Cardiff University ( no accommodation available)

[Teenagedream]

My DS got better grades than expected and decided to apply to University of Cardiff through adjustment. He rang them very early on results day and they gave him a place and verbally said as he was so early there would be guaranteed accommodation. Subsequent emails were rather vague.
Today he had an email to say they were full apart from any cancellations and asked him to look into private accommodation. A couple of links provided but no real help given.
He doesn't really know what to do. Will start ringing around tomorrow but this has left him feeling rather fed up and worried and he has even spoken about deferring or applying again next year.
Has anyone any experience of this. Should he leave it and hope for a cancellation. Doesn't want to sign up for private and then miss an opportunity for halls and would he be sharing with first years in private accommodation - possibly not?

[bevelino]

I wouldn't want any of my dc's in a position where they couldn't live in halls for the first year. At 18 they need the safety and security of halls and all the fun that goes with that living experience. This is more so, where they are moving to a city they do not know.

Why do universities treat adjustment and clearing students differently regarding accommodation? It is very unfair and the uni's should not make offers if they cannot guarantee accommodation in the first year. This is all about universities making money from tuition fees and some universities don't seem to care about the students welfare.

[Teenagedream]

Yes thank you for your reply. I feel the same. I am planning on ringing them tomorrow and will try to get to the bottom of how many are in the same position and what chance of a cancellation. I know I should leave it to him but time is running out and decisions need to be taken. He was really looking forward to starting uni and this has now soured it for him.

[HamSandwichKiller]

Can you try Student Castle, they have a few halls in town? All in the centre of the city.

[NotDavidTennant]

There are loads of private halls in Cardiff, so he should have plenty of options if he chose to go down that route.

[Teenagedream]

Would he be with first years if we went down the private route. Could we insist on this or not.

[HamSandwichKiller]

No idea but I doubt they'd put 1 & 3 years together in a flat. Give them a call tomorrow.

[senua]

DD arranged a house-share for Y2. One of the girls failed her exams so they suddenly had a spare room, which they filled with someone who came through clearing. It must have been OK because she shared with them again in her Y2 / their Y3.
Similarly, DS had one of his house-mates leave mid year (forget why). They filled up with a foreign student doing his 'semester abroad'.
Is there a way to match up rooms-looking-for-students and students-looking-for-rooms?

[Teenagedream]

Thank you for your replies. Will get DS to make some calls tomorrow and I will speak to Uni. Keeping fingers crossed that it will all work out for him. Its a shame that by doing well he seems to be at the bottom of their pile

[DontSweatTheSmallStuff]

When I started at uni, I went through clearing so there were no places left in halls. The uni did have a system of providing a list of private landlords renting to students and you made an appt with the landlords to look round. Some houses were pretty dire to be honest but some were perfectly OK (don't expect luxury accommodation for students).

Most of the 2nd/3rd years etc will have already sorted out accommodation with their mates by now so chances are he would end up with other first years in a similar position.

And don't worry about thinking you should leave it to him, my parents helped me out and we found a really nice house with other first years, I actually ended up moving into a particular hall for the last term because a lot a good friends I made were in there and the person who's room I got moved out for similar reasons in reverse. Spaces in halls do come up all the time as people move around to be with friends so no harm in getting his name down if he really wants to be in a hall.

Being in halls isn't the be all and end all. We all had a great time in our house without being in halls and, shock horror, survived without the safety and security of halls and I say that as someone who at 18 was horribly introvert and shy and a perfect candidate for the protective halls environment.

[jeanne16]

It is not just through clearing or adjustment that there is a problem. Some unis don't guarantee accommodation in halls for insurance places. Since the cap came off, there are far more students than places in halls.

[Itsthiwooluff]

We have the same problem, at Dd's insurance uni. Accommodation office will not let anyone know if they have a place in Uni halls until 5 Sept, and letting company for private halls -£1800 more - want full payment for year up front before 5 Sept. Now call me cynical but that's a hell of a coincidence isn't it?

Since room in private hall is in 1st years flat, we have had enough of messing around, so will be paying the grasping manipulative bastards letting company at the end of the week. Hope your DS gets sorted soon.

[bojorojo]

Where DD went they had a two day event for insurance and other students who did not choose hall accommodation by the deadline so did not get anything. . It was a getting to know you session and then go off with your new friends to find a house together from the ones the accommodation office had on their books.

Fortunately DD was offered a hall before this event so didn't go. We do not know why she was offered a hall. We were still away on holiday for the first of the house search days too so I don't know whether she would have met suitable people or not on day 2. It was a nightmare.

At the time, my view was to say no thanks. DD now says the last minute houses are never near the university and gelling with other 1st years is a problem and you miss out on hall events. She was keen to go the university but I have no doubt her first year experience would have been seriously marred if she had been in a private house. I would ring the accommodation office because they may get informed of spaces in halls so there may be hope. It is very stressful when you do not get accommodation and with better results, he could have a better experience looking around next year.

[CheeseFlavouredDiscs]

The halls experience is definitely not something you want to miss out on, and although the university say they have no spaces, they will have plenty of spaces within the first few days/weeks as a surprisingly large number of people don't turn up to start their courses.

I'd suggest making a nuisance of yourself with the accommodation office, and if this doesn't work then turning up at the accommodation office nice and early on moving in day might also work.

You should probably book something like a premier inn for about 2 weeks just in case nothing comes up immediately (if you book far enough in advance and go for a rate you can cancel with less than a days notice you won't waste too much money on this)

Then make sure your DS turns up at the accommodation office early each day to pester them about a room in halls. I'd be very surprised if he wasn't in halls accommodation within a week of the course start date.

Obviously it won't be ideal to miss out on the fun of doing freshers week with new friends in halls, but the reality is that the people you spend time with in freshers week often aren't the people you eventually become great friends with. (Obviously there will be plenty of exceptions to this generalisation!)

[dreamingofsun]

swansea was the same, though they did eventually find a space for my son. as others have said, there's lots of movement in the first few weeks - 2 of the 6 in my other son's flat moved out.

[Berthatydfil]

Something similar happened to my ds in Liverpool as his school didn't cash in his resit so his track didn't update till Monday. He was at the bottom of the queue for halls so only got one miles out from the uni,
So he got into a private halls 5 minutes from uni. Seems very nice ensuite rooms wifi etc and about the same price as uni. He's is some Facebook groups for freshers on his course and I think there's several in those halls.
There are several private halls running in Cardiff so I would take a look at applying for those.

[Ilovecharliecat]

Google a company called Liberty Living they have lots of accommodation in Cardiff I've just looked and they have limited availability on several sites. My DS is going to Liberty Cambrian Point. Good luck!

[justaweeone]

My daughter is going to Cardiff met and has been allocated a room in Liberty Court
Link to Liberty Living in Cardiff
https://www.libertyliving.co.uk/student-accommodation/cardiff/
Good luck

[CoffeeAddict2016]

As someone off to university this year I have to say I'd be fairly annoyed if I missed out on accommodation in the halls because of someone accepted into the university through clearing/adjustment.
Maybe it differs depending on the country, area and university but all five universities I applied to provided applicants with a specific date to apply for accommodation by if you wanted to be guaranteed a place in halls. After that it's a case of luck and where you are in the line. I was able to book accommodation for both my firm and insurance choice with the guarantee I'd be able to cancel either with no problem depending on my results, I even put down a deposit on my insurance choice which I've gotten back in full. I'm not trying to be rude but you/your son should have known it was going to be difficult to get into university accommodation this late in the year.

I'm really not trying to be goady or rude but I do think it would be really unfair to expect any university to hoard away accommodation from people who have applied to go there in January.

[dreamingofsun]

coffee - i don't think the poster is saying its unfair. i think she is just asking for advice so she can help her son. try and spread a little love and empathy

[CoffeeAddict2016]

coffee - i don't think the poster is saying its unfair. i think she is just asking for advice so she can help her son. try and spread a little love and empathy
My post was meant as more of a general observation and a reply to bevelino, I should have made that clearer. Apologies. I do feel sorry for her son though, it's not a good position to be in.

[bojorojo]

Lots of universities cannot accommodate insurance choices in halls though so if anyone still got a hall place as an insuance choice, they are lucky. Normally you can only apply if you are firm choice.

The private halls are OK but university ones are usually more fun and have more things organised. It may well be that the accommodations office will have something come up, so definitely keep pestering. The problem with changing after accommodation has been accepted is that contracts have been signed for a house or private hall that you then cannot get out of. Therefore trying to get university accommodation before he starts is best. If not, only he will really now if a private hall or a shared house will be OK. A private hall is better than a house but, in my experience, these can be more appealing to overseas students who like home comforts and can afford them!

[Itsthiwooluff]

DD's Uni only let you apply for accommodation if had them as firm as Bojorojo says. (Smooths hackles from implied suggestion that have been sitting on behind and am now whining in entitled way).

[Rollyroo]

I second Liberty living and student castle. There's also a new place opening by capital shopping centre IIRC which looks really nice.

[Teenagedream]

We managed to get the last room in Liberty Park. Rather more than we wanted to pay. Should be all first years but will be a mix of uni of Cardiff, Cardiff Met and USW. I did ring the accommodation office but could get no further info other than join the FB group. The group now seems to be full of panicking 18 yr olds trying to find kindred spirits to share a house with. Anyway we appear to be sorted, fingers crossed he is happy there.

[Itsthiwooluff]

Good news, what a relief for you all!