Imperial College Accommodation

Apparently there was some construction going on in the top floor last year which was really noisy.
I've also heard that despite the fact that rooms ought to be cleaned every month, they aren't really.
Lastly, apparently since Imperial neither owns nor runs the hall, there are some issues with management where issues are not addressed as quickly and effectively as one may hope for.
Could you please dispel these (would-be) misconceptions of mine?
Thanks

I personally really hate it here, but that's my 2 cents! I live in the library now because my room is disgustingly hot and my neighbour is very annoying( the walls are so thin here I heard him jerking off the other day. Not nice to sleep to!). My room isn't cleaned once a week, in the first 3 months I had in cleaned 4 times with the excuse of "the cleaner was ill" even though my friend's room is cleaned on the same day on our floor.
Also because Imperial doesnt own the hall, Imperial wifi and eduroam aren't available so there is no wifi in rooms and you can have a maximum of 2 devices connected to their rubbish wifi in the kitchen(most days it doesnt work) and by ether cable(also very poor internet by ether cable too)
4th floor also has no study room & the kitchen is over 30 degrees daily, the kitchen for one half is absolutely tiny(for 5 people 1 fridge) and the other kitchen is also really small but 11 people and 2 fridges.
If you like the tourist bits (I rarely go so it was pointless for me and not worth all the rubbish) then you might like it here.

Reply 1161

bubblewubbles

Original post by AdKay

Was just wondering if many people apply for southside/eastside, wondering if its quite competitive?

Because you have to put down 5 choices, yes all the rooms are competitive. It's completely random(I personally didnt even get a room that I put down) so I dont know if "competitive" is the right word :wink:

Reply 1162

bubblewubbles

Original post by dj3k

Sorry if this question has already been asked but I literally sent of my application a few minutes ago and was wondering why the hell they want to know our hobbies and whether we sleep before 23:00!??? I just wrote no for the question that asks whether you regularly stay up later than 23:00 because I didn't want to look like I would be overly rowdy or cause any trouble and stuff but will it affect what choice I get?
:smile:

People claim it's about who you're paired up with but I've seen no evidence of it myself lol :P

Reply 1163

ssshah2

12

Original post by bubblewubbles

I personally really hate it here, but that's my 2 cents! I live in the library now because my room is disgustingly hot and my neighbour is very annoying( the walls are so thin here I heard him jerking off the other day. Not nice to sleep to!). My room isn't cleaned once a week, in the first 3 months I had in cleaned 4 times with the excuse of "the cleaner was ill" even though my friend's room is cleaned on the same day on our floor.
Also because Imperial doesnt own the hall, Imperial wifi and eduroam aren't available so there is no wifi in rooms and you can have a maximum of 2 devices connected to their rubbish wifi in the kitchen(most days it doesnt work) and by ether cable(also very poor internet by ether cable too)
4th floor also has no study room & the kitchen is over 30 degrees daily, the kitchen for one half is absolutely tiny(for 5 people 1 fridge) and the other kitchen is also really small but 11 people and 2 fridges.
If you like the tourist bits (I rarely go so it was pointless for me and not worth all the rubbish) then you might like it here.

Wow, thanks for the heads up!
Will certainly take it into consideration

Reply 1164

bubblewubbles

Original post by ssshah2

Wow, thanks for the heads up!
Will certainly take it into consideration

Also we have a mouse problem, friend's just had one in her room but they said they called rentokil only a week ago-obv not 😓

Reply 1165

HurricaneApple

3

Can anyone give me some info about Parsons House, I can't really seem to find much. And does anyone know how many people share a bathroom in Parsons House or any of the halls if I choose a room without an ensuite? I wouldn't mind it if I shared with only a few people.

Reply 1166

Mufinator

1

Sup guys. I just recently applied for the accommodation at Imperial and was just wondering about the significance of the main hobbies part of the application process. How much does it attribute to the pairing process?
When I applied I just put a few key words and didn't really give it much thought but now that I think about it I should have been more specific about one of the hobbies I listed, music. I don't believe many people would like to be paired with a metalhead.
Thanks to anyone who replies.

Reply 1167

mkwhater

6

Original post by Mufinator

Sup guys. I just recently applied for the accommodation at Imperial and was just wondering about the significance of the main hobbies part of the application process. How much does it attribute to the pairing process?When I applied I just put a few key words and didn't really give it much thought but now that I think about it I should have been more specific about one of the hobbies I listed, music. I don't believe many people would like to be paired with a metalhead.Thanks to anyone who replies.

you're probably right :P. I put down "EDM music", the system probably scans what everyone wrote and assigns people tags or something. That being said I doubt it would be that in depth to pick up EDM it will probably tag us both with music or something. I guess after it tags everyone the people with similar tags get put together

Reply 1168

Mufinator

1

Original post by mkwhater

you're probably right :P. I put down "EDM music", the system probably scans what everyone wrote and assigns people tags or something. That being said I doubt it would be that in depth to pick up EDM it will probably tag us both with music or something. I guess after it tags everyone the people with similar tags get put together

It is possible that if enough people put EDM then the system will pick up on the trends and allocate people accordingly. That being said people that put Music would be more randomly paired.
It still all down to chance as there might be people that put down more interests that will most likely end up being paired with people that match more of those interests rather than all of the interests. Also people of similar interests might have chosen different halls.

Reply 1169

Ambre

8

I may be taking a gap year but I'm not completely sure, should I apply for accommodation anyway?

Also...how fancy are the balls/formals? (not sure what kind of dress to bring)

Reply 1170

jammyjosh

1

For those in Wilson House, does anyone know the kitchen arrangements for the en-suite rooms because I have heard that they are in an annex?

Reply 1171

mln98

On the information page about Wilson House it says: "It's close to St Mary's Campus in bustling Paddington and you'll have free access to the gym and pool there." but then on the compare undergraduate halls page in the facilities table it says Wilson house doesn't have gym facilities?
Does anyone know whether the facilities are included or what they mean?

Also, does anyone know the difference between the Xenia en-suit single rooms that have 3 different prices? Is it just size? If so, how big is the difference?

Thanks in advance

Reply 1172

oShahpo

20

Original post by Ambre

I may be taking a gap year but I'm not completely sure, should I apply for accommodation anyway?

Also...how fancy are the balls/formals? (not sure what kind of dress to bring)

No, they'll send you an E-Mail next year.
Btw, if you're thinking of doing some charity work, look into this:
http://www.cityyear.org.uk/
They're currently recruiting. They pay around a 100 pounds a week, which is decent for a charity job.

Reply 1173

bwr19

2

Current Imperial student here prepared to answer any questions, clear up any misconceptions and chat with you guys!

Original post by mln98

On the information page about Wilson House it says: "It's close to St Mary's Campus in bustling Paddington and you'll have free access to the gym and pool there." but then on the compare undergraduate halls page in the facilities table it says Wilson house doesn't have gym facilities?
Does anyone know whether the facilities are included or what they mean?

Also, does anyone know the difference between the Xenia en-suit single rooms that have 3 different prices? Is it just size? If so, how big is the difference?

Thanks in advance

I am not sure about that gym but remember all Imperial students can use Ethos in Princes Gardens - most people I knew from Wilson did that.

The Xenia room prices are just to do with floorspace - nothing else. And rooms on the top floor are more expensive (don't bother though, it's really not worth the extra - In my opinion the top floor is worse). Xenia was where I spent my first year.

Original post by jammyjosh

For those in Wilson House, does anyone know the kitchen arrangements for the en-suite rooms because I have heard that they are in an annex?

Yep, en-suite rooms use the annex - the annex kitchen is absolutely massive since a lot of people use it. It's quite nice in my opinion.

Original post by Ambre

I may be taking a gap year but I'm not completely sure, should I apply for accommodation anyway?

Also...how fancy are the balls/formals? (not sure what kind of dress to bring)

The balls aren't very fancy - they're formal and the guys where a suit and (bow)tie. Most girls wear a smart dress or skirt but you don't need a ball gown or anything like that. It's more like a party than a proper ball.

Original post by Mufinator

Sup guys. I just recently applied for the accommodation at Imperial and was just wondering about the significance of the main hobbies part of the application process. How much does it attribute to the pairing process?
When I applied I just put a few key words and didn't really give it much thought but now that I think about it I should have been more specific about one of the hobbies I listed, music. I don't believe many people would like to be paired with a metalhead.
Thanks to anyone who replies.

They do try to match based on your interests, but it's not the only thing they match you on. I'm fairly sure things like ethnicity and your subject choice come into play, too - I know lots of people who have/had roommates studying the same subject as them. Similarly, I know lots of Chinese people who were paired with other Chinese people (and equally for other ethnicities).

Original post by AdKay

Was just wondering if many people apply for southside/eastside, wondering if its quite competitive?

Yep, extremely competitive - probably the most popular two halls.

Reply 1174

N92991

5

Original post by bwr19

Current Imperial student here prepared to answer any questions, clear up any misconceptions and chat with you guys!

I am not sure about that gym but remember all Imperial students can use Ethos in Princes Gardens - most people I knew from Wilson did that.

The Xenia room prices are just to do with floorspace - nothing else. And rooms on the top floor are more expensive (don't bother though, it's really not worth the extra - In my opinion the top floor is worse). Xenia was where I spent my first year.

Yep, en-suite rooms use the annex - the annex kitchen is absolutely massive since a lot of people use it. It's quite nice in my opinion.

The balls aren't very fancy - they're formal and the guys where a suit and (bow)tie. Most girls wear a smart dress or skirt but you don't need a ball gown or anything like that. It's more like a party than a proper ball.

They do try to match based on your interests, but it's not the only thing they match you on. I'm fairly sure things like ethnicity and your subject choice come into play, too - I know lots of people who have/had roommates studying the same subject as them. Similarly, I know lots of Chinese people who were paired with other Chinese people (and equally for other ethnicities).

Yep, extremely competitive - probably the most popular two halls.

Hi, Ill probably be buying a lot of stuff online after i move in, like a smartphone and other expensive items. Just wanted to ask how the process goes for such deliveries inthe halls. Should i be afraid of someone taking it for themselves when im in a class or anything like that?

Reply 1175

username938249

10

Original post by N92991

Hi, Ill probably be buying a lot of stuff online after i move in, like a smartphone and other expensive items. Just wanted to ask how the process goes for such deliveries inthe halls. Should i be afraid of someone taking it for themselves when im in a class or anything like that?

You get your own mailbox which is locked (at least it is in Beit where I stayed) - if you're in a twin room your roomie uses the same one though. Anything that doesn't fit into the mailbox is received and signed for by the security, you get an e-mail prompting you to pick up your stuff asap and you need to show your ID and sign to get your parcels.

Reply 1176

Cake44

1

Original post by bwr19

Current Imperial student here prepared to answer any questions, clear up any misconceptions and chat with you guys!
....

Thanks for taking your time in answering our questions.

I'm in the process of choosing halls. I am looking for a single room that's close to campus, which led me to: Southside, Eastside, Beit, Wilson

I'm however having quite a lot of trouble deciding on my 5th choice.

I'm quite tempted to put down Woodward because of how new it looks. However, commuting does seem to be a problem. As a current student, do you know anyone who lives in North Acton? Do they think it's a hassle to commute such distances everyday?

If it is inconvenient to commute from Woodward, then I may just put down Eastside double as my 5th choice. As others have mentioned, it is quite competitive to get in, so it's unlikely I'll get it anyway... In the off chance that I do though, do you think it would be possible to swap with someone else with a single?

Reply 1177

1010marina

16

I'm considering Woodward, Costume Store, Beit (/Eastside/Southside), Pembridge, Wilson and Xenia en-suite singles.

Can anybody help me weigh up the fact that the Beit hall is £3500/year more expensive BUT doesn't have a 30-40 minute commute as the rest do. Are the Imperial hours truly 9-5 everyday as they made out at interview & does this mean that the commute is just too much? Is there a good atmosphere are the Action accomodation sites? They LOOK fantastic but I don't want to end up having a rubbish first year. Equally I've heard South/East Side halls are a bit 'stale' so I'm looking at Beit hall in particular but slightly worried about how rowdy it will be?

Any information about these halls (particularly the Acton ones) would be fab thanks :smile:

Reply 1178

username938249

10

Original post by 1010marina

I'm considering Woodward, Costume Store, Beit (/Eastside/Southside), Pembridge, Wilson and Xenia en-suite singles.

Can anybody help me weigh up the fact that the Beit hall is £3500/year more expensive BUT doesn't have a 30-40 minute commute as the rest do. Are the Imperial hours truly 9-5 everyday as they made out at interview & does this mean that the commute is just too much? Is there a good atmosphere are the Action accomodation sites? They LOOK fantastic but I don't want to end up having a rubbish first year. Equally I've heard South/East Side halls are a bit 'stale' so I'm looking at Beit hall in particular but slightly worried about how rowdy it will be?

Any information about these halls (particularly the Acton ones) would be fab thanks :smile:

It largely depends on what you study and what clubs and societies you will do. If you are an engineering student you can expect a fair share of 9-5 days + some evenings spent on club activities. I stayed in Beit last year and the level of rowdiness depends on several things, e.g. your floormates, whether your room is facing the quad or not and time of year. I'd recommend Beit - even though I was never the party type I had a good time there :smile:

Reply 1179

dragonxi

1