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University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh Accommodation Thread for Entry 2012/13

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Original post by Nicolasfromparis

Dear All,

I am applying for postgraduate accommodations (self catered). I will study in the Business School. I thank you all in advance for your answers and your help.

I've moved your (2nd) post to the sticky accommodation thread. There's no need to keep posting new threads to ask old questions.

Original post by Nicolasfromparis

1. How are the new Richmond Place residences? Is it a flat that you share with other people, with the one difference that these are en suite rooms? Or is it just a hall, where it is difficult to socialise?

Well, firstly, they're not new. My understanding is that Richmond is mostly individual ensuite study bedrooms, with a shared kitchen between 10-12 people on a corridor.

Original post by Nicolasfromparis

2. Asham Court is my first choice. Do you think they are good?

Ascham Court is good, but it is very expensive for what you're getting.

Original post by Nicolasfromparis

3. Is Mylnes court far away from the Business School, or is it fine? Would you recommend me to apply for these halls as well?

No. Suggest you look at a map to allay your fears.

Original post by Nicolasfromparis

I don't really know which hall I should select to be honest. If I understood well they all are similar; flats of about 5/6 people. Only Richmond place differs with an ensuite room. Am I correct? Could you please answer my questions and eventually give me some other suggestions?

They are mostly pretty similar. I really wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it - as an EU PG you're very unlikely to receive an offer of accommodation anyway. I would suggest you start looking into other forms of accommodation.

University of Edinburgh

Reply 181

francescawoolf

Original post by nearlyheadlessian

My understanding is that they intend to primarily place postgraduates in Beaverbank. To be honest, I probably wouldn't live down there anyway - not as a first year undergraduate.

Hmm...yeah I'm not that keen on Beaverbank at all. Can I ask, what you would suggest I do for accommodation? Would finding a private flat be a lot more economical? I really like my own space and independence, but it just seems a lot more straight forward to get uni accommodation. Am I right in thinking now, that the only way I can get an ensuite uni room, is via catered halls?

Reply 182

wooholy

I really wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it - as an EU PG you're very unlikely to receive an offer of accommodation anyway. I would suggest you start looking into other forms of accommodation.

Is a Non-EU PG likely to receive an offer of accommodation then?

Reply 183

nearlyheadlessian

Original post by francescawoolf

Yes. Although, as we so often say in this thread, ensuite really isn't the be all and end all. A private flat wouldn't be that much more economical, particularly if you were aiming to live in self-catered university accommodation. A private 1 bed flat on your own would be pretty expensive (expect to pay £450 /monthly minimum for anywhere remotely habitable - if not more like £550, plus bills). If you moved into a shared private flat, then you would have to share a bathroom...

Original post by wooholy

Is a Non-EU PG likely to receive an offer of accommodation then?

Non-EU PGs are guaranteed accommodation.

Reply 184

wooholy

Non-EU PGs are guaranteed accommodation.

That's great.

Reply 185

francescawoolf

Original post by nearlyheadlessian

Reply 186

-Matt-

Hi,

I'm due to start as a postgraduate in Edinburgh in September. I'm hoping to rent privately and I was wondering if anyone had any advice at when the best time to start looking would be. My offer is technically conditional, so ideally I'd like to start looking after I graduate from my current degree at the end of June, though the conditions should *hopefully* not be a problem, so I could start hunting earlier if necessary. I'm not too fussed about location as I'm happy to cycle a reasonable distance so that should hopefully widen my options a little. I've looked around a little on Gumtree / S1 Rental / Studentpad, and there aren't many places available for tenancies starting in September at the moment. That doesn't seem surprising given it's still 6 months away, so I'm working on the premise more should come up as it get's closer to September - does this seem reasonable? I'm going to be out of the country all of August however so potentially I would only have July in which to find somewhere, which I'm worried might be a little risky as I start a couple weeks after I get back.

As a separate but related question: have the EUSA forums mentioned in the second post in this thread been discontinued as the link there doesn't work and I can't find anything relevant from looking on the EUSA site? Alternatively is there any other similar site for students advertising rooms in shared flats?

Thanks for any advice :smile:

Reply 187

yawnandshrug

Hi folks, I've accepted an unconditional offer for English and Scottish lit at the university. I was looking at my options for accommodation and was initially attracted by Chancellor's Court. However, my friends are swearing by Fraser Court (however their university days are some time back). Still, I'm now quite torn between the two. Does anyone have any advice on which provides better opportunities for an active social life? I'm not too bothered by the whole catered vs self catered thing.

Reply 188

lela1991

Hi guys, I'm third year Australian exchange student hoping to come to Edinburgh in September :smile:

. Having read through most of the forums on accommodation, I've narrowed my selection down to the following:
5 Nicholson Street/5 South College St
Robertson's Close
Darroch Court

In terms of social life, security and location, which would you recommend? I've heard that Robertson's Close is accessed through a side street/alley, is this true? Is it safe for a girl like myself to walk home at night? I've never visited Edinburgh so I don't really know what to expect.

Seeing as I won't know anyone I want to live in an environment where it's easy to mingle and make friends :smile:

. Considering that I am that little bit older, what would you recommend?

Thanks for any advice! :smile:

Reply 189

nearlyheadlessian

Original post by lela1991

Hi guys, I'm third year Australian exchange student hoping to come to Edinburgh in September :smile:

. Considering that I am that little bit older, what would you recommend?

Thanks for any advice! :smile:

Any of those is fine. Security in Edinburgh isn't really a big problem - if you're going to get mugged then you're either extremely unlucky or asking for it. So I wouldn't worry about Robertson's Close on that front (accessed through a Close, rather than a side street/alley). I personally think there are nicer self-catered residences around, but there's no denying these are all central.

Reply 190

oxymoronic

Original post by lela1991

Is it safe for a girl like myself to walk home at night? I've never visited Edinburgh so I don't really know what to expect.

Edinburgh is the safest place I've ever lived. I now live in London and I have to be a lot more aware now even though I live in a nice area in London.

Central Edinburgh constantly has people coming and going, particularly around 1am and 3am when the pubs/clubs kick people out. I used to live over the Meadows (its a huge park area between George Square and Marchmont which is an area where a lot of students live) and walking home isn't a problem at all. I found that there were always people going across the Meadows so you could easily latch onto a group and walk behind them all of the way if you were on your own for a bit of extra security, so to speak. In the 4 years I lived in Edinburgh I never felt concerned about my personal safety and I wandered around everywhere in the central area on my own. Obviously you have to be aware and ensure you don't put yourself in stupid situations (like walking over the Meadows at 4:30am when there will be no one around in the winter when its really dark and misty) but that's the same as anywhere else.

Reply 191

username848421

Is it possible to move into the university accomodations earlier (about the beginning of August)? I have an unconditionnal offer. I sent an email to them but it's probably going to take time before they get back to me.

Thanks

Reply 192

dizzeedollee

hi everyone! i've firmed my conditional offer from edinburgh so have started looking at accommodation.

i've been through the whole thread so i don't think my question has been asked. just wanted to know what exactly are the laundry facilities that are provided? for example under blackfrairs on the edinburgh website it says 'laundry facilities are provided on site'. does that mean a washing machine and tumble dryer, or just a washing machine, are they coin operated, free to use whenever, etc? thank you :smile:

edit: after having a snoop on google maps, i'm slightly concerned by college wynd and robertson's close. the latter seems to be just outside a club and they both look as though they're in 'quiet' places. is cowgate generally safe?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 193

nearlyheadlessian

Original post by dizzeedollee

Laundry is washing machines and dryers at all sites. They're coin operated. However, I wouldn't bother looking at Blackfriars - it's not a residence for first year undergraduates.

Cowgate is safe. It's bloody noisy though - I certainly wouldn't choose to live there!

Reply 194

dizzeedollee

Original post by nearlyheadlessian

^
ah i see, thank you :smile:

i'd rather secure a small single room if possible so i've been looking at the six sites that offer small rooms but they all seem to be near noisy places or really far away from the city centre! i think i'll pop new arthur place and sciennes down, not too sure what else tho if it's noisy in cowgate.

Reply 195

nearlyheadlessian

Original post by dizzeedollee

^
ah i see, thank you :smile:

Nowhere that is s/c is particularly far from the city centre. Even Warrender, which might be considered further away, is less than 20 minutes walk from Princes Street.

Reply 196

lela1991

Original post by oxymoronic

Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better :smile:

Reply 197

lela1991

Original post by nearlyheadlessian

Any of those is fine... I personally think there are nicer self-catered residences around, but there's no denying these are all central.

Could you please specify which ones? Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to go and view the properties and am left relying on google maps :frown:

. I've looked at all of the s/c residences online and am still struggling to decide. Ideally, I'd like to be within a 5/10 minute walk of the city centre and the university, but I'm more than willing to compromise if it means I'll end up somewhere nice.

Thanks again for the speedy replies! :smile:

Reply 198

oxymoronic

Original post by pinouche13

No, they rent out the accommodation during the summer for the Edinburgh festival so they'd be looking to make a lot more money per night than you would be paying them during a normal tenancy. You could sub-let someone else's room for a month in August if you wanted to be in the city then - there's always plenty of stuff for rent for a short period on the internet, particularly during the summer.

Reply 199

nearlyheadlessian

Original post by lela1991

Could you please specify which ones? Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to go and view the properties and am left relying on google maps :frown:

College Wynd, Darroch Court, East Newington Place, Kincaids Court, Meadow Court, New Arthur Place, South College St/Nicholson St, Robertsons Close, Sciennes, South Clerk Street, Warrender Pk Rd, Warrender Pk Crescent. They're all comfortably within 15 minutes walk of the university's central area and under 20 to Princes Street. But you need to understand that there's a lot going on around the university and in the city's southside - you don't need to go to the middle of town as part of your day-to-day. Personally, I stayed in Warrender Pk Rd, which had its pluses and minuses, but it was in a nice area. Some of the other stuff that is more central will be affected by noise.