Bristol University Accommodation

[AstroLoco]

Ds has an offer for History at Bristol university. He has been looking into accommodation options and has an idea of what he likes, although I'd love the know the reality from people who have experience from there.

Can anyone recommend accommodation and let me know any positives / negatives for each one please?

He is aware that it can be difficult to get your preferred accommodation at Bristol (or even to get accommodation at all), so any advice on this would be gratefully received.

My DD is in Culver House this year - City centre, self catered and next to Orchard Heights.

It looks a bit tired on the University accommodation website, but a new common room opened in the building this year which is lovely (huge cinema TV, pool table, large kitchen and lots of seating). The flats themselves are being renovated this summer so I imagine they will be nice - apparently will have double beds.

DD has loved being in Culver House - it’s very sociable and seems to be a diverse mix of down to earth types. Really close to the university buildings and close to some green space (the name of the park escapes me).

That being said, I wouldn’t get too hung up on which is the ‘best’ accommodation - there was so much demand last year, she was grateful to get any of her choices!

@sonnybeaudelaire the demand for accommodation is what worries me!

Does anyone have any experience of Goldney Hall? Or university hall?

@TobyWhatsit

Does anyone have any experience of Goldney Hall? Or university hall?

My dc was at University Hall last year, it wasn’t great. Mostly because of the size of the communal space, there was only a small kitchen for them to hangout in, tiny table & chairs so it made it a lot harder to socialise. My other dc’s (different Uni’s) found that having a kitchen large enough that everyone can prep & eat food at the same time made for a nice time to get together each day. Dc1 had a huge seating area too, so when they get together for pre’s there’s somewhere to go.

SB was fine, we paid for a bus pass that included non Uni buses too. She loved all the outside space and all the halls would mingle. Wills was definitely considered the posh, nice but dim accommodation by my state grammar school dc.

Be prepared for higher rents in years 2/3/4. Dc is paying 650 pcm plus bills, other two pay £500 & £400 in Northern Uni towns inc bills.

Thank you for the information!

Where would people's dc's recommend to live, with hindsight, and if they could choose? 🤔😁

Also, what is SB?

@TobyWhatsit SB is Stoke Bishop. My dd has loved being in Clifton. Much closer to the city centre, she walks everywhere. The area near the suspension bridge is really lovely for walks and the views are amazing.

@TobyWhatsit

Thank you for the information!

Where would people's dc's recommend to live, with hindsight, and if they could choose? 🤔😁

Also, what is SB?

I would absolutely love previous students to say which accommodation they would recommend. For us it's raining the catered options please

DC is at Uni Hall currently, and I agree with Bobnotpop the flats are very cramped, with tiny tiny shower room and small kitchen shared between 5. On the plus side it's one of the cheapest halls.
DC is sharing next year with 3 flatmates and some from neighbouring flat, so they obviously have managed to socialise. It did have its own bar but that hasn't reopened since covid which is a shame. Bus service is good (although only runs in term time, but there is a public bus).

Thank you again - still learning! 🙈😆

Is there much difference between basic, standard and standard plus?

Would people advise en-suite or are the shared showers ok? We don't have a huge budget, but would like to know how worth it it is for a bit more comfort 🙈

@TobyWhatsit the pictures on the website aren't great are they? The basic looks very very basic to me so I'm interested to see what people in the know say!

Uni Hall has a teeny tiny loo, and separate very basic shower room, shared between 5. Luxurious it is not! A cleaner comes in weekly.

Thank you for the info - didn't realise there is a cleaner! Is that the case for all accommodation? Probably will avoid uni hall.

Marking place

I’m curious - does anyone’s dc mention food going walkies from communal kitchen fridge?

would prefer catered for dd but she favours self catered. We are a batch cook family and will encourage her to freeze food.

I recall many moons ago food disappearing from fridge at uni and while I can laugh about it now it was not remotely funny at the time.

@Maggiethecat
Do the halls have big enough freezers in the kitchens for batch cooking and freezing? Shared fridges do tend to have items going walkies. It’s a hazard of student life.

My DD was in Wills in SB with shared bathroom. Shared room too! It’s old fashioned and so is Churchill. However DD and others didn’t care. They liked the halls very much and getting in and out to university didn’t phase them. In fact going home at the end of the day was pleasant. DD never worried about en suite.

City centre halls are nearer the bars. Years ago Goldney was always oversubscribed. Now Culver and Orchard have come on stream it might relieve the pressure on Goldney. Catered at Wills is good enough food and does provide a good way to meet other students.

@Maggiethecat was never a problem for DD. They had 2 massive fridge freezers between 5 of them so had a couple of freezer drawers each. And had 2 cupboards each for dry stuff (which they could lock). I'm sure they shared the odd bit of milk and butter but still living together in 2nd year so must have worked.

@TizerorFizz - I have a view on the benefits of catered halls and social opportunities etc they present but dd has her own view.

I know that ultimately the uni will allocate the hall but presume that you won’t get catered if you’ve expressed preference for self catered?

@mumsneedwine - that’s good to know that there may be lots of freezer space. Cooking things like curries or stews lends itself to having multiple portions so she’ll be able to use takeaway containers to freeze portions of whatever she anticipates not being used fairly soon.

Hopefully she’ll have picked up what she’s seen done at home and employ some of that!🤔

@Maggiethecat
DD was given catered and wanted catered. I think self catered will get it if that’s what they want. I’m only saying what DD felt about socialising at meals but it’s what she was used to at school so no change for her. Gave more time for thinking about cooking in y2.

@TizerorFizz - I reckon that in most cases catered/self catered will be the requirement first considered/granted.

Dd says mealtime was her least favourite aspect of boarding school so I'll shut my gob about that. She also thinks that first year will be least busy so she should have enough time to socialise and develop cooking skills rather than learning in years 2/3.

Interesting that there was a Hello Fresh discussion at dinner tonight!

There used to be a modern privately run student block near the ice rink… unite house maybe?

Sorry, that was self catered.

I was back in Bristol very recently for two graduations (my twins one week after the other - delayed due to Covid) and it did confirm to me that the stoke bishop halls where they and their sister went - Wills and Churchill in our case are very nice - Stoke Bishop, catered, just a lovely atmosphere, bit more rural, an on site chapel at Wills, a quad, playing fields - very different from city centre halls.

@Bobnotpop
My DD was in Wills. As was @Xenia DC. I do take exception to the “nice but dim” slur. I’m sure you might like to know DD has a highly paid career now. Dim? At Bristol? It’s easy shorthand to quote Harry Enfield bug it’s also not remotely applicable to Bristol university!

@Maggiethecat
DD boarded and loved her school food. Wills had the same food supplier but not such good chefs apparently! First year is busy. Often work takes time because students need to find the standard required and it’s a big jump from school. It’s not an easy ride. DD reasoned she would use summer vacation after first year to improve cooking. Which she did. She’s still the queen of the one pot wonder!

@Xenia were they not too basic then? The pictures on the uni website don't look great tbh.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-16447974.amp

Looks like the ice rink itself was going to be turned into a Unite hall?