The Student Room Group
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh

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Reply 80
oxymoronic
I've never been to RC but have friends currently living there, and friends who lived there in my first year - being on Cowgate it can be very noisy and it isn't really very pretty in terms of the location or building. But this depends on what kind of person you are - if you want to live in the middle of one of the main clubbing areas and have a bar/club as the ground floor to your building then you will probably be quite happy as the plus side is it is very quick to get to George Square/Tescos etc and obviously there aren't any long walks when you come home after a night out (although in any of the central accommodation you're only looking at 15 mins walk from Cowgate) But if you don't want to sleep with ear plugs etc and work in your room rather than the library then it might not be the best choice. The same is the case with Kincades Court and College Wynd which are also on Cowgate.


I've been to Robertson's Close; not seen inside the rooms but the kitchens are generous compared to the other flats. I didn't like the stairwells, and the place felt slightly small in a way that I wasn't quite sure whether it was just "cosy" or a tad claustrophobic. Higher rooms facing Holyrood have a good view though. The decor is much the same as any of the others. Living on top of Rush is a mixed blessing, you get the noise but you also get easy access to a £1 vodka & mixer! Robertson's also has some mixed-sex 6 person flats (or at least it does this year) whereas most blocks are exclusively single-sex flats (the main exception being the legendary 10/12-person flats in Kincaid's Court, which are mainly split half-and-half, though I know of one 10-person that's all girls and a 12 that's a 9/3 split girls to boys, not quite sure how that happened). College Wynd doesn't seem to be well-liked, it's right next to Kincaid's but only has small flats.
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Reply 81
If you get a conditional offer and firm it can you apply for accommodation or do you have to wait until a conditional becomes unconditional?
star_zone
If you get a conditional offer and firm it can you apply for accommodation or do you have to wait until a conditional becomes unconditional?


As explained in the OP, if you have an offer from Edinburgh and even remotely anticipate attending, you should apply for accommodation once applications open.
Hi all. I'm currently 1st year at The Edinburgh University. Several friends of mine and I are looking for a flat next year but have several questions. As we won't be here for the summer we would like to rent the flat from September/August. Is it too early for such flats? Because most of the flats are available from July/June. Do we have to wait a bit more or it would be too late then? And how much will an agency fee us more than, say, StudentHomes (the one which is owned by the Uni). Thanks in advance :smile:
Reply 84
I'm still struggling to know where to apply for!
I've narrowed it down to:
Darroch Court
East Newington Place
Fraser Court
Hermit's Croft
New Arthur Place
5 Nicolson St. & 5 S. College St.
Robertson Close
Sciennes 1 & 2
South Clerk Street
Warrender Park Crescent
Warrender Park Road

But I have no idea where to go from here!
Also, I'm going to be out of the country for all of March so wont be able to apply until I return. Is this any disadvantage?

Thanks
Reply 85
I'm an American student, and the UK system of offering so much choice for single rooms is foreign to me. Here, having a roommate is an important part of the fresher year socialization process.

Which do people recommend -- single or double?

Is it harder to make friends/find people to socialize with when you're in a single set up?
Reply 86
beniorio
I'm an American student, and the UK system of offering so much choice for single rooms is foreign to me. Here, having a roommate is an important part of the fresher year socialization process.

Which do people recommend -- single or double?

Is it harder to make friends/find people to socialize with when you're in a single set up?


From what I've read (which is a lot because I'm TOO excited :biggrin:) the double rooms are just the same size as a single with a bunk bed put in, and it sucks, unless you luck out and get a huge room in Chancellor's Court.

Besides, if you're in Pollock you'll have all the people on your hall and if you're in a flat you'll have your flatmates; it's not like you'll be isolated in a single room. And then there will be people on your course or in societies, so I wouldn't worry about making friends.

It does save a lot of money to go for a double room, though.
Reply 87
beniorio
I'm an American student, and the UK system of offering so much choice for single rooms is foreign to me. Here, having a roommate is an important part of the fresher year socialization process.

Which do people recommend -- single or double?

Is it harder to make friends/find people to socialize with when you're in a single set up?


Here it's pretty much expected that you have the right to your own room, indeed I didn't realise you could actually apply for twin rooms (maybe a new thing this year?), I thought they were only allocated to fit more students in in busy years. Certainly there was no self-catered twin option last year where as there now seems to be.

The lack of a roommate shouldn't make any difference socially unless you get on with them really well in which case I suppose it helps keep you close... but I wouldn't be happy at all if I had to share a room with the person currently next door to me! You meet people in the communal areas - for this reason you might be better off choosing blocks with larger flats if you're going self-catered so you're not locked in with only a small number of others.
I tried applying for accommodation today, but the form it comes up with is for 2009/10.
Should I continue with the application anyway?
MusicWithRocksIn
I tried applying for accommodation today, but the form it comes up with is for 2009/10.
Should I continue with the application anyway?


wait a couple of days... the form normally is delayed in being put online so when they say you can apply from X date, it has (over the last few years) actually been a few weeks later from that date. The same thing also happens with accommodation offers.

janey91
x


Any on your list is fine - if you'd read the first post you'd see there is very little difference between any of the self catered residences so where you pick is up to you... get a map and see where in the city you want to live then do it this way :smile: literally, it is pretty much nothing to chose between them! also, you probably won't end up in any of the places you chose anyway so there isn't any point in worrying about it... its more than likely that you'll just get allocated somewhere random in the long run. And no, it makes no difference whether you apply for acccommodation now or in August. Edinburgh does not opperate a first come first served policy at all.

martinmarinov
x


Do not live in any of the university owned properties after first year - they're the worst landlords ever and you can get something far better and for less money. Likewise, don't rent with Grant Management.

No, properties for august/sept won't come up for rent until may sort of time, usually into june and july... you're too early :smile: although people looking for june/july start dates are also too early at the moment!! Most flats won't come up until after easter kind of time... go to a few flat viewings this semester to see what you can get for your money in different areas of the city etc but hold out until exams/after exams and then the start dates you're wanting will start to surface. Look at the second post on the first page of this thread for some stuff we've put together about renting privately in Edinburgh :smile:
oxymoronic
...

Cheers, mate! :beerglass:
Reply 91
So I've narrowed down my accommodation options, essentialy by choosing the cheapest ones.

I'm thinking of going for South College Street, but wanted to know whether it was really noisy and that? Because I've seen some of the flats are on Cowgate which is quite loud and I'd prefer to be away from that - sleep is very important to me :P

Also, a lot of stuff on here says you probably won't get your first choice accommodation.... do they allow you to set a limit of what you can afford? Because, for me, even the £81 a week s/c is pushing it - I really, really couldn't manage if I was placed in Pollock where it's about £145 a week. Or, if I am placed there, do I have an opportunity to change it before I go?
Rosie0914
So I've narrowed down my accommodation options, essentialy by choosing the cheapest ones.

I'm thinking of going for South College Street, but wanted to know whether it was really noisy and that? Because I've seen some of the flats are on Cowgate which is quite loud and I'd prefer to be away from that - sleep is very important to me :P

Also, a lot of stuff on here says you probably won't get your first choice accommodation.... do they allow you to set a limit of what you can afford? Because, for me, even the £81 a week s/c is pushing it - I really, really couldn't manage if I was placed in Pollock where it's about £145 a week. Or, if I am placed there, do I have an opportunity to change it before I go?


It's all the in OP :wink: They don't allow you to set a limit on what you can afford (but with a working knowledge of what is available to students in the way of finance you should surely be fine with anything that is under £100 a week). If you're made an offer for Pollock that's all you'll get - as I say in the OP, you get one offer and one offer only. There have been a couple of instances of people managing to get second offers but they had mitigating circumstances (far more so than lack of affordability I'm afraid, so probably not relevant to you).
Rosie0914
I really, really couldn't manage if I was placed in Pollock where it's about £145 a week. Or, if I am placed there, do I have an opportunity to change it before I go?


I have friends who were placed in Pollock and were offered that or nothing when they phoned to say they literally couldn't afford it (this girl was placed in a single en suite room having asked for the cheapest self catered) so it seems what you're given is what you get... there isn't really any room for negotiations at all. If this situation did occur it would be advisable to look at private flats (a few people did this last year to avoid the bunk bed situation... we can help you out) as you can get a room in a decent flat for about £350 a month including bills, which is obviously cheaper than living in Pollock.
Reply 94
I am looking at:

New Arthur Place
Robertson's Close
Warrender Park
Sciennes

...because they're within my budget and because of their location.

Does anyone have an experience of these? What did you think?

Thank
Hi, Does anyone have any photos of the accommodation at College Wynd or Roberston Close?

Would be very grateful if anyone could let me have a look of the inside.

Thanks
Reply 96
Hi there,

I take it your looking at 1st year accomm for Edin Uni? I don't have any photo's but College Wynd is way nicer than Robertson Close! RC is also up a little alley from the cowgate which isn't nice.... Also 9unless it's been done up recently) RC is drabby inside. When i was in 1st year they were smoking permitted flat so the walls were
yellow etc.

However have you thought about Darroch Court or Hermits Croft? DC is just up from RC and CW but is so nice! Dishwasher as well!
Reply 97
Sorry about the grammar there folks, really must proof read!!
Jlass

However have you thought about Darroch Court or Hermits Croft? DC is just up from RC and CW but is so nice! Dishwasher as well!


Certainly not any dishwashers in Darroch. There are washing machines in the flats though.

I've asked for this thread to be merged into our sticky accommodation thread as it doesn't really merit being on its own.
Reply 99
nearlyheadlessian
Certainly not any dishwashers in Darroch. There are washing machines in the flats though.

I've asked for this thread to be merged into our sticky accommodation thread as it doesn't really merit being on its own.


Oh that's news to me! I stayed in Hermit's Croft but had friends in DC and I could have sworn there were dishwashers there! Apologies for the apparent mistake!

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