GUIDE to Perry Barr/Coppice/Oscott Gardens/City North Campus.

Hello!
I'm a first year undergraduate at BCU.
I started here in September 2009, aged 18.

I'm writing this because what I wanted before I got here was a guide to the area and what is here and what it's like, etc etc etc... and there was no info whatsoever. SO! I thought I'd write one for everyone else considering BCU for 2010 entry

I can only speak from experience, and I'm currently living at The Coppice in Perry Barr, and studying at the City North Campus in Perry Barr.


The Coppice:
- Here, there are 11 houses; Ash, Beech, Chestnut, Elm, Rowan, Holly, Larch, Oak, Sycamore, Willow, and Yew.
- It differs from 6 to 8 flats per house, majority having 6.
- There is 6 rooms per flat, and 2 bathrooms. (One with a shower, toilet, and sink, and the other with a shower/bath, toilet, and sink).
- The kitchen/dining area depends on what house you're at, I'm lucky enough to have an open plan kitchen, whereas the likes of Rowan, Larch, Sycamore have an 'enclosed' kitchen - in my opinion a lot less social and more cramped, and therefore cluttered!
- In your kitchen you will get a microwave, kettle, toaster, dining table with 4 chairs and 1 loungey comfy chair, 2 freezers, and 2 fridges, and a cupboard each.
- Laundrette on site at your accommodation; £1.60 for the washing machine, £1 for the dryer. Fits a big load of clothes in too.
- There is a brand new BCU gym/sports building right next to the Coppice and links to Oscott Gardens too - perfect shortcut if you have mates at the other accommodation site.
- I have heard its about £60 gym membership per semester? Or that might be annual membership? I'm not too sure to be honest. I don't go :P
- I would say The Coppice is more social than Oscott Gardens - I have friends in Oscott Gardens who say people just stay in their rooms, whereas in Coppice people are really social, I have a fantastic social life here although I haven't socialised with my flat mates since freshers week (they don't go out!). I easily made other friends in other flats and houses.

Hello!
I'm a first year undergraduate at BCU.
I started here in September 2009, aged 18.

I'm writing this because what I wanted before I got here was a guide to the area and what is here and what it's like, etc etc etc... and there was no info whatsoever. SO! I thought I'd write one for everyone else considering BCU for 2010 entry

I can only speak from experience, and I'm currently living at The Coppice in Perry Barr, and studying at the City North Campus in Perry Barr.


Accommodation:
I wasn't bothered about sharing a bathroom, and I would rather have an extra £15 on beer money each week than have an en suite! So this is why I chose The Coppice. Both Oscott Gardens are attached to each other through a walkway past the new gym centre, both have 24hr security patrolling the grounds, and both are gated.

The Coppice:
- Here, there are 11 houses; Ash, Beech, Chestnut, Elm, Rowan, Holly, Larch, Oak, Sycamore, Willow, and Yew.
- It differs from 6 to 8 flats per house, majority having 6.
- There is 6 rooms per flat, and 2 bathrooms. (One with a shower, toilet, and sink, and the other with a shower/bath, toilet, and sink).
- The kitchen/dining area depends on what house you're at, I'm lucky enough to have an open plan kitchen, whereas the likes of Rowan, Larch, Sycamore have an 'enclosed' kitchen - in my opinion a lot less social and more cramped, and therefore cluttered!
- In your kitchen you will get a microwave, kettle, toaster, dining table with 4 chairs and 1 loungey comfy chair, 2 freezers, and 2 fridges, and a cupboard each.
- Laundrette on site at your accommodation; £1.60 for the washing machine, £1 for the dryer. Fits a big load of clothes in too.
- There is a brand new BCU gym/sports building right next to the Coppice and links to Oscott Gardens too - perfect shortcut if you have mates at the other accommodation site.
- I have heard its about £60 gym membership per semester? Or that might be annual membership? I'm not too sure to be honest. I don't go :P
- I would say The Coppice is more social than Oscott Gardens - I have friends in Oscott Gardens who say people just stay in their rooms, whereas in Coppice people are really social, I have a fantastic social life here although I haven't socialised with my flat mates since freshers week (they don't go out!). I easily made other friends in other flats and houses.

Oscott Gardens:
- There are 9 houses; Anstey, Webster, Bridgeman, Shenstone, Squire, St Margarets, Gimson, Leasows, and Hobbs.
- These flats are more modern looking and bigger than The Coppice, and you can choose to get a small or large room (different prices), but there is limited availability.
- I don't live there, but I've visited my friends flat and I presume they get everything The Coppice does as far as toasters, kettles etc are concerned, but instead there is one large freezer and one large fridge as opposed to two small ones of each.
- There is a bigger lounge/dining area, with a modern table and chairs and also two sofas and a loungey chair. This is much better for pre-drinking and parties.
- A 'normal' sized room there is quite small - probably the same as The Coppice, but they have to squeeze a en-suite in there too, making it cramped, especially when you have people to stay over. You could probably fit two people on the floor at Oscott Gardens, as opposed to about four pretty comfortably in a Coppice room.
- There is car parking at Oscott Gardens, but The Coppice has much more spaces.

Jennens Court:
- I have visited Jennens Court, the kitchens there are SO nice, although the rooms are tiny and I didn't find it 'homey' at all. But, you are pretty much in the middle of town - but remember, middle of town is different to Broad Street, which is where all the bars and clubs are.


City North Campus / The University:
- Looks bad, but its really modern and tidy inside.
- Baker building is pretty big, I never know where to go, and I've been here almost six months now! Never mind all the other buildings in City North Campus...
- There is a pub on site and Hare of the Dog and it's awesome. There is a cheap night (£1.25 per drink) and it's always busy but not overly busy, great for socialising and we always have a laugh there, typical Scream pub; beer garden, quiz night, 2 snooker tables, good food, juke box, and sports on the big screen.
- What I like about BCU is that there are few 'snobby' people. You don't get people who brag, everyone I have met are chilled out and welcoming.
- The student union is good, there is a cafe with internet area, and a small shop selling milk/food/alcohol etc. Downstairs there is Bar42, and I've had quite a few good nights there - there are different drinks offers on different nights, although on a whole, prices are pretty decent.


Social life:
- You will be hard pressed to find time to give your mum a ring once a week, there is SO much going on all the time, which in a way is fantastic! I had about two actual nights in my room, on my own, in the first semester (September - December).
- Guys, bring your game consoles. You will make so many friends from being one of the rare people to bring a TV with you and by having Fifa tournaments etc!
- There is no particular student night in Birmingham - every night there is a student night somewhere! The most popular is Bambu or Gatecrasher on a Monday, Subway City on a Tuesday, Gatecrasher or Snobs on a Wednesday, Walkabout or Oceana on a Thursday, Gatecrasher, Propaganda@TheO2, Subway City, or Bar42 on a Friday, Subculture@TheO2 or Snobs on a Saturday, and then I think there is Walkabout on a Sunday - but people generally don't ever go out on a Sunday night.


Perry Barr:
- Yeah don't walk around on your own at night.
- There is a 'One Stop' shopping centre about 5/10 mins walk from Oscott/Coppice, and there is an Asda, Superdrug, Sportsworld, New Look, Foot Locker, Dorothy Perkins, Halifax, NatWest, Burton, Homebargains, Claires, Wilkinsons, Curry's, Argos, MacDonalds, Subway, KFC, Burger King, Peacocks... and a cheeky new Wetherspoons too the list goes on.
- There is a 24 hour Tesco about a 15 minute walk from Oscott/Coppice, but it's in a place called Witton (I think) and it's a rough part of town. Walk in groups it's fine, I would definitely not want to go on my own though!
- There is a train station, return to New Street (middle of town) is currently £1.80, and there is a train every 30 mins, until late at night. A single on the bus, which run every 5 mins or so is £1.80. I have only got the bus once! There are various taxi's (Beeches and Hamstead, Sky) who charge £6 for a taxi to town, which is cheap.

Jobs in Perry Barr:
Unless you work in a chain store now which happens to have a branch in Perry Barr, and therefore a transfer is possible, then you're unlikely to get a job here. There is just WAY too much competition! It is also difficult to get retail work in the Bullring. I however work in a bar, I had an interview on the Thursday and was working a 12 hour shift on the Saturday. Pretty decent! And now I've been offered an interview for one of Birminghams biggest nightclubs, so if you're desperate for a job as soon as you arrive, definitely apply for bar work, much higher chance of getting a job.


If I could give you the biggest tip in preparation for university, it would be to talk to people before you get here! I can't emphasise this enough!!!
There is a tonne of groups on Facebook for BCU freshers, join them, get chatting to everyone. It's best to get talking to people at your accommodation too, not just people off your course. Everyone who I am living with next year, and who are my best friends now, are the people I spoke to weeks/months before I moved here, and even studying at different campuses. Knowing people at your accommodation who will be there when you arrive and parents leave makes the whole experience MUCH easier and exciting, rather than scary and daunting. Don't forget to bring lots of alcohol!!!!

That's all I have time to write at the moment, any questions whatsoever, don't hesistate to ask on the thread!

the BCU website claims that the coppice flats have a lounge room but i went on a tour and can't remember one ??
Wondering if you have one
thanks

bournville is ages away, do you know of whether there is a bus route or train route to get to bournville?

I have a couple of friends at The Coppice who are currently Art students at Bournville and commute there, although I am not sure about bus routes. It shouldn't be more than 2 bus journeys though (one from Perry Barr to centre of B'ham, and then another from centre to Bournville), and the same with trains.

I might be staying at the Coppice or Oscott Gardens, haven't decided yet. Hope to see you all there!

My top choices are Oscott Gardens and The Coppice.. hope to see you there too!

hey. quick question. do u think i cud fit an electronic drumkit into an oscott garden large room?

If you manage to get ur drumkit in, I'm bringing my guitars and amp over :P

Well...I didn't get the room so I guess no late night sessions LOL. Anyway, I can't even play yet. Just a learner.

LOL. It's a guitar. You can't possibly not have room for it. Anyways, still trying to work out if I can transfer. What you studying?

anyone staying in Jennens Court? i'm gonna be in flat 15
also, anyone doing Sound Engineering and Production foundation?

Haha I meant since I haven't heard from accommodation yet, I won't have a room for myself, let alone my guitar!

I'm studying Photography! What are you studying?

I'm studying Media and Communications. So I'll be taking photography too. all the best with your accommodation though.