Buckingham

Buckingham is a small to medium-sized town located in the north of Buckinghamshire, just 12 miles away from the border to its neighbour county of Northamptonshire. With a population of over 11,500, it fits the description and atmosphere of a small market town very well, and those looking for a peaceful and picturesque town with a full history will definitely find what they are looking for. Part of this history includes a foundation in the 7th Century, and its name can be literally translated as the “meadow of Bucca's people." Over the course of time, after the Saxons had taken over the town, a fort was built, which has been preserved and maintained today as a parish church.

The town truly exudes its historical feel, with many 18th Century buildings to be found all around the town, and the regular market, which can be found during the days every Tuesday and Saturday, adds to this feeling of tradition from many years back. The farmer's market, found once per month, is also an effective way of keeping the tradition and serves as a great opportunity to buy local produce and meat. Around the market area, one can find lots of pubs and restaurants, suitable for the long days of shopping and the evenings needed to unwind.

Many of the people living in Buckingham are currently students at the University of Buckingham. This University is an infamous and especially notable academic institution, as it is the UK's single privatised University. This has led to many changes in the typical higher education system found across many of the UK's publicly-funded Universities. Its focus on its private status is seen as a particularly important aspect of the campus, with their motto bearing the words "Flying our own wings." Like all Universities, the University of Buckingham allows students to earn all of the major qualifications, such as Bachelor's, Masters and Doctorate degrees.

The University itself especially prides itself on its high-quality teaching in the fields of law & business, as well as English, although it has five separate schools for a wide variety of courses. Its private status has meant that it has changed the rules on how it teaches more, and has employed teaching techniques from the University of Oxford, which caused many students to transfer from Oxford to Buckingham when it first opened. These include tutorials taught in a small group of only four to eight students, as well as a student:staff ratio making less than nine students for each staff member. Several of its tutors and professors, too, are renowned for their contributions to research that has gone on throughout the world, though much of it still takes place on campus.

The University itself is well known (albeit informally) for its level of student satisfaction, and many of its students have gone on to employment immediately after graduation, so companies keep a keen eye on Buckingham graduates. The campus itself offers all of the amenities and services that could be expected from a relatively small University, though anything missing can be found in the many local and national shops and supermarkets across town.