How to make the most of Student Facilities
Date 6 July 2025
6.07.2025As a first-year popular music student, I've got free access to a recording studio. Here's how I use UON's facilities to develop my professional skills, student experience, and creative hobbies.
Accessing campus facilities
One thing I would strongly recommend you do as a student is utilise the facilities available to you as much as possible. As a Popular Music student, this includes for me the recording studio, which contains all the equipment needed to produce an industry grade track, and even an album!
The Music Studio
Currently, I have used the studio to produce a demo with my band ‘The Eyelets’, and I am in the process of recording an EP. The studio is equipped with a mixing desk, which is linked up to pro-tools, an industry standard recording software on a Mac computer. The studio also holds a range of microphones to choose from, all with different tonal qualities.
My current experience of using the studio has been overwhelmingly positive. After passing a module that covers the basics of recording, I was granted full free access to the facilities. With my band, we have explored various genres, dynamics and tones with ease using the equipment every Thursday. It’s a great and fulfilling experience, and we all feel very successful at the end of a good session. There’s also nothing like a mid-recording takeaway!
Facilities for all
No matter what course you’re studying, make sure you take advantage of the facilities you are paying for.
For example, the Mac computers in the Creative Hub are available until 10pm every day and contain specialist equipment such as photoshop.
There are special items in the library that are accessible to education students only to help with engaging pupils. The library itself is full of books, journal articles and much more that contain perfect specialist information for all different courses to help with your assignments. For art students, the studio is available to access in the Development Hub until 10pm, whether you’re completing personal or assignment work.
It is clear that there are an abundance of resources available at the University of Northampton no matter what course you choose to study, and I recommend you take advantage of this.
To conclude…
If you are interested in studying popular music, you can come and see the studio on an open day. If you’re studying anything else and want to use the studio, make sure befriend a music student, as we’re always looking for people to record!
Take a look at our industry standard facilities at UON by visiting an Open Day
Joe is a first-year Popular Music student, with a particular interest in creating scores for film and television, as well as writing and performing alternative rock music.