, for when you and your ideas need some breathing space. There’s an on-site Starbucks, for when you’re buried in a project and sailing the seas of caffeine. There are bookable study spaces, and in-house study skills sessions for things like critical thinking and essay structure.

Earlier on, we described Newton as the heart of the City Campus. Truth be told, it’s probably more like the brain because this is Nottingham Trent Students’ Union (NTSU), and it’s the real heart of life at NTU.

It’s one of the best unions in the country – one that’s been consistently ranked in the UK’s top ten, and something you can be proud to call your own. It’s run by students for students, and you’ll become a member as soon as you’ve enrolled.

This building is so many different things, all at once. As well as being the headquarters for the Union’s Student Services team, it’s also home to our own radio and TV stations, and Platform, the NTU student newspaper.

It’s a nightclub, a live music venue and a shop. It’s also a café, and a top-of-the-range gym. It’s a Yoga studio. It’s a place to study and socialise in comfort. There are indoor courts for football and squash, and a climbing wall if you’re feeling adventurous. And if you’re not, you can just eat pastries and watch other people climb.

For hundreds of our students, it’s also a place to call home. Look above the first floor, and almost everything you can see is student accommodation. That’s Byron hall, and you can check out the rooms on our brand-new virtual tour. You can also see inside all our other halls of residence, which we’ll get to in a couple of stops’ time.

But most of all, this building is about opportunities. Because that’s the whole point of the NTU experience: we give you all the opportunities, all the time, and we want you to take them. A degree gives you knowledge, but it’s adventures that give you stories, and most of those adventures will start here.

See the big stone building with the clock tower? That’s Waverley, and its history stretches back almost to the very beginning of what is now NTU.

In 1843, we were founded as the Nottingham Government School of Design, and in 1865 Waverley building was opened. We’ve grown since then into the university you see today, but NTU can trace its roots back more than 170 years – back to a specialist design school, built for the best and brightest artists in the Midlands.

We’ve never lost that hands-on, creative focus, either; it set the tone for everything that’s come along since, across all our subjects. The heritage in the School of Art & Design means it’s not just one of the oldest in the UK – it’s one of the very best, too.

Waverley is the traditional home of our graphic design, filmmaking, animation, and design for stage and screen students. The spaces, tools and technology you’ll have access to include workshops, green screens, costume studios, dye and production facilities, a working theatre with sound and lighting, and some very impressive Mac suites, fully equipped with professional design software.

Before we move on, it’s also worth mentioning a couple of local gems. Just beyond Waverley, you’ll find the Arboretum – or as we call it, the Arb. It’s Nottingham’s oldest public park, and probably the most Instagrammable of the lot.

And if you follow the tram tracks up and over the hill, you’ll get to another beautiful green space – the Forest. It’s best known for hosting the annual Goose Fair – Europe’s largest travelling carnival. If you like your neon bright, your rollercoasters built on sawdust and your arteries clogged with donuts, Goose Fair is an essential part of your NTU bucket list.

There’s only one way to understand life in halls, and it’s to live it.

We’ve already mentioned the Byron residence – and on this portion of the tour, you’ll see some of our other accommodation. As you walk down Hampden Street, you’ll see the Sandby, Hampden, and Gill Street halls.

Most of our first-year students live in the University’s own halls, and it’s a really big part of the experience. Check out the accommodation section of our website, and you’ll see the full range of choices we offer.

There are different prices for different budgets, but some things come as standard, wherever you are; things like en suite bathrooms, laundry facilities, on-site and on-call management teams, and dedicated Residents Assistants to help you settle in.

Also, your utilities are included in your rent, so you don’t need to worry about heating, water, electricity or broadband. We even chuck in contents insurance – something that’ll suddenly become useful and exciting when you hit your twenties.

You’re not limited to our own halls, either. We work with private providers and landlords across the city, and we make sure they all stick to our own high standards. So wherever you are, you can count on a secure, comfortable, conveniently located place to call your own.

You’re now standing outside Bonington – the creative centre of the whole University. This building is home to our fashion and textile design, fine arts and photography courses, and contains all the professional tools and workshop spaces you’d expect.

That includes modern art and design studios; ceramic digital printers; potter’s wheels and glass kilns; fashion and photography studios; electronic garment and knitwear technology; digital loom and embroidery equipment; computer suites and CAD systems; and laser-cutting technology. It’s also got an on-site shop for art supplies, and a very nice café.

Diagonally across the road, to your right, you’ll see Barnes Wallis. You’ll be based if you’re studying on our fashion management, marketing and communication courses. And next to that, just before the Library, there’s the Djanogly Lecture Theatre – one of our largest and most prestigious learning spaces.

Bonington was reopened in 2006 by local fashion icon, Sir Paul Smith – purveyor of designer stripes, supporter of NTU, and one of Nottingham’s most cherished sons. Its highlight is Bonington Gallery – a creative space for exhibitions, workshops, film nights, and everything in between.

As such, Bonington is a fixture on Nottingham’s arts scene, and hosts lots of events through Curated & Created – NTU’s own arts programme, which has been designed to help our students, staff and local community discover new cultural opportunities.

Your NTU journey starts and ends here. You’ll enrol in the famous Arkwright building, and graduate in University Hall – the beautifully restored synagogue that’s directly across the road. The two buildings might only be a few yards apart, but the years in between will change your life. That, we guarantee.

Arkwright is our most famous building, and a true Nottingham landmark. DH Lawrence studied here, and Einstein gave a lecture here. It’s a building full of stories and history, and something we’re very proud to call our own.

Over the way, behind University Hall, you’ll find our brand-new Music Centre. We mentioned opportunities and life outside lectures earlier, and the Music Centre’s a big part of that pledge. It’s a place that welcomes experts, and complete beginners.

We couldn’t leave though without saying a few words about Nottingham itself – the star of the show, and one of Britain’s great student cities.

The best thing about Nottingham is its versatility. It’s a different place to different people – a Russian doll of a town that reveals more and more of itself, the deeper you go. As clichéd as it might sound, there really is something here for everyone. If you want it, we’ve got it.

It’s a shopping hub to rival anywhere in the UK and a sports heaven. It’s the music mecca of the Midlands, a UNESCO World City of Literature, and a foodie paradise.

But most of all, it’s an experience. A rebel city, with a proud, exciting history of people doing things their own way – from makers and thinkers to artists and athletes. It’s old and new; it’s grass and glass; it’s big and small. It’s a place that rewards the curious; a city you truly need to see – and feel – for yourself.

The Pavilion is at the heart of Clifton Campus. We completely redesigned this space, back in 2015. The plan was to create a new kind of learning environment; something bold but peaceful, grand but calming. The Pavilion is the face of that vision. In 2017, it received The Guardian’s “Buildings That Inspire” award – a big moment in its short history, and proof that we’ve done what we set out to do.

First and foremost, the Pavilion’s a social space – a place to eat, drink and relax. It’s light, it’s airy, and it’s comfortable. There’s a barista coffee bar inside, plus the Refectory – a beautiful canteen and dining hall, serving award-winning food. Wherever you eat on campus, you’re guaranteed variety, quality, and fresh, sustainably farmed ingredients.

It’s also where you’ll meet our Employability team, and that’s a huge part of the NTU experience. Your employability’s a big deal, and it’s something we take seriously from day one of your course. It’s more than just a one-off meeting with a careers counsellor – it’s about the skills, knowledge and experience you’ll build through awards, workshops, consultations, and face-to-face employer events.

It’s about volunteering and work experience, placements and self-marketing, and everything in-between. We’ll help you with all those things, as well as your CV, your job applications, and even interview prep. The team are really experienced, and they help to make all the big, scary stuff that little bit smaller and friendlier.

The big, beautiful piazza was part of our 2015 remodelling. We borrowed the design from Italy, even if we couldn’t bring the weather with it. It’s the central part of a “green zone” that stretches through the campus, meaning there are no vehicles, no bikes, and no smoking.

We keep the place as clean and as calm as possible – it’s somewhere we want you to relax and enjoy when the sun’s out, rather than just pass through. Plus, there’s always something tasty going on – all through the year you’ll find barbecues, market stalls, and pop-up tents for things like wood-fired pizzas.

With the Pavilion behind you, you’ll see our brand-new Teaching and Learning building to your right. It’s exactly what it sounds like: the top floor is three large lecture theatres, while the ground floor is reserved for smaller seminar and group-work rooms. They’re all great spaces, with everything you’d expect to find – including state-of-the-art IT and audio-visual equipment, and handy things like smart boards for presentations.

These learning spaces aren’t specific to a particular course – they’re used across all our subjects. It’s the same with the John Clare lecture theatres, right in front of you – although these are often used when we bring in speakers for our very popular Guest Lecture series.

You will see two buildings with blue roofs. The one on the left is Mary Ann Evans. You might know her better by her pen-name, George Eliot – one of the great British writers of the 1800s. You’ll see a theme of powerful and celebrated women as we move around the campus.

Mary Ann Evans is home to the School of Arts and Humanities – which covers everything from English, linguistics and creative writing to philosophy and history.

Importantly, it’s also home to the Clifton Global Lounge. Our staff and students come from over 150 different countries, so it’s a truly international community here – and the Global Lounge has helped to introduce hundreds of people to jet-setting adventures all around the world.

The other building is Ada Byron King – also known as Ada Lovelace. Ada was the daughter of the famous Notts poet Lord Byron. She co-created the Analytical Engine, which is widely recognised as the world’s first computer.

ABK (as well call it) has a lot of uses, but it’s primarily home to the Nottingham Institute of Education. If you’re studying in the area of teaching and child development, this is where you’ll be based. As well as some great teaching spaces, ABK includes simulations of primary school classrooms, to help you practice your lesson delivery.

Just behind ABK, you’ll see the ISTeC building, which opened in 2017. This is where a lot of our science and technology courses are taught – including sport, bioscience and chemistry. It’s an interdisciplinary environment, the idea being that all our scientists and technologists can collaborate together on projects, rather than working in isolation.

ISTeC was a joint initiative between NTU and the UK government, and it’s a building we’re particularly proud of. All sorts goes on in there – from cognitive function testing, to virus containment, to games design and high-performance computing.

If the Pavilion’s the brain of Clifton Campus, where you’re standing now is the heart. The Point is much more than just a bar; it’s home to Nottingham Trent Students’ Union (NTSU), which has been ranked consistently as one of the top ten in the UK.

It’s a place that’s run by students for students, and you’ll become a member as soon as you’ve enrolled. That means you’ll have representation all through your course, plus access to any support or guidance you might need. In short, the Union has got you covered – from your first day at NTU to the last.

Everything you could need in a pinch is right here. When we say Clifton’s a self-contained campus, this is what we mean: it’s a place to eat, drink and socialise. Nottingham’s great, and you’ll spend a lot of time in town, but sometimes you just want something on your doorstep. In that case, The Point and the Union shop are exactly what you need.

By night, The Point transforms into a club and live venue. This is where Clifton’s big student night “Double Vision” takes place every Friday – and on the nights in-between there are pub quizzes, stand-up comedy, music, and all the live sport you could ever want to watch.

Mainly though, NTSU is about opportunities. Because that’s the whole point of the NTU experience: we give you all the opportunities, all the time, and we want you to take them.

A degree gives you knowledge, but it’s adventures that give you stories, and most of those adventures will start here. This is the epicentre of your life outside lectures.

Whatever you’re interested in, we’ve got you covered; whether it’s something you’ve always done, or something you’ve always wanted to.

The only way to understand life in halls is to live it.

You’re currently in the grounds of New Hall, and you’ll see our other accommodation in a couple of stops’ time. As the name suggests, these are our newest halls. There are 727 self-catered, en-suite studio apartments here, with shared dining and living areas for each flat of ten people.

Where you choose to live is entirely up to you. Lots of students who study at Clifton choose to set up home here in their first year. After all, it’s a place that gives you a space to call your own, with the bright lights of Nottingham just a short bus journey away.

You might want to live right in the heart of the action – and if that’s the case, you can choose from one of our halls based in the city. Whatever your preference is, living in halls is a really big part of the first-year experience.

Check out the accommodation section of our website, and you’ll see the full range of choices we offer. There are different prices for different budgets, but some things come as standard, wherever you are; things like en suite bathrooms, laundry facilities, on-site and on-call management teams, and dedicated Residents Assistants to help you settle in.

Also, your utilities are included in your rent, so you don’t need to worry about heating, water, electricity or broadband. We even include contents insurance.

You’re not limited to our own halls, either. We work with private providers and landlords across the city, and we make sure they all stick to our own high standards. So wherever you are, you can count on a secure, comfortable, conveniently located place to call your own.

Lionel Robbins is the centre for our new nursing and paramedicine courses – something we’re really excited about. It’s a big step forward for the University, and these courses will be supported by some of the best equipment and facilities going.

To your right, you’ll see our student car park. If you live outside of Greater Nottingham, and if you have care responsibilities or accessibility issues, you can purchase a permit for £100 a year.

That said, the public transport system in Notts is excellent: as well as regular buses shuttling you from the campus and into the city, there’s also a tram line a short walk from campus, which gets you to the train station in ten minutes.

En route to the next stop on our tour – the Clifton Sports Hub – you’ll pass Peverell Hall on your right. That’s our other main hall of residence for Clifton, with 720 rooms spread across 120 shared flats.

There’s something distinct about each one of our campuses; something special that really sums them up.

City Campus has the Byron building, for example. Brackenhurst has its animals. Clifton has sport.

It’s a big part of NTU, and it always has been. Back in the day, it was all about elite competition. While we’re stronger and more competitive now than we’ve ever been, sport at NTU is much more accessible today.

That’s because fitness, exercise and good health go hand in hand with your academic performance – and everyone needs to blow away the cobwebs, whether it’s a run, a game, a work-out, or just unleashing pure hell on a punch bag.

It’s a scientific fact that exercise increases your happiness, your resilience and your concentration, and they’re all good things when it comes to your studies. And it’s just a great way of meeting new people.

The Clifton Sports Hub is the University’s main sports and fitness hub.

The facilities here include a huge multi-purpose sports hall, for things like five-a-side football, badminton and volleyball; squash courts; floodlit outdoor pitches; a fancy new clubhouse; mirrored studios for dance classes, cheerleading and martial arts; an enormous gym; a sports science lab and sports therapy clinic; and fitness, nutrition and high-performance suites.

We’ve also got our Tennis Centre just behind the Sports Hub, which is a great facility for players at any level, and hosts tournaments all through the year.

There’s also a friendly team of coaches and instructors on hand, whose job is to make sure you’re getting what you need – whether you’re an elite competitor, or just trying to find your way around the chest press.

For the best of the best, we even offer sports scholarships to NTU – something you can learn more about on our website.

At this point of the tour, there’s a whole lot of stuff going on – so we’ll take the buildings one by one. We’ve just completed a big loop of the campus, and we’re now standing on the other side of the main plaza.

Opposite the Sports Hub, there’s the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre. The work these guys are doing in the diagnosis and treatment of breast and prostate cancers is one of the highlights of NTU’s research. The goal is really simple, and really important – we’re here to speed up recovery times, and to save lives.

In front of van Geest, you’ll see Erasmus Darwin. Traditionally, this is home for the School of Science and Technology, although their courses are spreading out across the campus as we continue to grow. The School’s main specialisms are bioscience, chemistry, computing and technology, engineering, forensic science, maths, physics and sports science.

Behind Erasmus, you’ll also find our own on-site observatory, stacked with high-spec telescopes for exploring outer space. You don’t need to be a researcher or astronomer to enjoy the observatory; we hold “Open Dome” events every month, where you can come along and be guided through a friendly night’s star-gazing.

A little further back from there, we’ve got the crime scene house. This is where NTU goes all CSI. The house is one of the highlights of our forensics courses, and it can be set up to simulate all sorts of crime scenes.

To your left, there’s the CELS building – the Centre for Effective Learning in Sciences. As well as being a great lecture and seminar space, it’s here to promote an interdisciplinary approach to science, by bringing all the different disciplines together – something of a theme at Clifton.

Immediately across the road from CELS, there’s a big grey building with yellow trim. That’s our new Engineering building. As well as being an incredible learning space full of industry-standard labs, studios and workshops, the building’s focused on commercial research, professional development and consultancy.

Next up, just behind the Engineering building, we’ve got Rosalind Franklin. Rosalind helped the world to discover the structure of DNA: this building takes her pioneering spirit and runs with it. It’s got some of the best, most innovative lab facilities in the UK, for the study of chemistry, bioscience and forensics

If there’s one thing all these different buildings show, it’s our approach to teaching science and technology. It’s all about the way you’ll learn – not just in lectures or out of books, but by getting hands-on.

That’s what employers expect to see from you; someone who’s confident, work-ready, and who already knows their way around a lab or studio. In our opinion, there’s no substitute for doing it yourself – with the facilities, opportunities and industry connections we’ve got here, it’s a completely different way of learning.

You’re thinking: “it’s a library. It’s where they keep all the books.” And yes, it is indeed where we keep all the books. But there’s so much more to it than that.

The transition to university can be a challenge. Not an impossible challenge by any means – you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t manage it – but there are things we do and ways we study that’ll be different to what you’re used to. And that’s where the library teams come in.

As well as the support you’ll get from your tutors, the library team are the people who’ll help you get to grips with your key study skills. It might be referencing at the start of your course, or researching at the end of it – but their doors are always open, and they’ll make sure you’re working smart.

And yes, there are books – tens of thousands of books. There are online databases too, with access to every journal, periodical and research paper under the sun. Even if we don’t have something you need, just ask, and we’ll aim to have it in your hands within three working days. It’s an amazing service, and we’re very proud of it. It’s no surprise this was one of the first libraries in the UK to receive the Government’s Customer Service Excellence Award.

We couldn’t leave though without saying a few words about Nottingham itself – arguably the star of the show, and one of Britain’s great student cities. With our on-site bus stop, and a discounted service that runs door to door up to every seven minutes through term-time, you’ve got an incredible city right on your doorstep – even if you choose to live on campus, here at Clifton.

The best thing about Nottingham is its versatility. It’s a different place to different people – a Russian doll of a town that reveals more and more of itself, the deeper you go. As clichéd as it might sound, there really is something here for everyone. If you want it, we’ve got it.

It’s a shopping hub to rival anywhere in the UK: a place where the cream of the High Street sits It’s a shopping hub to rival anywhere in the UK and a sports heaven. It’s the music mecca of the Midlands, a UNESCO World City of Literature, and a foodie paradise.

But most of all, it’s an experience. A rebel city, with a proud, exciting history of people doing things their own way – from makers and thinkers to artists and athletes. It’s old and new; it’s grass and glass; it’s big and small. It’s a place that rewards the curious; a city you truly need to see – and feel – for yourself.

Right now, Bramley is our main teaching building. It’s where 90% of our lectures, seminars and workshops take place at Brackenhurst. There’s a big range of spaces inside – from labs and lecture facilities, to computer-aided design studios

and a super-comfy common room.

It’s also where our Employability team’s based, and that’s a huge part of the NTU experience. Your employability is a big deal, and it’s something we take really seriously, from day one of your course.

It’s more than just meeting with a careers counsellor – it’s about the skills, knowledge and experience you’ll build through awards, workshops, consultations, and face-to-face employer events. It’s about volunteering and work experience, placements and self-marketing, and everything in-between.

We’ll help you with all those things – as well as your CV, your job applications, and even practicing for interviews. The team are really experienced, and they help to make all the big, scary stuff a little smaller and friendlier, one step at a time.

The Lyth building is our newest facility, and something we’re very proud of. As Brack gets more and more popular, we need more and more teaching and practice spaces, and this beautiful new building is the solution.

Inside the Lyth building you’ll find labs, a stylish exhibition space, state-of-the-art teaching and research rooms, a 200-seat lecture theatre, and a brand-new canteen and dining area. It’s all part of our commitment to making sure you’re learning in comfort – with the same tools, technology and facilities used in professional practice.

If (or when) you start here, you’ll be one of the very first students to use the Lyth building – and we think you’ll be as happy to learn there as we are to teach there.

You’re probably thinking: “it’s a library. It’s where they keep all the books.” And you’d be right. It is indeed where we keep all the books. But there’s so much more to it than that.

You see, the transition to university can be a challenge. Not an impossible challenge by any means – you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t manage it – but there are things we do and ways we study that’ll be different to what you’re used to. And that’s where the library team comes in.

As well as the support you’ll get from your tutors, the library team will help you get to grips with your key study skills. It might be referencing at the start of your course, or researching at the end of it – but their doors are always open, and they’ll make sure you’re working smart.

And yes, there are books – thousands of them. We’ve got one of the best collections you’re likely to find in the field of animal, rural and environmental sciences. There are online databases too, with access to every journal, periodical and research paper under the sun. Even if we don’t have something you need, just ask, and we’ll aim to have it in your hands within three working days. It’s an amazing service, and we’re very proud of it.

Welcome to NTU’s most Instagrammable building – Brackenhurst Main Hall. This is where it all started for the campus, when Brack was a simple agricultural college. Built back in 1828, we’ve been careful to maintain all of the Hall’s original features – including its dewpond, boathouse, and rose garden.

As the centrepoint of Brack, the Hall’s going to be refurbished soon, adding another chapter to its incredible history. It’s been so many things to so many people – from a military hospital in World War I, to a dining hall today.

Take a stroll around the outside of the Hall – enjoy the gardens, the fields, and if they’re hanging around, the cows.

It might seem quiet in the middle of the day, but don’t be fooled – you’re now standing outside the social centre of Brack. This is the Students’ Union, and it’s the heart of life at NTU.

Here, you’ll find the Orangery café, which is a beautiful space to eat, drink and socialise, and includes an on-site Costa Coffee. Behind that you’ll find Brack Bar, which is open until midnight seven days a week.

Nottingham Trent Students’ Union is one of the best in the country – one that’s been consistently ranked in the UK’s top ten. It’s run by students for students, and you’ll become a member as soon as you’ve enrolled.

That means you’ll have representation all through your course, plus access to any support or guidance you might need. In short, the Union is here for you, and it’s got you covered – from your first day at NTU to the last.

Most of all, though, these buildings are about opportunities outside of your course. Because that’s the whole point of the NTU experience: we give you all the opportunities, all the time, and we want you to take them.

A degree gives you knowledge, but it’s adventures that give you stories, and most of those adventures will start here. This is where your life outside lectures begins, and whatever you’re interested in, we’ll have you covered; whether that’s something you’ve always done, or something you’ve always wanted to do.

There are over 120 clubs and societies you can join through the Union, and many of them are active on Brack. And if they aren’t, it’s the perfect excuse for a night out in Nottingham.

There’s only one way to understand life in halls, and it’s to live it. So take a look around you. This is an incredible place to live, with a view you’ll never get bored of.

After we opened our new accommodation block in 2019, we now offer 491 en-suite rooms, spread across “cluster flats” – meaning you’ll have a shared kitchen and dining area. If you’re studying on one of our further education courses, we’ve got dedicated accommodation for under-18 students.

Check out the accommodation section of our website, and you’ll see the full range of choices we offer. Some things come as standard, whatever your preference; things like laundry facilities, on-site and on-call management teams, and Residents Assistants to help you settle in.

Also, your utilities are included in your rent, so you don’t need to worry about heating, water, electricity or broadband. We even chuck in contents insurance – which suddenly becomes much more exciting and important when you’ve lost your phone.

Where you choose to live is entirely up to you. Lots of Brack students love the outdoor life and set up home here. After all, it’s a place that gives you the best of both worlds – peace and serenity, with the bright lights of Nottingham just a bus trip away.

You’ve also got the beautiful market town of Southwell on your doorstep, with some of the county’s nicest shops, restaurants, bars and pubs. But equally, you might want to live right in the heart of the action – and if that’s the case, you can choose from one of our halls based in the city. If you want to explore any of our halls in more detail, just visit our virtual open day for the full tour.

If you’re studying agriculture or horticulture at Brack the polytunnels and glasshouse complex are some of the key facilities you’ll use.

The complex is a controlled environment for growing and studying crops – there are six separate bays, with six different climates. It means we can simulate conditions from temperate to tropical, and grow plants that aren’t native to the UK.

We also use our tunnels to explore farming and growing methods, which’ll be a key part of your studies. We’ll take a look at everything – from the commercial use of pesticides, to how vegetables develop different tastes when they’re grown under different coloured lights.

A lot of universities take their agriculture students on field trips to farms. We don’t. We’ve got our own farm.

It’s a proper, working, day-to-day, real-life farm, with cows, sheep, tractors, acres and acres of arable crops, and everything else you’d want and expect.

You might have seen the cattle already – they’re Lincoln Reds, and they’ve won loads of awards at the Nottinghamshire County Show.

We’ve also got a new roundhouse, which is quite rare in farming – it means the animals can live and rest in comfort when the weather’s a bit grim. As well as that, Home Farm is a great way of learning about handling techniques for larger animals and breeds, helping you to make sure they’re happy and comfortable.

Our equestrian centre is pretty much the first and last word in the study and care of horses. It’s part research and observation centre, part riding school. There’s stabling spaces for 65 horses and if you’ve got your own horse back at home and can’t stand to be separated, you can even bring them with you to Brack!

There are mechanical horse and riding simulators, where you can work on your fitness, core strength and posture, and two floodlit arenas with jumps, where you can ride for real and put all your hard work into practice. We’ve also got a research arena, which is great for conducting behavioural research, and for our modules that are focused on building horse and human relationships.

Our Animal Unit just next door to the Equestrian Centre. It’s home to more than 250 animals from over 70 different species, and there are all sorts on site – from snakes and spiders to rabbits and rodents – plus a few exotic animals that aren’t native to the UK.

When it comes to developing your hands-on skills, the Animal Unit’s a really important facility. A lot of our practical sessions take place here, and you’ll use the Unit for examining the biology and behaviour of different species – as well as developing your handling skills.

It’s important to know that all our animals are really well looked after – we’re strict on not running any invasive studies or tests that’d cause them any distress, and they’re looked after (or spoiled rotten) 365 days a year by our technicians, vets and nurses.

Next door to the Animal Unit, you’ll find the Veterinary Nursing Centre – which is a professional simulation of veterinary practice. In this facility, you’ll use all the same tools as the pros – there’s a prep area and theatre, labs, X-Ray equipment and a dispensary, plus surgical instruments, anaesthesia, and biochemistry and haematology machines.

We couldn’t leave without saying a few words about Southwell, the beautiful market town that’s right next door to Brack, or Nottingham – one of Britain’s great student cities.

We’ve already mentioned that where you choose to live is entirely your call. It depends on what you’re looking for – do you want peace, quiet and easy access to the campus? Or do you fancy the city centre life, and something a little livelier? There are pros and cons to both – but more than anything, we want you to be happy.

We can’t pretend that Nottingham’s on your doorstep, because it isn’t. You couldn’t have a campus like this on (or even immediately outside) a major city. That said, it’s only a half-hour bus ride away – which is nothing really, and the kind of journey that podcasts were made for.

There are regular buses, and stops immediately outside the campus that’ll take you from door to door – so don’t assume that just because you’re studying here, you’re missing out on the wilder side of NTU life. Anything happening in Nottingham or on the City Campus is easily within your reach.

Southwell is one of Nottinghamshire’s most beautiful towns, and somewhere we really recommend visiting after the tour – especially if you’ve never been before. It’s like a mini version of York – famous for its cathedral, weekly market, cobbled streets, shops, restaurants and pubs.

So that’s Southwell. And then, as we said, there’s Nottingham.

The best thing about Nottingham is its versatility. It’s a different place to different people – a Russian doll of a town that reveals more and more of itself, the deeper you go. As clichéd as it might sound, there really is something here for everyone. If you want it, we’ve got it.

It’s a shopping hub to rival anywhere in the UK and a sports heaven. It’s the music mecca of the Midlands, a UNESCO World City of Literature, and a foodie paradise.

But most of all, it’s an experience. A rebel city, with a proud, exciting history of people doing things their own way – from makers and thinkers to artists and athletes. It’s old and new; it’s grass and glass; it’s big and small. It’s a place that rewards the curious; a city you truly need to see – and feel – for yourself.