University Accommodation

[pigrescuer]

I have to choose what university accommodation I want to put my name down for, and I am stuck between two options:

Option A
£76 a week.  Old seventies rooms, washbasin, kitchen and bathroom shared between 7 or 8 people.  Directly over the Student Union.  Right in the centre of campus

Option B
£95 a week.  Built in the last decade, washbasin, 4 kitchens

Comments

[littlered2]

HOW CAN THEY OFFER A ROOM WITHOUT A WASHBASIN? Crazy. As for which room to choose, it depends on your student loan and where the money for your accommodation is coming from (my parents are paying for mine, rather than it coming out of my maintenance grant. I know, spoilt and entitled etc.) - if you know you're going to have to budget carefully, get the first. I would much prefer the second, though, as being directly over the student union would be my idea of hell.

[pigrescuer]

Lol, I thought it was insane, but look at the comments below! Maybe it is a British thing (clearly students elsewhere live in squalor)?

I have foudn another option, which I'm sure wasn't there yesterday, for £90. With a washbasin. But no flat screened monitor, which I'm not entirely sure I need.

I agree that I don't want to be over the student union!

My budgeting is a bit iffy at the moment, because Student Finance hasn't finished assessing my parent's income. Also, I'm confused about everything. As far as I know, I get: 1. loan for my fees
2. maintenance grant
3. £1200 grant from Bath
4. Money from my parents to make my income equal to what I would have got if I'd gone to Cambridge (because otherwise my brother would get more, and that wouldn't be fair.

It's all so complicated!

[littlered2]

Well, I suppose it depends on how much your maintenance grant is, but as you're getting a grant from Bath and some money from your parents, it sounds like you should be able to afford the slightly nicer room. (Also, flat screened monitor? Explain, please.)

I have never seen a student room without a washbasin in the three universities I have stayed at. According to my college handbook:

All accommodation is provided with hot and cold water supply, hand basin and lighting and is furnished with carpets, curtains, bed, desk, desk chair, arm chair, book case, chest, wardrobe or clothes hanging space and waste disposal bin.

People from other universities are generally impressed with the armchair. Rob's room has two! People seeing it for the first time are always amazed (including people from Merton. His room is very big).

[pigrescuer]

flat screened monitor? Explain, please.

I can't! I don't know what it's for! The only thing I can think of is for accessing the internet and stuff - without providing a CPU - but everybody has their own laptop nowadays! And there's a giant computer room in the library open all hours.

I have been inside a room at: Bath, Nottingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Hertfordshire, Southampton, Aston, Harper Adams, Winchester and UCL, and not one of them was missing a washbasin. But I can verify that armchairs are not as standard. My brother has three armchairs and a sofa thing, but I don't think his room is normal, somehow.

[laliandra]

I would pretend to be grown up and a dispenser of worldly wisdom, but you've met me now. My cover is blown!

But it does depend on how much money you think you can budget. £20 a week is a LOT of money, especially in First Year, where things cost more than you think, however much you plan.

In my first year I was in a really old and slightly crappy flat that i shared with 8 other people. It was old and fell apart and really, really orange, but I had a great time. It's all about the people you're with, and I met my now best uni friend there, who I still live with.

It was on campus. Living on campus is useful, especially if, like me, you like to sleep in! But it can feel strange, at weekends and holidays. Also, does your Union have lots of bars? If it does, maybe living above it would not be so fun.

These are my pearls of wisdom! Please, feel free to disregard them.

I am still delighted that we met! I <3 the marmfishes!

[pigrescuer]

Really really orange? Like marmalade! :D

I should point out that all the first year accommodation is on campus - unless you want a couple room - so that wasn't an option anyway. :)

Thank you for all your pearls of wisdom!

[philia_fan]

...wait, the rooms usually have washbasins?

In the US, this is usually not the case.

I agree with the above comment. It's all about the people, and you'll get used to whatever it's like soon enough. But I would avoid the room over the Student Union if you can.

[pigrescuer]

But, but, how do US students cleanse themselves?!

[philia_fan]

They go down the hall to the communal bathroom.

[littlered2]

What do you do if you want to make a cup of tea or just get a drink of water? I have no kitchen, so would go mad without a sink.

[appellations]

I'd choose option A. BTW where are you going to study!

[pigrescuer]

Bath! I think I will go for option A. :D

[checkers65477]

I'm having weird flashbacks to horrid 70s style rooms, so I'd say if you can afford it to take the place NOT over the student union. Go 13%!

[pigrescuer]

Lol, that's what my mum said! Despite the fact my university was built in the seventies, it's miraculously managed to avoid the ugly concrete monstrosities everywhere else. For example, at my insurance university:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Norfolkterr.jpg

I think the snow makes them look more attractive than they actually are. ^_^

[checkers65477]

Whoa. I bow to the superior tackiness of those buildings. What were those people thinking?

[pigrescuer]

*agrees*

And you know the worst thing? They are Grade 2 listed. That means that even if they wanted to knock them down, they wouldn't be allowed!

(For your interest, Bath is the only city in the UK to be Grade 2 listed)