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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

UCL accommodations

67 replies

Janjanmama · 29/01/2016 00:22

Most likely dd will firm UCL. We heard about some terrible stories happened last year in UCL's halls and houses. Should we stick to halls? Students have no right to choose which hall they want. Any suggestions please. London is so expensive.

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Original poster
Janjanmama · 02/02/2016 11:03

Thank you all Mumsnetters for your advice, especially from those whose DC's or DSS are studying at UCL and giving out very useful input. It's not the brief picture that everyone can get from Google, but it's the updated info from the insiders. Some halls, maybe glorious in the old days but worn out at present when the housing office do not care a bit to do the mantainence. I think most of the students are not asking for anything special. They just want a place to study, a clean environment which is value for money. And a little respect.

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Original poster
Janjanmama · 02/02/2016 11:29

Poloves DD was invited to UCL's open day in December. Since it's organized by her subject department so she hasn't got a chance to visit their halls. And I doubt if they would show the 'broken' condition inside the halls. :)

Please let's know if so. Thanks.

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bojorojo · 02/02/2016 20:41

I think living a massive commute away for a new student is a guarantee he will struggle. His student life will be seriously curtailed by train timetables! Ok if you don't want to socialise but if he want friends, that could be a problem. It is not just a time issue, it is a timing issue! Part of being a student is living your own life. Why choose UCL if you cannot afford it? They do have info on accommodation costs so if that is important, it has to be factored in, surely?

OddBoots · 02/02/2016 21:39

Out of interest what do you think of as a massive commute bojorojo?

GinandJag · 02/02/2016 21:49

DS1 was in UCL accommodation in his first year. On the application form he put proximity to lectures as his top priority.

He was on the corner of Gower Street and Torrington Place. He had shared room, shared bathroom, shared kitchen. This didn't faze him as he came from a big family. He pair 70-something a week and was close enough to go home from lunch.

London is not anymore expensive than anywhere else after accommodation costs are paid. Sainsbury/Tesco is the same anywhere. They can walk everywhere. There is a wide variety of catering. My London DS fared much better than my Bristol DS.

I really wish I could quash this London is expensive myth.

EssentialHummus · 02/02/2016 22:23

London is not anymore expensive than anywhere else after accommodation costs are paid.

And humans don't need much to survive, after oxygen is taken into account Grin

Accommodation costs being high are what can make London so unliveable unless people are willing to commute in, which isn't ideal for students. My goldsmid house room cost £145 a week, 7 years ago (the most I've ever paid in London, including my current mortgage!). There just aren't enough shared rooms to go round.

GinandJag · 03/02/2016 05:30

Don't forget the student loan for London is higher that elsewhere.

PetrovaFossil1 · 03/02/2016 05:36

People

Original poster
Janjanmama · 03/02/2016 16:12

GinandJag, the cheapest twin-room-not-en-suite is £103 in 2015. Your 70-something could be many years ago.

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BoboChic · 03/02/2016 16:33

DSS1 is at Bristol and DSS2 is at UCL. Bristol is an expensive city and DSS1 is an expensive boy. DSS2 costs a lot more and the delta is mostly accommodation.

whifflesqueak · 03/02/2016 18:47

when I was at UCL I think our loan was £1500 per term, but my memory dulled a little by the passage of time (2009).

my rent in my second year was £950pcm. even working three days a week (Saturday, Sunday and my reading day) I couldn't make those ends meet up. it also was putting a huge strain on my progress academically. the stress of it all sunk me and I had to drop out.

UCL is okay if you have parental support or are lucky enough to find reasonable rent. travel is easy, but not really conducive to a satisfying uni experience. it has no real campus to speak of so I found that we all sort of felt a bit disconnected from our peers and the institute.

I'm sorry to sound so very negative but going to UCL was a big mistake for me. I appreciate this won't be everyone's experience. if it's about the league table rankings and being in the centre of the metropolis then it's got that by the bucket load.

BoboChic · 03/02/2016 19:29

Interesting, whifflesqueak. DSS1 is at Bristol where I went and has a fantastic quality of life. DSS2 is fine at UCL but it wouldn't have suited special snowflake DSS1 or special snowflake BoboChic. Luckily DSS2 is very robust Smile

EssentialHummus · 03/02/2016 22:15

it has no real campus to speak of so I found that we all sort of felt a bit disconnected from our peers and the institute.

Yup, this in spades. I did a master's, so maybe it's not comparable, but I went from the house behind Victoria station to lectures on Friday and Sat (!) only in a fairly dingy room at the corner of Gower and Torrington Pl. It was a specialised degree, to be fair. Definitely not a "campus experience".

whatwouldrondo · 04/02/2016 01:25

The usual rate of rent paid by DDs peers at London units was around £650 per month, for that they got more further out, perhaps a poky shared living/ diner kitchen further in . But each of the units have particular areas in which the students like to live and tube lines and some buses can carry you in rapidly. For UCL that means Mornington Crescent, Camden, which is a particularly sought after and lively area (and DD has pointed out nice new build flats regularly rented by students there, though not hugely spacious) Holloway Hampstead and Finchley. Obviously you can get lower rents outside London but equally if you have no parents to fund you jobs are generally not as easy to come by or as well paid. London is doable for all. And we have good reason to totally commend the support you get from the ULU set up on housing issues which is unique in expertise and being able to represent the interests of both sides where issues arise between students.

All her peers had good experiences in halls whether Ramsey or Shaeffer or in Holloway and Camden. And there was a mix of international and home students in all, simply not true to say that they are segregated into certain halls, unless they request International House or similar. Preferences are not guaranteed but are met in a lot of cases.

Social life may not be as mollycoddled on a plate as at other unis but is both more diverse and, frankly, grown up. A bit of effort and there is so much more available, and from peer experience DD has taken fewer but much deeper relationships from it. Who needs 1500 Facebook friends?

whatwouldrondo · 04/02/2016 01:27

Sorry been autocorrected but meant Unis not units

whatwouldrondo · 04/02/2016 01:30

Oh and no problem finding private rentals in the £650 per month bracket, though it is not such a student dominated market. Each year plenty of options in the summer holidays, no need to secure somewhere before you are sure who you want to live with.

PeterTavy · 04/02/2016 08:15

The UCL halls seem to be offered on a 40 week contract but are the non-UCL rentals all on full 52 week contracts? Or is it possible to get shorter Sep-Jun contracts?

If not, once the extra 12 weeks rent is taken into account the £150 per week becomes £195 per week when factored over the 40 weeks of the academic year. Once utilities/ broadband (and council tax?) are added on top it sounds as though the figure calculated over 40 weeks must be around £250 per week?
It makes the UCL accommodation look reasonable value.

whatwouldrondo · 04/02/2016 09:28

Peter it would be unusual, all DDs peers had year long contracts with private landlords , there isn't really a specific student market in the way there is in other university towns. And it's not regarded as an issue because many stay there in the summer for jobs and internships.

bojorojo · 04/02/2016 11:31

It is obvious that in London with such high property values, rents will be expensive. New build are often over £10,000 pa. Of course there are cheaper places and if the university has 40 week rentals for year 1 then that is good value. I think shared rooms is unusual these days but not shared bathrooms or kitchens. My DDs year 1 in London was for 50 weeks. Also, lots of students do not stay for the summer and 2nd/3rd year rents are usually for a year because landlords do not want the flats unpaid for in the summer.

£650 a month is way over the price of student flats in Bristol. We found Bristol cheaper than London for university accommodation and the fact that renting in Clifton meant no commute to the university at all, just a 10 minute walk, means transport costs are nil. The private rental contracts are 1 year there too. July to June. You have to pay for summer whether you are there or not. Most are not. I don't think Bristol is cosseted. It is no different to any other university! You can have great accommodation in London if you pay for it.

I would think a 45 minute commute to uni is too long. SW20 is Wimbledon (ish) so depending on the proximity of the property to the underground station, and there aren't many in that area, it would not be too bad. The Northern Line from South Wimbledon goes straight to UCL but if it takes ages to get to the station then it may be a problem. I strongly believe university is about leaving home and growing up, making mistakes and getting along with others in the accommodation is part of that.

QuintessentialShadows · 04/02/2016 11:46

I went to UCL - ages ago, back in 1993.
I did not live in Halls, but in a shared house in Tooting Bec. It was a pretty easy commute on the Northern Line straight up to Euston. I then moved to Kennington, still on the Northern Line and got a shorter journey. Rent was dirt cheap. But I dont think you find this standard housing today, non-self contained, toilet in the back garden and shower in one of the bedrooms. Kids today (and their parents!!!) want much better. Wink (My mum was shocked to the core when she came to visit)

If you dont want to live in halls, I suggest looking at commuting distance via the tube.

BaconAndAvocado · 04/02/2016 17:33

bojo just seen you on another Uni related thread!

I think he would get a short bus ride to a Morden then straight down the Northern line. The walk from Kings across is about 10 mins.

I agree with you about Uni being about growing up and becoming more independent, but only if you can afford it! If his Dad didn't live in London UCL wouldn't be a viable option.

bojorojo · 05/02/2016 13:21

I think being in Morden would be a bit lonely! Not my idea of a great university experience being so far away from the social life but it depends what you want from university. Most students find it is never all about the study! There is always Manchester.....

BaconAndAvocado · 05/02/2016 15:09

Hello again bojo I've just posted to you on the other thread!

I'm not sure the social side will be as central to DS, he has mild AS so has never had a big social life, we shall see......

Original poster
Janjanmama · 08/02/2016 07:07

Well dd now is looking for intercollegiate halls as she may have other friends going to UoL. Any thoughts?

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hellsbells99 · 08/02/2016 08:11

Bacon - after speaking to DD1 and her friends who are 1st years, I would encourage your son to go with his Manchester option!