Bristol University Student Halls

[RoseMarigoldViolet]

Hi,

A-Level results day and my child has got their insurance option which is Bristol University. Very happy but now found that there is is no guarantee of student accommodation and will probably have to rent privately. Apparently the Uni only guarantees to provide accommodation if it was your first choice Uni!

Does anyone know about the situation at Bristol Uni? Do you think that my child would eventually get into the Halls?

By the way, I am in the UK but come from another country so feel out of my depth with the whole process! Thank you.

Us too :(

Would be great to connect the girls and they could discuss their plans - would that work? I have to say it’s quite a stressful process for parents as well as the kids!

Bristol is a nightmare for renting privately, I hope all your DC get something sorted.

I wouldn't really recommend commuting from Newport, the train is easy, but it's still a walk/bus up to the uni, or another train to Clifton, and if they had an early lecture/seminar then it would be a very early start.

Housing in Bristol right now is not fun for anyone, unless you're able to afford to buy and have a big budget.

I went to a uni that was similar. I found a flatshare via student union however regretted it because if i had just gone on a wait list, loads of students don't even turn up, or simply drop out by the first reading week & i could have got a place in halls.

Dd was in Unite House last year, they had spaces available up until Christmas so you never know. It is hard though, she started looking for second year accommodation at the end of the first term of her first year!

We had an email offering student accommodation (I am vvv sorry for those who haven't, I understand the stress). Details on the 30th and accept/decline by the 1st.

I have also heard about holding out and going on a waitlist as lots of people drop out and rooms become available.

Finally, I have been researching private as a back up and have found hybr to be the most useful (it was one of the companies mentioned on the uni website)

Good to hear some students are being successful in this second round. What will be will be -gap year/travel seems to be looking highly likely

My DS is going but he deferred so got his accommodation in July.
its normal in every uni to get the 2nd year accomm by Xmas or v shortly afterwards apart from in London as the market is different.

Honestly I would recommend deferring for a year rather than being in a house share or in Newport. It isn’t the university experience you would expect and halls are such a good way to meet people and ease into university life.
Taking a year and working and travelling is a great idea though - even better if it’s something vaguely associated with the course they’re doing. Even if not, get some
money behind you, have an adventure and then head off next year.

I'm surprised at some of the comments here most of the centre of Bristol seems to be student lets. There really is no proper retail there anymore and many office buildings have been converted to student and other flats. I used to work in the centre of Bristol and it's a ghost town now! Look at specific student lets

How has everyone fared? I really hope that those without official places were able to sort something. Deferring seems so drastic, so I sincerely hope it hasn't come to that. I have read that by mid-October spaces do become available and those that hold out for one may get a spot.

We were blessed to get offered a place. Although it is a catered hall - I am just beyond relieved, especially as we are travelling at the moment. DS had wanted self-catering but was not really fussed. He is happy.

For future readers of this thread: I understand that catered halls are the ones with spaces usually. So I think what helped in the application was to put an unlimited budget and be open to catered halls. We said yes to everything except shared room or Newport. We didn't put any other requirements in - just to spread the net. I am not sure if being from a contextual offer school helped or not.

We didn’t get anything, DD had opted for self catered only on the form so suspect that didn’t help. She is also a contextual offer. Deferral requested so we hope to hear early next week. Crazily, the next date the Uni will contact us of there is accomodation is 7th September the day before registration ends. On a positive lots of googling of incredible travel gap years! Lessons learnt all round. Horrible experience and would never recommend anyone puts Bristol as an insurance offer based on the last few weeks, I do hope this thread does help future 1st years as they make their choices and maybe somewhere in the Uni they can reflect on the balance between revenue from students and giving the best student experience. Fingers crossed for 2024 when we apply again.

NooNoo2 - I’m sorry to hear this. It really is a very stressful process from beginning to end.

My son did get offered accommodation. We were all very relieved. I agree with you, LexL, I think it helped to be open to almost any sort of accommodation. Apart from Newport and sharing a room, he said he would take anything. He has got a basic room with catering and it is 2 miles from the university. But he is very happy! I like the idea that he will be fed two meals a day. He’s not fussy so it will make his first year easier.

How are others doing?

we are in the same
boat. Got offered Newport. We are devastated. Deferring not an option. Is Newport really that bad?

We had looked into Newport and he decided to take it if he was offered this. I think it would still be a good student experience but maybe they have to be more organised in the morning to get to Uni?

Our experience is that you have to be there & view as soon as properties come up as they go the same day. Agents told us that overseas students pay deposit & rent in advance without seeing properties. This was two years ago.

I wouldn’t go to Newport - it’s way too far away. I’d defer and go the the following year.
I don’t even know how you’d get to uni every day, is there a train? The main station in Bristol (temple meads) isn’t close to the university so it would be a massive PITA.

@RoseMarigoldViolet if he’s in Stoke Bishop that’s perfect, those 2 miles keep you nice and fit.

Has Bristol massively increased its places or something? When I was there in the late 90s it was always a bit of a scramble for 2nd and 3rd year houses but not impossible and you knew you would get somewhere. First years were guaranteed accommodation.

Catered halls are fine by the way. My boyfriend at the time (now husband of 20 years!) was in Hyatt Baker (nicknamed Shite Bunker) and when I used to stay over the breakfast was lovely! Can’t remember the evening meals but I think they were fine.

The huge numbers of wealthy Chinese students at Bristol must really distort the market as judging by their designer clothes they’ll not be struggling to pay high rents.

My daughter had halls in Newport. Whilst the rooms were lovely the whole area was awful. Some days she had to be at Uni for an hour or so with an almost 2 hour round trip commute. She found it really hard work. And then there were the train strikes….