Bristol accommodation

[stonecircle]

DH went with DS to an open day at Bristol a couple of weeks ago. They were both very unimpressed with the accommodation they saw. I was surprised as I'd expect universities to wheel out their best accommodation on open days.

DH has just been saying again that it was dire - and he's the family open day chauffeur so he's seen plenty over the last few years.

However, DS likes the city and the course so I'm just wondering if anyone else has any comments. It's also fairly expensive for what it is.

Also looking at Bath, Nottingham, Southampton, Sussex, York and Leeds. Any advice about accommodation at those places would be very welcome.

[trufflepiggy]

Bluesky -CHH

[bojorojo]

That is not expensive for a lovely hall! Look at prices in London if you want to see expensive halls!

[Questionsmorequestions]

Hyatt baker sc hall is now lovely but very expensive. Over £6000 a year.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Frankly the worst of the student halls we've looked at would beat hollow a lot of student flats - no drips, no mould, no mice....

(I'm pretty sure Hiatt-Baker was being refurbed when we visited in June. So it's probably great now)

[Scribblegirl]

I was in Hiatt Baker in 2007/8. Yes it's scruffy as hell and I wasn't dreadfully keen on the storage heaters rather than radiators, or the windowless bathrooms and kitchens. But I had a fantastic time and the warden and staff made sure that you had all the essentials working and wouldn't come to any harm. Personally I think it's a bit of a rite of passage to be in slightly dodgy accommodation - we moved to a falling down Victorian number in 2nd year and lucked out to a beautiful conversion in Clifton Village in 3rd year. Totally agree with pickle that friends, safety and cost are the priorities.

[Bobochic]

Accommodation full of hard working international students is great for the social life of hard working international students!

[GrumpyOldBag]

At another University Open Day we went to where there was a huge range of accommodation at different prices, the student showing us round said the most expensive accommodation tended to be chosen by foreign students, who spent all their time working, so not good for social life.

[IminaPickle]

This reminds me of the episode of Friends where Rachel drops a University course because of the parking.
The only criterion for choosing accommodation is
•safety- not over occupied or in a really dodgy area
•cost
•ease of making friends. I wouldn't want my DC in the most luxurious convenient cheap studio.

[Bobochic]

There is a massive variety of accommodation at Bristol and some of it is severely overpriced. My DSS1 started off at Favell House and it was truly horrible and everyone in the whole hall was pissed off because they had all wanted Goldney. DSS1 managed to move to Goldney at the beginning of his second term and was very happy thereafter.

[GrumpyOldBag]

Fatowl we must have been at Bristol around the same time. In those days Wills was men only, right? Assume they are all mixed now.

[bojorojo]

Wills was cheap! Shared bathroom between 4 I think and a shared room. I think DD had the cheapest deal in the whole university! Wills quad is basic and if you want en suite and new you will have to pay for it. Wills hall students know they will like it. They know they will make friends so that ticks more boxes than furniture that probably arrived when the hall was built and the fact that DD kept her shoes in the fireplace. Yes the tiles were old and veined in the bathroom and the bath was nearly as old as the building too. If you can put up with that, and plenty do, then it is fun and relatively inexpensive. The food came from the same suppliers as DDs school, but the Wills cooks were less skilled! DD would not have wanted to be anywhere else though and as I have said, if you boarded, it is not a problem. If it will be a problem, choose a modern hall.

[Dunlurking]

We only visited the Stoke Bishop halls at an open day last year. Loved them and the surroundings. Expensive but nice to be in a quiet pretty location. Wills was especially Oxbridge like, as said upthread.

[blueskyinmarch]

Trufflepiggy what accommodation were you in?

[trufflepiggy]

I went to Bristol Uni fairly recently and my accommodation was a shit.

But it's the experience innit. They are shockingly expensive though.

I recommend the Stoke Bishop halls - they have a livelier buzz than the city halls. The city halls are a bit isolated and you will be limited in your friendship group unless you join loads of societies.

Everyone moves out to houses in second year anyway.

[trufflepiggy]

I went to Bristol Uni fairly recently and my accommodation was a shit.

But it's the experience innit. They are shockingly expensive though.

I recommend the Stoke Bishop halls - they have a livelier buzz than the city halls. The city halls are a bit isolated and you will be limited in your friendship group unless you join loads of societies.

Everyone moves out to houses in second year anyway.

[homebythesea]

My DS just started at Nottinghsm. Their system is good because offer holders can apply for accomodation (type not particular Hall) from a certain date which takes the uncertainty out of the equation. He opted for catered to stay on campus But corridor style rooms do mean you have to be a bit more proactive in meeting people (as opposed to a flat) in the first few days.

[bojorojo]

Oh dear! Phone! ... not having all mod cons .....they have a variety of halls and prices.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Its entirely possible that they didn't see any of the newer stuff. I think the uni website has accommodation details, probably pictures.

[bojorojo]

I think it is best to show potential students what the accommodation is really like instead of dressing up what is available. Bristol has three fairly distinct student areas. On an open day,lots of students do not have time to go out to Stoke Bishop where there are a variety of halls. Goldney is perennially popular and yes, Wills (old quad) is fairly boarding school heavy as it is pretty old fashioned - just like lots of boarding schools and young people who have boarded get over the privacy issue pretty quickly! Wills has a newer block though and the hall is catered and has formal dinners. Churchill is popular and Hiatt Baker (formerly nicknamed Shite Baker!) has been done up. The transport system from Stoke Bishop works well and late night trips back to hall always involve a taxi to keep safe. Not expensive though.

Students who want to fall out of bed into lectures go for Clifton area halls and houses. This area is livelier with cafes and supermarkets around but I am not sure about the quality of the accommodation here and lots of open day students just look at these rooms.
Lastly there are the newer halls in the city area which are much nearer the pubs and clubs. A friend's DS chose one of these and loved it but it is a noisier area. If a young person is quieter, I would avoid these.

My DD had friends in most of the Stoke Bishop halls and one of these would be my top pick. You can easily walk to other halls to meet friends. If you want to avoid old fashioned furniture and shared bathrooms avoid the quad at Wills. However it has a great atmosphere and often it is who your friends are that make a hall rather than the building and furnishings. Also, as Bristol does have lots of students who don't mind not gave her all nod cons, they have a variety of galls and prices.

[stonecircle]

I don't know! And I doubt if he would remember the name now - several universities have been visited since. He's focusing on courses, grade requirements and whether he likes the area rather than first year accommodation.

DS and DH would both appreciate 'character' but not, I think, cracked sinks and high student:bathroom ratios.

Sure all universities will have a range of accommodation. I was just wondering if what DS and DH saw was the best Bristol had to offer!

[stonecircle]

I don't know! And I doubt if he would remember the name now - several universities have been visited since. He's focusing on courses, grade requirements and whether he likes the area rather than first year accommodation.

DS and DH would both appreciate 'character' but not, I think, cracked sinks and high student:bathroom ratios.

Sure all universities will have a range of accommodation. I was just wondering if what DS and DH saw was the best Bristol had to offer!

[Peaceandl0ve]

Hey Stonecircle, which Halls was it?

[mouldycheesefan]

Bristol has some fantastic accommodation, like pp said look at goldney house, Clifton hill house, wills hall. It also has some 70s style blocks like Hyatt baker. Less attractive aesthetically but doesn't mean they are not well equipped inside.
Surprised he thought accommodation was dire, which halls did he see?

[Peaceandl0ve]

I am pretty sure that most universities have good and bad accommodation. Surely most prospective students will look at the uni accommodation website to see the range of halls prior to rejecting a uni on the basis of their room. Which hall was the one viewed during the open day, anyone with an offer might like to return for offer holder days and go for a look around some of the other locations?

My DD was lucky to have been placed with other sporty, party sometimes not all the time students in her flat. However, this is what she put in her biography blurb they all had to send in with the accommodation request.