New iPhone App for Freshers

A guide to studenty pubs, clubs and cheap food

Millions of Freshers across the country are gearing up to take their fledgling steps out of the parental nest and launch themselves into the big bad world of university.

The first few weeks in a new city can be disorientating, as new students struggle to find their way to lectures, admin. buildings libraries and of course the student union.

The University of Central Lancashire in Preston has decided to move with the times and this year is offering an iPhone app to help the wee waifs get their bearings.  Users will have access to a sort of alternative prospectus written by older students of the university.

The guide will provide information on pubs, clubs and other forms of entertainment in the area as well as details about local public transport and places to eat.  The service will also allow the university to communicate with the students  more effectively; many students have hectic schedules with additional part time jobs or study part time and can be difficult to contact using more traditional methods.

Students with less Appley phones will be able to access the same information on the web, and the university has also invested £1 million to ensure that laptops and internet access are available to everyone attending.

Michael Ahern, the uni’s Director of Learning, is behind this new investment:

“At the beginning of term you’re always being stopped by students asking for directions, now they’re going to have the information they need in their pockets.

“As they roam around the campus they can get information about lecture theatres, places to eat and libraries.  It’s a different track for reaching students”