University of Bristol accommodation and experience

[luckybees]

DD had an offer from Bristol and I think she is going to accept it. What is the situation with the accommodation? The sooner she accepts the sooner can she choose? And what is the best halls to be in? We have not seen the accommodation as she had a private tour regarding her course as we couldn’t go to Open day.

I heard there are lots of drugs there. What is your child experience?

She had her eyes on IC, haven’t heard from them and after seeing Bristol she seems very keen on it and not sure about IC anymore,

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you. That is great to hear. Will mention it to DD regarding accommodation at Stoke Bishop

Any tips on working out work the algorithm?? DC will probably go for Stoke Bishops if it's more sociable, and ideally catered.

My DD went there some years ago now but had only just turned 18 in August. Resourceful and sensible! She was the fist year the bus from Stoke Bishop was included in the fees - 2010. However no on-line lectures back then so bus was used. Maybe fewer using it now? All of Stoke Bishop halls are ok and private school dc more likely to be in Churchill or Wills but you don’t see much difference in who spends what. State school dc aren’t poor in many cases. DD enjoyed meeting all sorts of students.

I think the halls in the centre are more expensive because many are new. En suite will cost! I would say most halls will provide friends and a social life. Sport is nearer to Stoke Bishop - bars are nearer city centre halls and university itself is nearer Clifton halls. Goldney has always been super popular due to location. Dd never found getting the bus back to SB an issue and you certainly take more time travelling in London to and from university. London students scatter everywhere too from year 1 onwards and money very much determines where they live!

I think Bristol offers students a lot and has good transport links and lots going on within and outside the university. I would advise dd to go with the flow!

DD is in her last year, started 2023. One of the oldest in her year so just 19 on starting.

She was allocated Frogmore House which was her third choice and about £750 a month for an en suite, self-catering room with a small double bed. Looked a little dated in the pics but on arrival we were delighted to find it had been refurbished. There were a few minor issues over the year but the kind of thing that could crop up anywhere. Bit slow to be dealt with but nothing appalling. Really central which was great.

Year 2 and 3 the hunt for student houses starts early, it's cut throat and can be expensive. DD ended up in Clifton - great area but the house itself was appalling. Luckily some friends a year ahead were moving on so they put a word in with their landlord and she and her flatmates took that over for third year - really lovely maisonette with a garden in Redland. Costs around £700-750 a month plus utilities on top.

DD is a good cook and eats well on around £35/40 a week. I top her up with storecupboard supplies when she comes home in the holidays. The big supermarkets are all out of town, but she has her car there now so it's easier to get out to Lidl or Aldi. She has a decent social life too but they mostly do 'pres' at someone's house then don't drink too much while they're out, and will frequently hook up wihh to other friends going their way and walk home rather than getting cabs, although Ubers are pretty good in Bristol as are the buses.

There are a lot of drugs, but not sure it's significantly worse than other uni towns/cities. Ket seems to be the main thing, but there's never really been any pressure to get involved - it's by no means a case of 'everyone is doing it'.

Dd is also in Redland. Going up to £950 per month plus bills.

but she adores Bristol and has never been happier

I know! She was going to go to Cardiff with was around £150 a week.

My dad and I and my sister all had to chip in for rent as student finance wasn’t enough to cover it

Mine loves it too.

I think I'd take 950 for another year - mine is off to LSE to do her masters any heads spinning at how TF we're going to fund it!

DD has another year in Bristol - who knows where she will be off to next……..though I’d guess staying in Bristol, she’s happy

The Newport hall was always the overflow hall. Obviously no one puts it as first choice! Bristol does not list a single residence at £350 a week. So I assume this was private. Insurance students always have difficulty at Bristol in terms of accommodation but their accommodation has a variety of price points as you would expect.

It was her insurance so all accommodation had gone….she had people commuting from Newport on her course as the couldn’t get into halls

@Blushingm Yes I know Bristol has had insurance accommodation issues for years. My dd was insurance too at Bristol. The Newport hall has been listed as Bristol accommodation recently so of course they commute. It’s certainly not great and when dd went they just said find a house share. In the end she got a place in a Bristol hall but it’s difficult. However the official Bristol accommodation for self catered is not £350 a week. I might have considered withdrawing and starting again.

My DD started at Bristol last year and is loving it. She wanted catered hall with a en-suite shower room. She applied for Wills Halls and that what she got. She is enjoying her full English breakfast most mornings, which means she doesn’t need to buy lunch. She had a Gap year and all students on her floor have had a Gap year, which she says is great as they don’t talk about school.

I’m not sure the catered halls are wildly over subscribed though. The en suites are expensive. DD was given a shared room (it wasn’t really) in the old quad and it had a shared bathroom. Enjoyable year though and she had lunch with a flatmate last week!