Accommodation during sandwich year

TeaandLemonDrizzle · 2023-05-15T05:03:55+00:00

Hi, My son is starting a civil engineering degree in September at Newcastle University. His interest lies in airport and stadium design so the likelihood is that he'll end up in London for his sandwich year. I'm thinking ahead but does anyone know if students on sandwich years can rent student accommodation at another location if it is with a private landlord? I'm just wondering how he is going to do this!

Delphigirl · 15/05/2023 07:20

some of the private student halls in London are tied to specific unis, so eg you have to be a Kings college student to live there. But lots is available to any student. As long as he retains a student ID and email address I think he would be fine.

tealgate · 15/05/2023 07:21

He might find other students on his course also heading to London, so they could find something together. Otherwise, just look at SpareRoom when the time comes and when he knows for sure where he'll be.

SandyIrvin · 15/05/2023 07:31

Sandwich students remain registered as students so can access private student only accommodation. However DD who is starting her sandwich year in Seotember found private accommodation which wasn't marketed at students. Landlord happy to have placement students.

lupinlapain · 15/05/2023 07:31

If he will be earning during his industrial placement, I would be surprised if he was considered a student. He may find he can't live in student accommodation and is liable for council tax etc

Boomboom22 · 15/05/2023 07:33

Isn't it usually only 1st yrs who get student accommodation? When I went to uni I did yr1 in halls then house share for tr2 to 4 including my sandwich year. Last year my housemates were no longer students so we private rented as professionals, my parents were my guarentor

SandyIrvin · 15/05/2023 07:41

DD definitely remains registered as a student whilst on her sandwich year (can access uni facilities like library, medical, sports) and not liable for Council tax. She's sharing with another placement student (on a different course but knows via sport).

fortyfifty · 15/05/2023 08:02

Students doing a paid placement year are still classed as students. They pay a reduced tuition fee to their university.

ChocHotolate · 15/05/2023 08:54

There are loads of private student halls in and around london. Once you know where he will be you can google for student accommodation in that area. I image they book up and fill early for the academic year so you might need to be organised early

Original poster

TeaandLemonDrizzle · 15/05/2023 16:58

Thanks all!

OP posts:

TizerorFizz · 15/05/2023 17:24

@TeaandLemonDrizzle I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but how many civil engineering consultants actually design stadiums and airports? I can tell you - very few! It’s far too narrow for a placement and, if you are looking at Arup, so is everyone else. I would honestly suggest he looks far more broadly at his sandwich year possibilities. I would also make sure he does MEng or getting chartered is a slog. Plus he must do structural engineering for these types of projects but he really needs to keep his ideas broad at this stage. He’s way off designing major projects whilst at university.

Original poster

TeaandLemonDrizzle · 15/05/2023 19:27

TizerorFizz · 15/05/2023 17:24

@TeaandLemonDrizzle I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but how many civil engineering consultants actually design stadiums and airports? I can tell you - very few! It’s far too narrow for a placement and, if you are looking at Arup, so is everyone else. I would honestly suggest he looks far more broadly at his sandwich year possibilities. I would also make sure he does MEng or getting chartered is a slog. Plus he must do structural engineering for these types of projects but he really needs to keep his ideas broad at this stage. He’s way off designing major projects whilst at university.

I know, it’s early days. I’m sure the university will put him on the right path better than I will.

OP posts:

lastdayatschool · 15/05/2023 19:52

@TizerorFizz Given you were bemoaning the lack of ambition/direction of undergraduates on another thread, I thought you'd be encouraged by this young man who has ideas/aspirations about his career interests ?

TizerorFizz · 15/05/2023 21:00

@lastdayatschool
DH is FIStructE and FICE. So I am posting from a position of some knowledge. I absolutely do think ambition is very important. However there’s a difference between being ambitious and myopic. It’s not unusual for young people to have a narrow view of what they want to do. Whether it’s realistic for a sandwich year student is another matter. So looking at a wider range of employers is important. Lots of companies can offer very good experience and they should be investigated too.

There are very many hugely ambitious and fantastic roles in civil engineering. In a sandwich year, it’s important to realise that the biggest, and most well known, companies are hugely competitive. Newcastle isn’t likely to have a fast track to Arup for their sandwich degree students. He really must do MEng too.

TizerorFizz · 15/05/2023 21:26

In fact Newcastle say their industrial placement students might end up applying for 20 placements in order to achieve one. The DS also needs to do structural engineering modules for stadium and airport design. The university will teach him civil engineering if that’s the course he’s doing.