UEA accommodation recommendations?

[Appuskidu]

We visited the university yesterday and really loved it! But, there seems to be only two types of accommodation on campus-the cheap ones (with VERY basic not very cosy kitchen areas) or expensive nice modern en-suites.

Is there anything in between on campus?

You haven't said which Uni it is @Appuskidu so it might be difficult for people to help.

Have you or your DC checked on the Uni's website?

@PanicBuyingSprouts OP has specified it’s UEA.

Oh gosh I'm sorry. So she has!

It really is time to get my sight checked

Have you looked on this page? www.uea.ac.uk/uea-life/accommodation/accommodation-finder#/find

The village accommodation tends to be a bit cheaper (where I stayed) than onsite and is only a 2 min walk to the university.

with VERY basic not very cosy kitchen areas

I think you mean the iconic Zigs

Seriously though it is quite a gap, although the Village, quite literally across the road from the main campus entrance, is quite a bit less that say Hickling Barton. Although HB do have a nice kitchen / communal space for each flat.

DS2 is a finalist, so living out, but did comment that UEA hall costs seem to have gone up quite a bit since he was a fresher.

I stayed in one of the new buildings are the room was genuinely tiny.

The zigs are the most social and I'd say Nelson is the best compromise. Big room, en suite and the closest to LCR.

UEA is wonderful!!

I wouldn't describe the kitchen in DS2"s Norfolk Terrace (Ziggs) flat as particularly small - they do all eat together sometimes, so there must be room for 10. His flat is definitely very 'social'. Also convenient for him, as it is very close to the Sainsbury Centre (he is studying History of Art).

My dd had a great time in her Zigs accommodation - until covid meant I had to go and collect her half way through her first year . There's nothing wrong with a bit of basic accommodation for a student ...

Another one with a DS who did his first year in Ziggs. I think I recall someone saying that they have gone up in cost significantly since pre-COVID days, possibly as a way of recouping lost revenue from having to rent the previously shared rooms as singles.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18, 'twas I, I think. Now c.£121 per week and no longer the cheapest option on campus. But DS2 was so happy when he got his first choice of accommodation.

So that's nearly £100 pcm difference? Still, the Ziggs are 60s design (Brutalist?) iconic and not everyone gets to live in listed buildings!

My first DS lived in the village and didn't really enjoy being away from the main campus. He was unlucky with an unsociable flat though.
My second DS chose the Ziggs and had the time of his life until covid came along. He feels you can't really go to UEA and not live in the very buildings which symbolise the university.
I have neighbours who were in the Ziggs 25 years ago and they still look back on that time fondly.

There was nothing wrong with the size of the bedrooms/kitchens, but they were just really industrial! Microwaves on the wall rather than proper ovens, hot plates rather than a cooker, no cupboards, just industrial shelving, no table or comfy chairs, just a stainless steel bench.

My halls of residence back in the 90s were totally basic (and we shared showers between 30) but our kitchen at least looked like a kitchen!

I get that there’s basic (like this) and there’s expensive (like the en suites) but the en suite accommodation (Barton and Hickling?) works out as over £7k for the year. When you only get £4200 maintenance, we were disappointed there wasn’t something in between.

On the upside @Appuskidu there seems to be a good and fairly competitively priced rental choice for second year and beyond. At least in DS2’s experience.

I’m a bit by the Barton Hickling price. I’m sure it was 6.2k for DS2, which given what it offered I thought was not too bad. Now being over £7k just two years later is quite a jump.

All that said UEA has been exactly the right uni for DS2 and you rarely hear much negative about UEA. Plus Norwich is a relatively small city but with all the amenities close at hand.

The Zigs of course are I think very marmite. But those who choose them seem to love them.

UEA is an awesome university. My DSis lived in Ziggs and the en suite accommodation and loved them both. Your kid will manage with basic 😁

Oh goodness I just checked the link and Wolfson is still going strong! I lived there for a year over 20 years ago, it was a concrete nightmare, we bloody loved it. UEA is the best.

Nostalgia fest… I lived in Norfolk Terrace (ziggurats) in 1st and 3rd year. 1980s, £19 per week. It was fab.

On the upside @Appuskidu there seems to be a good and fairly competitively priced rental choice for second year and beyond. At least in DS2’s experience.

That’s good-can I ask what sort of prices per month the private rentals are?

DS2 says that his flat (in Block E), does have an oven as well as the microwave (and in the flats without an ordinary oven, the 'microwave' would be a multifunctional one, I think?). But much as everyone responding on here / their Ziggurat-resident offspring loves the place, obviously they wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.

DS2 second year house was from memory £380 per month. 10 month let. He now lives a bit further out, very modern house, really not a typical student area, over £100 less each month. Good size bedroom in both houses.

@boys3

DS2 second year house was from memory £380 per month. 10 month let. He now lives a bit further out, very modern house, really not a typical student area, over £100 less each month. Good size bedroom in both houses.

Really-he’s now paying £280 a month? Was this recently?

Gosh that's a steal @boys3. Think DS pays about £375 to £400 a month which is still very cheap compared to a lot of cities.

sorry @Appuskidu for response delay. That relates to the current year. Although a landlord who does not see students (or M&D Bank) as a cash cow is probably pertinent in this instance. Which as I have another one in Uni halls elsewhere I'm quite appreciative of. :)

Thanks for replying. I’m stunned by a private rental at £280-that’s amazing! My DN is in a room in a shared house in the midlands (where things seem to be relatively cheap compared to where we are) and is paying £480-that’s a huge difference.