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Aberystwyth University

The massive disadvantage of Aber that noone is talking about?

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so people all in all after reading through the posts-btw i was going to contact accommodation office but i assume i ll receive the same reply as glow hallow- would u say its a reason to be put off aber uni i was quite keen on it seemed like a nice place to be a student.cos i never thought lack of student digs would be a problem before reading this thread.I always thought that there ll be plenty of student digs regardless of which uni town/city.I was a student in Swansea previously and there was no such problem.ur help is much appreciated.

Aberystwyth University

Reply 41

DRJT

It doesn't look like it will be a problem if you look early.

If you do it around December... not sure tbh.

Reply 42

MGlass

That response from the accommodation office actually makes me angry, how could our information untrue, we're the ones who are experiencing the problem, which they obviously don't care about.

It doesn't matter if it's our word vs their word, if you want to know the unbias detail of the situation ask an estate agent in Aber!

BTW has anyone noticed that the TSR account representing Aber has ignored this topic? Probably because if they tried a response like the one they sent you by email with their 'sidestepping the issue' approach, they might risk actually having to be responsible.

I'd also like to address the 'we'll be fine if we look early, we'll look in November' idea, don't you agree that December/ Janurary, at any other Uni would be early enough to safely and stress freely find a home? You will be new to this place, have to make new friends, you first months will be incredibly busy! Then there is the fact you will want to live with responsible people in your 2nd year, will you really be able to discern that in just a couple of months. It's unreasonable, and I feel for freshers being lead into this trap (yes that means I also feel sorry for myself :wink:

), but I am only warning you to help as much I can, and I am only angry so that maybe the accommadation office and powers that be at Aber Uni will listen, which obviously by that email they do not, and certainly do not understand the stresses of the problem on their students.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 43

NaegaJeilJalNaga

There is not much point in contacting the accomodation office for help, I did this in my first year after the people I was supposed to be getting a house with dropped out of uni. I was extremely stressed and I missed out on the application for halls.

You need to start looking for a place as early as you can when you get there, don't worry too much about it but so start looking early. I still managed to get somewhere around Feb time though. I know that it's not the first thing you think about when you get to uni though so a lot of students fall into this trap. The university will have lists of places to rent that are linked to the uni, so they can help you find available spaces.

I would recommend also applying for a halls place too ( you can decline it if you find somewhere else to live) just in case you can't find somewhere to rent for the year.

I did notice when I was last in Aber that they were in fact creating more blocks of accommodation because of the huge complaints of students that could not find somewhere to live. (Apparently 700 students were refused halls this year because of not enough room, so they planned on building new blocks.)

Reply 44

MGlass

Well thanks for your response and acknowledging our frustrations, I don't quite understand what you mean by the evening out of students in 2011 but I do hope it is true, it would actually make my year if finding a house for my 3rd year is easy.

The accommodation office said that they would release a statement via webmail with their plans for students who would not find accommoadation. They said they would post it in June/July but still haven't, if you could get them to send out the plans it would put many minds at a little more ease.

Reply 45

Aberystwyth University_6

Original post by MGlass

Thank you, we will look into this. We have A-Level results this Thursday, so the Accommodation Office will be very busy this week.

In regards to the promise of an update in June/July; was this stated in an email, or directly from staff within the Accommodation Office? If you have this in writing, it would be handy for us to see it.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 46

Declan01

This new accommodation block comprising of 1000 beds isn't all it's cracked up to be really. I mean, over half of the beds are going to be replacing old accommodation stock which has closed (Llanbadarn), will be closing (Pantycelyn) and that which has been turned from a residence into an academic building (Pengrim block 5)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, closing accommodation blocks or turning them into academic buildings when there's a housing crisis doesn't seem all that wise. Llanbadarn was shut down without anything there to replace it. That would have been a useful buffer for the uni in recent years, but they claimed there was no need for any replacement when they closed it as we had a surpless of halls spaces at the time. No forward planning there then! If it had been looked after properly in the first place as they promised when it was purchased from the College of Librarianship Wales ( now the Department of Information Studies in the uni) when they became part of the university, there wouldn't have been a need to pull it down. Then they went and knocked it down without getting permission to do so and incurred the wrath of Ceredigion County Council! LOL

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 47

superman25

I totally agree with Mglass@s point that its not fair to expect students to know after the two months to know who u wanna live with for the next year.and u ll be extremely busy so i understand the whole start looking in November is not all that.hmm i would hate to miss out on the aber experience over accommodation issues hhm thinking time I have unconditional offers for physics from both aber and Loughborough actually this may swing me towrds the latter over this! :frown:

Reply 48

Teev

I've never had a problem looking for accommodation in aber, just start looking early and be prepared to be flexible. If you leave it late, are determined to live with a specific number of people or are a picky with where you want to live then it can be harder. I'm not saying that there isn't a bit of a housing problem, just that if you get organised it isn't that hard.

I wouldn't let it put you off coming to Aber :smile:

Reply 49

Lord Jon

Maybe they have to put you up in accomodation or nearby areas to Aber. Aber is quite far out so I am not sure.

I was thinking of Aber....... I may change my mind :/

Reply 50

melmel

Original post by Declan01

It first came to a real head in September 2008 and clearing.

I was a fresher in 2008 (dropped out though!) and I find it astonishing that the problem with housing has become worse. You'd think they'd have learned their lesson after the 2008 debacle.. if there isn't enough housing in Aber then they shouldn't be recruiting so many students, obviously.

Reply 51

VolcanoesMeltMeDown

My brother finished his second year this summer at Gloucester Uni, and said planning/applying for second year accomodation was something he realised he should have done/talked about with people in October - he found accomodation with friends okay after starting to look around christmas/the start of the New year, so perhaps the situation isn't as bad there, but that makes me think it's not a problem limited to Aberystwyth.

Just start looking early - be ultra prepared, and you'll be okay :smile:

Reply 52

Erich Hartmann

Original post by VolcanoesMeltMeDown

Just start looking early - be ultra prepared, and you'll be okay :smile:

Don't just look :smile:

Prepare for that deposit as well :biggrin:

This is also something that gets to people is early November most students simply won't have £600-900 each for a deposit that a lot of agencies will ask for.

So the advice is don't blow your loan/grants away on Fresher's Week :biggrin:

Reply 53

DRJT

Oh crap, I forgot about the deposit.

I have little money as it is, now I have to deal with losing over half a grand for next year.

Reply 54

Erich Hartmann

Original post by DRJT

Oh crap, I forgot about the deposit.

I have little money as it is, now I have to deal with losing over half a grand for next year.

Vast majority of people I knew who had housing issues largely bogged down to the deposit.

May not be them directly but could be that one of their mates has issues in regards to coming up with the deposit. It becomes especially problematic for those who don't receive any type of parental financial support or no job as it is right around that time too that when you need to make a payment for your current flat.

My guess is the best thing to do is if you have any job or savings better keep some for that deposit and you have to take into account that for the summer months you won't be there you may still have to pay rental on it, though usually if the lease runs from June-June, usually the landlord may cut you a deal where you could pay less rent.

Reply 55

.x.Steff.x.

my sister and her mates are going into their second year and they didnt have any problems in finding and getting a house, neither did her other mates

Reply 56

DRJT

When did they start looking?

Reply 57

AreYouDizzeeBlud_x

Original post by DRJT

When did they start looking?

Im looking as soon as I move in to be honest. Pop down to town in the first week, look in the shops, sort out my pre orders with Game, go and see if I can find anything to arrange to have a look at for next year. Then go to bed.

Reply 58

krayon

Original post by AreYouDizzeeBlud_x

That's been my plan too. I love walking and exploring (already walked a few miles round Aber on the visit day I went to) so — hangovers allowing — I'll be wandering around Aber during the first week, and I was going to pop into the estate agents and see if they had anything up (from what I gather they tailor lists for students, but I don't think those will be available yet).

Reply 59

JordE

Original post by AreYouDizzeeBlud_x

We are on the same wavelength. +rep

If you arrive on the 23rd I'd do exactly that. I arrived on the 23rd last year and it seemed pretty dead in the evening. Saturday was the first big night out.