The Student Room Group
Students graduating at Aberystwyth University
Aberystwyth University

The massive disadvantage of Aber that noone is talking about?

I am about to be a 2nd year student, since December I have been looking for housing for next year. Myself and many others, still do not have anywhere to stay. I can tell you that looking for a house has caused me and many other alot of distress, and wasted ALOT of our time.

We have been told by the estate agents that 2010 there was only just enough places for students, they expect not everyone in this year to get one.

Aber Uni completly ignores this issue (except for building a new accommoadation block with a measley 90 beds compared to the hundreds extra needed each year), and are taking on more new students next year than this year! Where will they all go?

The 'Accommodation Office' give next to no help getting a 2nd or 3rd year house. If you are from the UK you have no guarantee you will get somewhere to live in your second year. They have actually been no aid to ANYONE AT ALL. I'm not joking, they are the opposite helpful, giving us false promises just to shoo us away as quickly as possible.

If you are from the UK and thinking of coming to Aberystwyth, I would say don't even bother! It's unspoken, but men generally have it much harder to get a house. Unless your parents are willing to buy a house for your second/ third year, you will spend too much of your free time trying to please Letting Agents, who will smile to your face and stab you in the back, as they casually waste your time.

This is a real issue, the biggest issue Aber should face, but they constantly keep it a quiet as they can, they truly let down their students with this mess. Last year they must of known this problem would reach breaking point this year, but they are prenteding it will solve itself, in the spring of 2012 they will have a catastrophic mess on their hands, it will truly be every student for themselves because the reality will be their will not be enough space.

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That doesn't sound like any kind of fun. What actually happens if you can't get anywhere to stay? Surely they can't still expect you to attend if you haven't got a place to live?

Edit: And you started looking 3 months after you arrived in your first year? Is that right?
(edited 12 years ago)
Students graduating at Aberystwyth University
Aberystwyth University
Reply 2
Yes 3 months in, I will start looking immeaditly this year. It is horrible.

And what is worse is that during the later months, there are lots of horrible quality flats that are priced unfairly and you desperately say to the letting agents, yes we'll take, only for them to let 7 other groups look at it and decide to give it to a random group.

So there are alot of people who have settled for rip off flats out of desperation, at this point, we'd rather be on of them.
Reply 3
wtf is aber?
Reply 4
Original post by brobro
wtf is aber?


Aberystwyth University.
Reply 5
Sooo you tell me this after I've applied, got an offer, met the offer and put money down on first year accommodation? :smile: Thanks for the heads up though, sounds like those applying for 2012 deserve to be able to take this into account.
Reply 6
The OP is correct, unfortunately. :frown: I've been lucky enough to find a place to stay after looking for 6-7 months but it was all a soul crushing experience.

Original post by Wookie42
Sooo you tell me this after I've applied, got an offer, met the offer and put money down on first year accommodation? :smile: Thanks for the heads up though, sounds like those applying for 2012 deserve to be able to take this into account.


My best advice is to find a group of people you can live with ASAP and start looking early on, then you should be fine. This is tough as you only know people for mere weeks at this stage, but it gets much more difficult when you are constantly looking for groups who have a space availible, trust me.

It pisses me off as I hear of no other universitys who have this problem, yet Aber keep accepting more and more people and have a fairly rubbish amount of university accomodation availible anyway.

Original post by Utahraptor27
That doesn't sound like any kind of fun. What actually happens if you can't get anywhere to stay? Surely they can't still expect you to attend if you haven't got a place to live?

Edit: And you started looking 3 months after you arrived in your first year? Is that right?


I've heard of people having to find somewhere to stay in Aber short term until they can find something long term, and even heard of people considering taking a year out.

I started looking about 2 months after, and honestly I think I was fairly late. :rolleyes:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 7
Yep the situation is dreadful. Its very stressful and very time consuming.
Origionally a group of 6 of us started looking for a house towards the end of October and I only secured a flat with one person who was not in the origional 6 by pure chance when they emailed me (They are on my course) saying they had a space and wondered if I wanted to take it. This was in February.

I can tell you the few months looking were soul crushing and more stressful than the subject I was trying to pass. And this is comign from someone who got one in Febuary. My heart goes out to those still looking.

I will also mention that the situation is so desperate that yes, landlords feel they can charge anything they want for flats that are diabolically undermaintained. Its a captive market and they basically know that someone WILL take their flat out of desperation no matter how bad it is or how much it costs. I also believe that some actually advertise some of their worst flats much later on at high prices purely so they get a rush of desperate people willing to pay anything for anything. And believe me some of them are AWFUL. I'm talking freezing cold, damp and falling apart like the king you would find in a Victorian era slum. Some people are also getting houses in towns 30 minutes away...

The landlords themselves are idiots too. One lady asked me how many people I was looking for a house with. She then asked how many boys and girls and I said "2 boys and 4 girls, no sorry its 4 boys and 2 girls" to which she replied "Well it seems like you are just making this up" and hung up on me. Another guy let a load of people see the house he had, he then emailed each group of people basically saying "If you want the house, the deposit is £600 per person (Not sure of exact figure but it was a ridiculous sum of at least £600+, most deposits being around £150 to £250) and the first group to get me all their deposits paid by this time on this date gets the house".

I wouldn't want people to believe that the situation is impossible. It is very stressful and time consuming yes. And yes the Accommodation Office are useless. BUT its only a small fraction of students who end up homeless at the end of their first year and even if you are one of the unlucky ones its not the be all and end all. The ammount of freshers that drop out every year is most likely higher than the ammount of people looking for a house and many of the unlucky ones simply get moved into student accommodation after spending a week in a B&B in the town. There was an empty room in my flat for over half the year after someone left, and a flat in my building had 3 empty rooms most of the year. There were also plenty of people who moved accommodation, meaning there is almost certainly enough space for homeless second years.
Reply 8
''BUT its only a small fraction of students who end up homeless at the end of their first year and even if you are one of the unlucky ones its not the be all and end all.''

Well a friend of mine said that in summer 2010 the accomadation office only just managed to get all the homeless students somewhere to live by the END of Freshers week!

Aber Uni has taken on 500 extra students, estate agents have told me that he has never seen anything like this year before, and assured us not everyone will get somewhere to live. I was optomisitc, but now I know he will certainly be correct.

Next year (this September), Aber will take on even more extra students, I've heard that it will be 800 extra. Even if it was just 300 extra it would be ridiculous.

They have no plan to deal with this, and it's wrong they don't warn students on open days that so much of their time will be looking for a home.

I think if I do manage to get a house I deserve a second degree!
Forgive this probably stupid question, but what'll happen in the third year? If you've got a house for year 2, can you hang onto it until year 3 or does it get knackered up with housemates going away for the summer and stuff? Basically, is this a yearly nightmare or one long one at the start?

Also, do you guys look for a house for September or is it best to get in early and just stay in Aber for the summer after your first year? Cheers.
Original post by MGlass
I am about to be a 2nd year student, since December I have been looking for housing for next year. Myself and many others, still do not have anywhere to stay. I can tell you that looking for a house has caused me and many other alot of distress, and wasted ALOT of our time.

We have been told by the estate agents that 2010 there was only just enough places for students, they expect not everyone in this year to get one.

Aber Uni completly ignores this issue (except for building a new accommoadation block with a measley 90 beds compared to the hundreds extra needed each year), and are taking on more new students next year than this year! Where will they all go?

The 'Accommodation Office' give next to no help getting a 2nd or 3rd year house. If you are from the UK you have no guarantee you will get somewhere to live in your second year. They have actually been no aid to ANYONE AT ALL. I'm not joking, they are the opposite helpful, giving us false promises just to shoo us away as quickly as possible.

If you are from the UK and thinking of coming to Aberystwyth, I would say don't even bother! It's unspoken, but men generally have it much harder to get a house. Unless your parents are willing to buy a house for your second/ third year, you will spend too much of your free time trying to please Letting Agents, who will smile to your face and stab you in the back, as they casually waste your time.

This is a real issue, the biggest issue Aber should face, but they constantly keep it a quiet as they can, they truly let down their students with this mess. Last year they must of known this problem would reach breaking point this year, but they are prenteding it will solve itself, in the spring of 2012 they will have a catastrophic mess on their hands, it will truly be every student for themselves because the reality will be their will not be enough space.


http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/aberystwyth/2011/03/11/university-to-build-residential-student-village-91466-28316884/

Nonsense.

'A UNIVERSITY head says plans for a multi-million- pound student village development will underline its place as a student destination.

Aberystwyth University Pro Vice-Chancellor, Rebecca Davies, welcomed the plans for a new halls of residence which will provide accommodation for 1,000 students.

The potential development would represent an increase of 500 beds on current levels, as well as replacing existing accommodation.

The project will also feature enhanced learning and communal zones in keeping with Aberystwyth’s progressive approach.


“Aberystwyth offers one of the best student experiences in the UK,” she said.

“This project represents the biggest single strategic element of the university’s strategic plan and underlines its commitment to improving the quality of the accommodation it has to offer to students, with an emphasis on self-catering en-suite facilities.”

On Tuesday the university issued a contract notice via the Official Journal of the European Union, inviting expressions of interest from potential developers.

The development, subject to planning, will be located on Penglais farm, on land immediately behind the existing award-winning Pentre Jane Morgan student village. Construction of the new halls is not expected to begin until the autumn of 2012 at the earliest.

The construction cost is expected to be in the region of £40m to £45m.

Aberystwyth University currently has 3,500 residential places under its ownership and management.

Meanwhile the university says they have no plans to extend the Pentre Jane Morgan student village or to develop new student residences in Bow Street as previously speculated.

Pantycelyn halls of residence will remain open as a hall of residence for Welsh-speaking students.

Last year Aberystwyth Guild of Students said a surge in recruitment since 2007 had put pressure on the private housing sector.

The guild argued that this was forcing some students to drop out, after 37 foreign students were faced with uncertainty over their academic careers after failing to find anywhere to live.

Although all 37 were eventually housed, the guild said it had seen a decline in the number of returning students allowed back into halls of residence.'



Yeah, they totally ignore the issue yet are investing millions and millions of pounds into new accommodation. Sounds to me like sour grapes and you were not quick enough in finding a place to be honest. Most of my mates there had a place for this upcoming September sorted by January at the latest.
Reply 11


Forgive me, but are you even at Aber? I thought you were a prospective fresher.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Wookie42
Forgive me, but are you even at Aber? I thought you were a prospective fresher.


I am a prospective fresher but I have 2 mates already there who found places with ease.

Plus Aber is investing massively into a new student village on the back end of PJM. :smile:

I research my uni's before I choose them. No need to apologise :wink:
Reply 13
I can assure you I did not apply late, at most unis you would be fine searching for housing at the end of your second semester! I was advised not to start searching until Janurary, but started in December to try and get and edge, how misguided I was.

''Construction of the new halls is not expected to begin until the autumn of 2012 at the earliest.''

Which means it won't be finished til at least 2013. The demand for those beds is now!

My year they took on 500 extra, this September they plan to take on 800 extra. Then in the year after who knows, even if 300 extra, those new beds have already been surpassed.

I am giving people fair advice that my year has not been given. I am telling it how it is, which the accomadation office will never do, because they either really don't understand the problem or really don't care. The other students have also echoed this.

Aber is a good uni, but this issue is a biggie, they are taking on new students at a irresponsible rate.
Original post by MGlass
I can assure you I did not apply late, at most unis you would be fine searching for housing at the end of your second semester! I was advised not to start searching until Janurary, but started in December to try and get and edge, how misguided I was.

''Construction of the new halls is not expected to begin until the autumn of 2012 at the earliest.''

Which means it won't be finished til at least 2013. The demand for those beds is now!

My year they took on 500 extra, this September they plan to take on 800 extra. Then in the year after who knows, even if 300 extra, those new beds have already been surpassed.

I am giving people fair advice that my year has not been given. I am telling it how it is, which the accomadation office will never do, because they either really don't understand the problem or really don't care. The other students have also echoed this.

Aber is a good uni, but this issue is a biggie, they are taking on new students at a irresponsible rate.


Thats fair enough but according to that report all the students were eventually found a place, 37 of them.

I can understand your frustration though.
Reply 15
Original post by AreYouDizzeeBlud_x
Yeah, they totally ignore the issue yet are investing millions and millions of pounds into new accommodation. Sounds to me like sour grapes and you were not quick enough in finding a place to be honest. Most of my mates there had a place for this upcoming September sorted by January at the latest.


That isn't all that helpful for those of us who are/were looking for accomodation this year. It's frustrating that they didn't see this coming several years ago before it happened.
Original post by SiobhanC
That isn't all that helpful for those of us who are/were looking for accomodation this year. It's frustrating that they didn't see this coming several years ago before it happened.


I said I can understand your frustration but surely if you speak with the university and make them aware that you're no longer going to be able to study there unless they help you find a place they will help. After all, if you drop out after year one they miss out on the chance of thousands of pounds in tuition fees as they wouldn't be paid for the following years as you no longer study there.

Yes I understand it can be frustrating, especially when you just want to get your head down and learn and do the best you can and have a good time at the same time but that in reality is life, and times are hard. Im sure there will always be people at Aber ready to help those who haven't got a place. The accommodation office may not care, they'll probably only care about those who have on campus accommodation.

Think of it this way.

You're on a 4 year sandwich degree. You drop out after the 1st year.

thats 3 years they missed out on. 2 years full tuition fees paid, 1 year part tuition fees. Lets say the sum is around £9,000, as it would be. If 10 students drop out due to not being able to find accommodation then thats £90,000 grand lost on those years. In todays climate when every establishment or business is trying to scrimp and save, thats a lot of money, money that will help them.

In the article it states all 37 students struggling to find a place were eventually found a place, that alone tells me Aber are not dismissing the issue and are doing the best they can with private owners of property to get students into housing. Yes it may hard to find it and may take long but unfortunately thats how life pans out sometimes, especially when it comes to the property market which can be an extreme pain in the ass in todays world.
Reply 17
I hate to say it because I love Aber but the accommodation situation is, for want of a better word, crepe.

The university and town are quite simply full and the university doesn't actually care. @AreYouDizzeeBlud_x, no matter what you may think as someone who has been through it I can tell you they really do not care and all you are reading is the stuff they want you to read. I heard that drop outs due to lack of housing alone is (these are not confirmed) up to 100 people.

Two examples and a piece of advice from someone about to start their third year. When I was searching for a house and failing my friends and I went to the Accommodation Office for help and, no kidding, the advice we were given was "look for houses in estate agents, windows and online". What did they think we had been doing, an we had to make an appointment to get that. Second example is the price, I eventually got a flat and it is basically very expensive. I have been told that its cost wouldn't look out of place in a listing for Cardiff Bay, it costs more than it did for my family to rent a 3 bed detached house per month.

My bit of advice is ignore what the university tell you, they say houses are available and don't look until after Christmas, it is rubbish, start looking as soon as possible.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Dave4468
I hate to say it because I love Aber but the accommodation situation is, for want of a better word, crepe.

The university and town are quite simply full and the university doesn't actually care. @AreYouDizzeeBlud_x, no matter what you may think as someone who has been through it I can tell you they really do not care and all you are reading is the stuff they want you to read. I heard that drop outs due to lack of housing alone is (these are not confirmed) up to 100 people.


Fair enough, their loss though. Seems extremely daft to be missing out on hundreds of thousands of pounds because they can't get students housed.
Reply 19
Original post by AreYouDizzeeBlud_x
Fair enough, their loss though. Seems extremely daft to be missing out on hundreds of thousands of pounds because they can't get students housed.


That would make sense but they just keep accepting more and more people.

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