cardiff student accommodation for first year medic female?

[tropicalfish]

Hi,
Does anyone have any advice about which hall of residence would be better. I am presuming most of the lectures will be at the Heath park campus. However, as I recall, the nearest hall of residence is self catering which I think is a bit of a disadvantage.
I would imagine most medics would choose the hall of residence nearest the Heath park place so if dd was situated in a catering hall there may be no medics there, which might not be ideal.
Perhaps someone has been in this position before and can advise?
Many thanks
TF

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

No specific advice for medics at Cardiff, but all three dses have stayed in University accomodation at their different universities - ds1 graduated last year, and the other two are still studying.

All three have been in self-catering accomodation, and have found it works well for them, even with a heavy workload (ds2 has been putting in 12 hour study sessions in the run up to his exams before Christmas). I suspect it is more flexible around study - I don't know whether the catered accommodation has food available all the time, but in our experience, students don't necessarily work to a normal schedule of meals, and self-catering means they can eat what they want, when they want.

I also suspect (though I haven't done the maths) that it's cheaper to cater for yourself than to pay for the catering.

All three of mine have lived in Unite accomodation, and we've found it very good - the standard of the rooms was good (most of it was en suite), with well laid out and equipped kitchens.

[Needmoresleep]

Yay TF, has your daughter got an offer? How lovely to have one in the bag so early.

Cardiff sounds great. It was pretty even for DD whether this was her final choice (having already picked an aspirational and a fall back) or Nottingham. Perhaps she picked the wrong one as Nottingham have still to get back to her, though have sent her lots of Christmas greetings and the like.

[tropicalfish]

needmoresleep Happy new year to you.
No offer yet but interview coming up. Have you looked at the accommodation on offer yet? We still havent heard from Nottingham.

[Needmoresleep]

We are nowhere near thinking about accomodation. DDs interviews are not till late Feb/early March, ie clashing with mocks. I assume she won't then hear till late March at best and possibly wont have heard from all till May. I don't know how that affects accomodation choices. DD deliberately chose Universities where the medical school is near the campus. It would be a pity if she then found herself some distance away and mainly with other medics.

I hope you get some replies on Cardiff.

[senua]

I had a quick look at their website and it seems to be saying that the only University catered accommodation is Frigidaire Aberdare. Have you been looking at non-University accommodation?
Talybont is not far from the Hospital. Big set of Halls so you will bump into all sorts of people and find friends. Very handy for the huge 24 hr Tescos. And some fast-food places, if she's desperate! (the maccys is 24 hr too)

[tropicalfish]

Hi Senua,
Yes I did see that. It is 1.5 miles away from the Heath Park campus and would presumably have no medics there. I wondered if anyone on mumsnet had a medic dd who based themselves here and how they found it and whether it turned out to be horribly inconvenient. When I was in the first year I was a max of a 10 minute work from the furthest lecture theatre. I would say you would want to be as close as possible. DD however wants catering.
The Liberty place is 0.25 mile from Heath Park but no catering.
TF

[Mrsmorton]

Not a medic but spent five years at uni. I would say for the first two years it's fine (even beneficial) to live with non medics for a while before you all gravitate together for the clinical years.

We had to travel a significant distance to the dental hospital as well, about 45min by bus, 30min by train but everyone was in the same boat.

Good luck for interviews!

[tropicalfish]

Hi Mrs Morton,
Did you go to Cardiff and did you like it there?
TF

[Wandastartup]

Not a medic parent but previous UHW doctor, most first year lectures are at main college. Medics live A over the place & there are so many of them there are bound to be some in every halls.

[Moominmammacat]

I went to Cardiff and adored it ... don't underestimate virgins' retreat Aberdare Hall ... so central, lovely rooms.

[DanishBlue]

Not doing medicine doing Radiography so 50% time on placement, very intensive course. Shares a flat with 4 others 3 of which are nurses, midwives etc - almost everyone in the whole block are healthcare. It works really really well. All are self catering, all help each other out, all have a mutual understanding of how exhausted they are in comparison to some other students. All make sure there is always milk in the fridge or basics for sharing and all eat at different times depending upon shifts. I would say DC should share with other medics over picking catered accommodation. It's also really useful when struggling with assignments to have someone down the corridor studying that say topic.

I guess Medicine students don't do placement for some time but I personally think going catered is the least consideration when picking accommodation.

[tropicalfish]

Hi Danish,
I think you are right. Potentially, socially being in a different hall of residence to other medics could be divisive.
I think we need to find out where most lectures are as it is only for the first year she will be able to get accommodation and then as you say later on when shifts start it is better to share with medics as then you will have a mutual understanding of the pressures of study.
I think having catered accommodation is quite nice in the first year as then it gives you an opportunity to spend social time with a wider group of people.
TF

[Wandastartup]

TF
Did you miss my post? Very few first year lectures are at Heath, mainly in main college( interviewed for cardiff admissions for 10 years)

[tropicalfish]

hi Wanda,
I didnt realise you were speaking from the perspective of someone from admissions.
Many thanks for your post.
TF