'Quiet' halls/colleges

[CoolKittens]

DC is applying for 2021 entry. She does not drink and would not cope well being in a party flat. She's concerned that if similar restrictions are in place next year and more socialising has to happen after 10pm back at the halls. Do most halls have a 'quiet' option? I've seen some do. She's looking at Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Lancaster, Sheffield, York, Liverpool & Bristol. Thank you.

DD's college at Durham offered a quiet flat, however they don't all get one that put it down. She put down quiet flat, but doesn't think her block was the quiet one.
However she said she almost never had a problem with noise-she suspects they also clump all the people who put down quiet, but don't then get allocated one of the quiet block, together.

That makes sense @Witchend thank you. I hope your DD enjoys Durham.

I think everywhere asks for an expression of preferences such as quiet flat. Whether they can action preferences depends on demand in any given year. If there are clinical reasons for her not coping in a noisier flat - disrupted sleep triggering historical MH issues, for example, she should declare this and bs prepared to provide supporting evidence.
Despite the horror stories, lots of flatmates find ways to muddle on and compromise, certainly after the first couple of weeks.

I don't think everywhere offers this. We asked at open days, but you could email the accommodation offices as I'm not sure how it works with virtual open days. I think some unis also offer non-drinking accommodation, but often that's aimed at students who don't drink a religious requirement. You could also search on thestudentroom as you'll get students' experiences of how quiet flats worked for them, rather than just knowing that they can be requested. I've heard a few cases of unis saying it's an option, but then the reality has been very different.

As Sheffield is in the list of options, they allow you to select your accommodation by block and room. Students leave a small bio about themselves once they’ve selected a room so you can choose your room based on this. Obviously no guarantee that those students will end up there after results day but it gives your DC the chance to search for flats with similar minded students.

As others have said, student room is also very good with feedback about which blocks may be seen as the more “party” orientated.

Thank you everyone for your input. Definitely very useful to hear. It's a difficult one as DC liked their peace and quiet but also needs an extrovert or two to get them out if their shell a bit!

but also needs an extrovert or two to get them out if their shell a bit!

And there's the rub, as they say...

Booking university accommodation really is a lottery. From what I hear many people select their favourites then get allocated something else. I think the only way to get the accommodation you want is to get private accommodation. Many universities have halls that are for students but are run by private companies.

I agre that if you post on The Student Room you will find that some halls have a party reputation so you can try and avoid them.

a friend's child booked the quiet flat. The other people were either from overseas or had religious requirements and were hoping to meet others of like mind or both. As the overseas students arrive early they'd already started to form a friendship group and it took longer for her to settle in. Just something to be aware of.

@alreadytaken yes that would not be a good scenario! Thank you for the advice. There's a way to go before any decisions need to be made anyway.

Look at Bristol’s website. At the time DD was applying the option seemed to be quiet AND single sex, implying it was really for the more religious or those from overseas. She even phoned them up, as she has SEN and wanted a quieter space to study, but there did not seem to be any advice or help.

As far as I know, the general expectation in DDs college (Cambridge, she was pooled to one of the women's ones rather than by choice) is that a lot of people are actually needing to be able to work in the evenings and get decent sleep, weeknights anyway, and the porters (or ultimate sanction, the Dean) have some ability to deal with issues if required. So, although I don't think she specified quiet there, I don't think she's encountered any problematic partying.

Thank you @ErrolTheDragon and @Needmoresleep. Cambridge is the dream so we'll see!

coolkittens - if they can cope it does have it's advantages. She made lots of friends to visit when they went back to their own countries.

My child was at Cambridge - unfortunately did have issues with party noise, although not exam term. We had supplied ear plugs. The libraries are used a lot there for studying and students dont need to buy books (unless they like highlighting bits) as the libraries have so many. Some colleges are overrun with visitors (with daytime noise) so one of the slightly out of town ones might be a good choice.

At Exeter a lot of the more expensive catered accommodation are en-suite rooms and each corridor is closed off so quite protected from noise. So good for studying etc but it depends on your budget!

Some colleges are overrun with visitors (with daytime noise) so one of the slightly out of town ones might be a good choice.

DDs is one of the 'hill colleges' so it's not a tourist attraction, except maybe to the odd person interested in women artists.

DS1 was at alleged party central in Cambridge. No problems noise wise.

However, 2nd and 3rd year accommodation in college based on room ballots, so perhaps something to bear in mind, although whether every college operates ballots I'm not sure.

The Cambridge colleges all have different balloting/allocation systems. Some have quite a bit of accommodation in houses they own or sublet rather than in college after 1st year, which may appeal or not.

Thank you again for all your input. Lots to consider, all very useful.

My DD at Durham chose John's. It has a reputation as being a very friendly college. It's quite small and everyone seems to know each other. I think it is very possible to be quiet there but be swept up in student life at the pace you want, picking and choosing how involved you want to be in the social life. It suited my reserved DD perfectly.

John Snow at Durham offers male only, female only, vegan/vegetarian, nut allerggy and others (I assume coeliac, egg?), and no alcohol flats/townhouses. They are considered a quieter place to live. I think the vegan/veggie etc is for kitchen sharing. I think it is a good idea.

I know someone whose DD chose a quiet flat or no alcohol (can't remember which) but she ended up with a Muslim woman who did not want to socialise with Western women (her words) as her family would disapprove, a mature student who had her own friends and wasn't bothered about making new ones and a selective mute. It meant she was very lonely as they were in accommodation with no common room.

When I was at uni we had 4 flats either side of the corridor and then at the end a kitchen on one side and a common room on the other. It meant that you had to walk past the other flats to get to the kitchen so social interaction possibilities, plus our kitchen had a table in for 8 plus a sofa. We only used the common room to dry our clothes, we just clustered in the kitchen. So the whole prop your door open only applies if there is somewhere to go past your room and you are not the end room!

I think the vegan/veggie etc is for kitchen sharing. I think it is a good idea.

So do I. When DD was in halls one of the meat eaters stored his plastic boxes of meat on their sides on the top shelf. The blood ran down the fridge onto her food. Obviously, she had to throw everything away. I was visiting her at the time and started cleaning the fridge. She asked me not to, but as I pointed out it was a health hazard she relented.

There is a thread on FB where a vegan is sharing a flat with a load of bigoted omnivores who are bullying her because she is vegan. It isn't on. Two of DD's house share friends are vegetarian, and the non vegetarians don't poke fun at DD or her friends.

Nottingham have just allocated one of their catered on campus halls as 'quiet'. I know it's on your list but thought I'd throw it in there 🙂

DD was in Stephenson Hall at University of Sheffield. She found it dreadful - noisy students playing football in the central corridor between 6 rooms on the floor in the middle of the night, fire alarms set off at 5.30 am several times a week...There was only a kitchen and no lounge on each floor.

Not the place for a quiet student!

Murano halls in Glasgow and Castle Leazes in Newcastle have party reputations. I know students from both and they confirmed this.