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University of Edinburgh Accommodation Thread for Entry 2012/13

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Reply 220
Original post by MedicalMayhem
Hi, I'm a prospective medical student for 2013 entry, and I'm just curious, but what type of food is served in catered accommodation (e.g. at Pollock (I think?) Halls)? I'm just interested to see what you get to eat and etc. I read online something about the JMCC, is this the restaurant/company which caters for the students?

Anyone mind posting what meals are common/what they last had?

Thanks :biggrin:

P.S. I realise that it's not a reason to choose a university, but it's just intriguing :tongue:


This has been answered numerous times before, and in the original post, which I think may be why you got downvoted for asking this. Just for future reference, check the OP before asking, since it's a great resource.

Anyway, all the catered halls are at Pollock, and the food is served in the JMC. This is essentially the canteen, where catered students get given their food. You get breakfast and dinner, but not lunch. Also, food is restricted on weekends and holidays.

The food does not have a good reputation, to be honest. It's not precisely bad, just dull and repetitive. It's made on a huge scale, and it's not haute cuisine. A lot of people end up living on takeaways.
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Original post by NeoNerd
This has been answered numerous times before, and in the original post, which I think may be why you got downvoted for asking this. Just for future reference, check the OP before asking, since it's a great resource.

Anyway, all the catered halls are at Pollock, and the food is served in the JMC. This is essentially the canteen, where catered students get given their food. You get breakfast and dinner, but not lunch. Also, food is restricted on weekends and holidays.

The food does not have a good reputation, to be honest. It's not precisely bad, just dull and repetitive. It's made on a huge scale, and it's not haute cuisine. A lot of people end up living on takeaways.


Well I understand it's in the first post (I did see it :/) it's just all it said is that it's "marginally better than your average school dinner" and etc, so I understand from that viewpoint. But I was curious to what that meant. Like would there be repetitive meals like pasta all the time, or is it bland or...? :redface: I assume you go to Edinburgh, so could you perhaps say what you had today? (I'm just interested :tongue: )
Reply 222
is accomodation first-come, first serve at edinburgh?
Original post by nk2012
is accomodation first-come, first serve at edinburgh?


No, there's a deadline for applying and after that all the applications are considered. Your first, second etc choices don't mean much though.
Original post by MedicalMayhem
Well I understand it's in the first post (I did see it :/) it's just all it said is that it's "marginally better than your average school dinner" and etc, so I understand from that viewpoint. But I was curious to what that meant. Like would there be repetitive meals like pasta all the time, or is it bland or...? :redface: I assume you go to Edinburgh, so could you perhaps say what you had today? (I'm just interested :tongue: )


Hey, here's a link to a sample menu, just scroll down a bit and you should be able to download it!

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/accommodation-services/current-students/catering
Reply 225
Original post by MedicalMayhem
Well I understand it's in the first post (I did see it :/) it's just all it said is that it's "marginally better than your average school dinner" and etc, so I understand from that viewpoint. But I was curious to what that meant. Like would there be repetitive meals like pasta all the time, or is it bland or...? :redface: I assume you go to Edinburgh, so could you perhaps say what you had today? (I'm just interested :tongue: )


I'm a postgraduate student. It's coming up on five years since I came to Edinburgh, so I'm not in halls any more. The sample menu posted is a good indication.
Original post by FadeTogether
Hey, here's a link to a sample menu, just scroll down a bit and you should be able to download it!

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/accommodation-services/current-students/catering


Original post by NeoNerd
I'm a postgraduate student. It's coming up on five years since I came to Edinburgh, so I'm not in halls any more. The sample menu posted is a good indication.


Thanks a lot, I missed that link somehow :redface: Hmm, it looks quite nice, and you get chef's theatre and hot counters both for dinner right? That means you have a choice of around 8 dishes! Seems quite good to me :biggrin:

Do you both enjoy the university experience at Edinburgh?
Reply 227
Hello,

so here's the thing: I just got an offer, and already my parents want to know how much it will cost them to send me off to Edinburgh :redface:

what kind of expenses should I expect?

I want to live in self-catered acoomodation, single room.

So, how much money do you (current students) spend on various things (e.g. food, clothes, entertainment, books&other studies related expenses).

Thank you!
Miriam
Original post by oxymoronic
Does that start with s12xxxxx?

If so, that will be your matric number when you come to Edinburgh. It will form part of your uni email address, will be your exam number and quite literally everything you ever do in terms of admin will be related to that matric number. Everyone has them related to their year of entry, so I was s06xxxxx as I started in 2006.



^
it does indeed. however on the accommodation application form, it asks for a ten digit number that is my student/personal id but my euclid username is only seven numbers and a letter?
Original post by dizzeedollee
^
it does indeed. however on the accommodation application form, it asks for a ten digit number that is my student/personal id but my euclid username is only seven numbers and a letter?


Presumably that is your UCAS applicant id then? Isn't that a 10 digit number?
Original post by oxymoronic
Presumably that is your UCAS applicant id then? Isn't that a 10 digit number?


^
hmmm, that's what i thought too but wouldn't they just call it a ucas number if i was meant to enter my ucas number?
Reply 231
Sorting out your own flat you'd probably pay £300-£330 a month. Uni accomedation costs are here. I think about £320 a month will be the cheapest for that you get a cupboard of a room where as finding your own you'll get a nice big old tenament room. But assuming it hasn't changed with uni flats you get internet and bills included so it's not a rip off really

I have pretty much no money so you can probably consider this as cheap as you can get. My gas and electric are £10 a month (I'm good at finding a deal), my internet is £6, my phone is £5.

I spend £10-20 per week on shopping. I eat a lot and I eat healthy but I cook from scratch (I'm the sort of person who bakes their own beans because it's cheaper). That includes toiletries.

Study costs will vary by course. First and second year tend to have more required textbooks- as a social science student I'd say 4-6 per year at £10-35 each depending on if you can get older editions. I've never had any other course costs apart from printing things out and pens and paper.

I rarely buy clothes unless what I have has fallen apart. I've probably spent less than £100 a year on clothes for the last four years. My mum has always gotten me some clothes for birthdays and Christmas so I have a few nicer pairs of jeans and shirts and stuff.

In first year I went out and drank quite a bit, but I had more money then. About £30 a week on doing out- drink and some pub food. Now I don't go out much. I'd spend £5-10 a week on getting coffees or buying some beer to go to a mates or going to the cinema.

I need to get the bus for work but most students rarely get the bus. It's £3.50 for a day ticket (£1.40 single to go anywhere) and I get two a week.

ETA: my one other expense is gym membership, £100 from August 2011 to August 2012 at the uni gym
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 232
Original post by BKS
Sorting out your own flat you'd probably pay £300-£330 a month. Uni accomedation costs are here. I think about £320 a month will be the cheapest for that you get a cupboard of a room where as finding your own you'll get a nice big old tenament room. But assuming it hasn't changed with uni flats you get internet and bills included so it's not a rip off really

I have pretty much no money so you can probably consider this as cheap as you can get. My gas and electric are £10 a month (I'm good at finding a deal), my internet is £6, my phone is £5.

I spend £10-20 per week on shopping. I eat a lot and I eat healthy but I cook from scratch (I'm the sort of person who bakes their own beans because it's cheaper). That includes toiletries.

Study costs will vary by course. First and second year tend to have more required textbooks- as a social science student I'd say 4-6 per year at £10-35 each depending on if you can get older editions. I've never had any other course costs apart from printing things out and pens and paper.

I rarely buy clothes unless what I have has fallen apart. I've probably spent less than £100 a year on clothes for the last four years. My mum has always gotten me some clothes for birthdays and Christmas so I have a few nicer pairs of jeans and shirts and stuff.

In first year I went out and drank quite a bit, but I had more money then. About £30 a week on doing out- drink and some pub food. Now I don't go out much. I'd spend £5-10 a week on getting coffees or buying some beer to go to a mates or going to the cinema.

I need to get the bus for work but most students rarely get the bus. It's £3.50 for a day ticket (£1.40 single to go anywhere) and I get two a week.

ETA: my one other expense is gym membership, £100 from August 2011 to August 2012 at the uni gym



Thank you very much!
I will go into university accommodation, but I hope to get a spot in self-catered.
Original post by BKS
Sorting out your own flat you'd probably pay £300-£330 a month. Uni accomedation costs are here. I think about £320 a month will be the cheapest for that you get a cupboard of a room where as finding your own you'll get a nice big old tenament room.


Find me a flat with 'nice big old tenament [sic] room:undefined:' within 15 minutes walking distance of George Square that costs £300 a month and that I can heat/power for £10 a month and I'll pay you a finders fee. Unless our definitions of 'big' and 'nice' differ. At this point it's also probably fair to point out to the OP that the costs you mention are if you're sharing with others. I would definitely opt for university accommodation in first year.
Reply 234
Original post by nearlyheadlessian
Find me a flat with 'nice big old tenament [sic] room:undefined:' within 15 minutes walking distance of George Square that costs £300 a month and that I can heat/power for £10 a month and I'll pay you a finders fee. Unless our definitions of 'big' and 'nice' differ. At this point it's also probably fair to point out to the OP that the costs you mention are if you're sharing with others. I would definitely opt for university accommodation in first year.


I'm 30mins from George Square and pay £330. I've always been more 20-30mins from George Square and paid around the same for a room big enough I could get at least 4 double beds in. My gas and electric account is even in credit because we got £100 and something off. I did say to consider it about as cheap as you can get.

And yeah, sharing with others. I don't think I know anyone who lives alone though so I assumed it was obvious.
Original post by BKS
I'm 30mins from George Square and pay £330. I've always been more 20-30mins from George Square and paid around the same for a room big enough I could get at least 4 double beds in. My gas and electric account is even in credit because we got £100 and something off. I did say to consider it about as cheap as you can get.

And yeah, sharing with others. I don't think I know anyone who lives alone though so I assumed it was obvious.


I know plenty of people living alone, hence why it's worth pointing out :smile: Even with a discount of sorts, your power bill seems very low unless you never spend any time at home and don't turn on the heating (which seems unlikely if you live in a big tenement flat).
Reply 236
Original post by nearlyheadlessian
Even with a discount of sorts, your power bill seems very low unless you never spend any time at home and don't turn on the heating (which seems unlikely if you live in a big tenement flat).


We put it on but we aren't silly about it. The heating didn't go on at all until about October. If you've not already put a jumper on and gave it 20mins to see if you feel warmer then you don't put the heating on. Through that time we kept paying the £10 a each (there's 4 of us) so by winter we had extra saved in the account so it wasn't one huge bill
Original post by BKS
We put it on but we aren't silly about it. The heating didn't go on at all until about October. If you've not already put a jumper on and gave it 20mins to see if you feel warmer then you don't put the heating on. Through that time we kept paying the £10 a each (there's 4 of us) so by winter we had extra saved in the account so it wasn't one huge bill


Well yeah, I'm just surprised given that I've been the bill payer in a couple of very different Edinburgh properties, and the idea that you can supply gas and electricity to a four bedroom flat for £40 a month seems a little fanciful, particularly in winter. I've had a higher monthly direct debit for places half that size which have only just come out in credit at the end of the year.
Reply 238
Original post by nearlyheadlessian
Well yeah, I'm just surprised given that I've been the bill payer in a couple of very different Edinburgh properties, and the idea that you can supply gas and electricity to a four bedroom flat for £40 a month seems a little fanciful, particularly in winter. I've had a higher monthly direct debit for places half that size which have only just come out in credit at the end of the year.


Go compare! :smile:

I don't doubt a lot of folk pay more though. As I said, I'm good at cheap
Original post by BKS
We put it on but we aren't silly about it. The heating didn't go on at all until about October. If you've not already put a jumper on and gave it 20mins to see if you feel warmer then you don't put the heating on. Through that time we kept paying the £10 a each (there's 4 of us) so by winter we had extra saved in the account so it wasn't one huge bill


That's normal though (heating not going on until mid Oct, putting on jumpers instead of the heating, always ensuring you have the cheapest deals etc) but everywhere I've lived in Edinburgh and elsewhere in the UK (for the last 7 years and I've moved every year so I've lived in 7 properties) then you're looking at £1 per person per day for gas/electricity and this is pretty constant regardless of the provider or the people you live with. Given very few places in Edinburgh have double glazing and have very little in terms of wall insulation I find it odd that you claim to have spent £140 less in the last 7 months in your 4 bed Edinburgh flat than I have managed to spend in that period in my current 2 bed flat in London which has double glazing, is less than 5 years old and has a lot of energy saving devices. All credit to you if you are getting a quarterly bill of about £120 between 4 of you for gas and electricity - you must live in a magic flat and I would advise you never to move!

That said I always used to kid myself in second year that bills were actually about £10 a month each but when you actually look at the figures it was never the case so I don't know why I used to try and pretend that all of my bills combined were around £20 a month on top of my rent as I was only lying to my own bank balance :s-smilie: I think it was because I had to convince my parents that Edinburgh was affordable and £320 a month rent plus about £40-45 a month on electricity, gas, phone and internet is much closer to £400 which sounded expensive so I told myself what I wanted to believe :s-smilie:

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