Queen Mary London Accommodation help!!

[Positivelypatient]

My DD got her insurance offer at QML in East London E1 - and has applied for what was left from their onsite halls accommodation - yet to hear back but understand its unlikely she'll get a room.

We have been looking all evening for alternative halls in East London but the prices Omg, £250+ per week and that's cheap.

How on earth are students supposed to live in London? Has anyone else been in this situation and how did you resolve it?

Anyone know how likely she is to actually get accommodation on campus?

I'm starting to think she won't be able to take her place as we can't afford to pay up to £300 pw in accommodation.

I'm not keen for her to go into private rental in her 1st year as its been a tricky road getting her to uni with her not getting her 1st choice so disappointment is already a big factor.

@Oblomov22
DC are encouraged to have an insurance choice. For those in cities that might be ok as they could choose the home university. For everyone else it can be a nightmare. So why even have it? Ditto clearing. Results are not guaranteed so clearing and insurance students need accommodation. They are equal with everyone else.,Therefore offers need to be reduced so students match housing available at the university allowing for inflated grades and deferrals.

In the process, I think it's right that you are 'almost' guaranteed accommodation with your firm. And you know it's not guaranteed for your insurance. I'm happy with that set up. It seems fair. I knew this for ds1 this year.

Why is it fair? Only if you don’t need insurance and some universities don’t even have enough accommodation for firm. It’s limiting just to look at universities with accommodation for all. Can you believe that anyway?

Universities have too many students. Continuing to offer clearing places with no accommodation needs a big red flag. If everyone knew everything about putting down an insurance uni it would be easy. I didn’t know 12 years ago and people don’t know now. Not everyone knows everything without it being flagged up to them.

You’re wrong. Manchester University for example made a BIG deal of guaranteeing accommodation for ALL first years. Presumably to attract candidates who had higher ranking unis as their first choice. They clearly got in above their heads since they’re now sending even some who had it as their FIRM choice and applied for accommodation in the spring to Liverpool. Hardly fair to blame the students in such cases.

My DS had Manchester as his insurance, partly BECAUSE they were guaranteeing accommodation to ALL first years - firm, insurance and clearing. Thankfully he’s going to his first choice and is happy with his accommodation. But what’s happening to so many others who were misled by various universities is horrendous. And in no way their fault, and you’re bang out of order to imply that it is.

Agree with the PP - mine is one of the affected ones at Manchester despite having it as her firm choice which she accepted in Feb. Accommodation application went in months ago..... What more could she/we have done?

Well Im a bit shocked to hear that this is a problem in other places too. Agree with @TizerorFizz that prospective students would not know everything about accommodation difficulties and QML have been less the forthcoming about potential difficulties. I've already had 2 DDs go thru Uni in the last 10 years and this is the 1st time we've had difficulties with 1st yr accommodation.
In my home home town our uni has shedloads of hall accommodation but then it's not what you'd class as prestigious.

A lad with a clearing place at Manchester Met has just been on Radio 5 with nowhere to live. University has a partnership with Huddersfitld Uni. So I guess no one wants Huddersfield! Or their students live at home? Students clearly do not know there’s no accommodation at these universities even when they are in big cities. This lad is looking in Manchester but is finding places are now Airbnbs. The world has changed and unis are way too relaxed about what is acceptable.

I do recognise they are struggling with grade inflation with huge numbers getting the grades but they have had time to think about how they will manage numbers, but they have not done this and over recruited to get the money.

In one way it's comforting to know that DS is not alone, on the other hand it's shocking that there's so many other young people who are literally high and dry and with no support.

DS has set himself a date next week and if nothings resolved by then he will speak to QML about deferring. He seems happier now there's a definite end to the saga in sight, now we just have to hope that QML will allow him to defer 😬

@Champagneforeveryone
I think the Manchester Met statement said they had 250 students with no accommodation. Multiply that a few times because of issues at many universities: it’s thousands affected.

I read 400 at MMet and 350 at University of Manchester, which has now gone down to something like 230 as some have accepted the £2.5k cash offer to give up their rooms and commute.
In the whole country it must be thousands. Glasgow, St Andrews, Bournemouth, Exeter, London, Cardiff all seem to have issues. It's horrible.

@Whalesong
I agree. I only went by what the student said on the programme. They really need to control offers!!

Well DS has just got an email confirming a place in halls, move in on Saturday 😬

Fortunately we were reasonably well prepared already due to the house move, but all the same!! 😆

@Champagneforeveryone
phew! Good news.