[GeorgieeT]

I'm hoping to go to Bristol Uni this September but I have NO CLUE which halls to choose! Are some halls better for certain things? Ideally I would go self-catered but I'm not too fussed. Anyone's opinions on the halls there would be much appreciated . Thanks!

[Droy]

I'm in the same situation as you, none of the accommodation prices have been put out by Bristol either! Goldney looks seriously nice, but I've heard its pretty quiet on the social side of things and looking at it, it must be really expensive. I was thinking one of the Stoke Bishop halls as it looks like that's where the majority of students stay! A couple of my brother's friends stayed in Clifton Hill House which is catered in Clifton and apparently that's really good and the staff are friendly, rooms are good etc. but I'm also swaying more towards self catered so I'm not sure. Have you got any further in deciding where to stay?

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

[punctuation]

(Original post by GeorgieeT)
I'm hoping to go to Bristol Uni this September but I have NO CLUE which halls to choose! Are some halls better for certain things? Ideally I would go self-catered but I'm not too fussed. Anyone's opinions on the halls there would be much appreciated . Thanks!

The halls in Clifton area (Goldney, Clifton Hill House, Manor, etc.) are closer to the uni (about 10 mins walk), and near a lot of (relatively expensive) shops. On the other hand, the halls in Stoke Bishop (Wills, Durdham, etc.) are about a 30 min bus ride away, but apparently have a better student life because the halls are much closer together. Then there are student houses right in the uni, they're good because of location, but maybe not so good in terms of community because they don't get a JCR (though events are organized by a similar group, called Orbital).

I'm a future student, so my information may not be completely accurate; however, this is what I've gathered through my research. Good luck!

[Cirsium]

(Original post by punctuation)
The halls in Clifton area (Goldney, Clifton Hill House, Manor, etc.) are closer to the uni (about 10 mins walk), and near a lot of (relatively expensive) shops. On the other hand, the halls in Stoke Bishop (Wills, Durdham, etc.) are about a 30 min bus ride away, but apparently have a better student life because the halls are much closer together. Then there are student houses right in the uni, they're good because of location, but maybe not so good in terms of community because they don't get a JCR (though events are organized by a similar group, called Orbital).

I'm a future student, so my information may not be completely accurate; however, this is what I've gathered through my research. Good luck!

I think you mean a 30 minute walk away. From Wills to Woodland road is easily doable in half an hour. If you're at Badock and you're in Chemistry or Engineering then it's nearer to 40 minutes, but the bus takes a grand total of 16 minutes.

[GeorgieeT]

(Original post by Droy)
I'm in the same situation as you, none of the accommodation prices have been put out by Bristol either! Goldney looks seriously nice, but I've heard its pretty quiet on the social side of things and looking at it, it must be really expensive. I was thinking one of the Stoke Bishop halls as it looks like that's where the majority of students stay! A couple of my brother's friends stayed in Clifton Hill House which is catered in Clifton and apparently that's really good and the staff are friendly, rooms are good etc. but I'm also swaying more towards self catered so I'm not sure. Have you got any further in deciding where to stay?

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

Sorry for the late reply! I think I've finally decided on Goldney and the Hawthorns. I really want to be self catered so I'll just have to hope Goldney has a good atmosphere this year! And the Hawthorns looks really nice, it's in the city centre and the rooms are really nice . But I've heard loads about the atmosphere being better at Stoke Bishop so it's whats important to you really :P.

[brabzzz]

They're all much of a muchness.

There are far more students far closer together in Stoke Bishop, so you'll find more, well, student life there. But, lets be honest, you only ever go for beers with 20 people, max, so the other 9880 are pretty irrelevant as you don't know them anyway. Therefore the fact you all live 50m away is a mute point.

I spent 4 years in Churchill, ran the bar there for a while too, but probably spent a third of my time in the Durdham hall bar because it was a bit more chilled with less of that 'student life' everyone harps on about.

Stoke Bishop is 30 minutes walk, 10 minutes bike ride or 15 minutes by bus from uni. I recommend 2 wheels. There are thousands of people going in/out though. You'll never walk alone...

Wills looks nice, i have a soft spot for Churchill, never been to any of the Clifton ones, Hawthorns has a good location, HB/B are fine, despite whatever anyone says...on the inside at any rate. Pick one, any one, and get on with what's important. Meeting people, having fun, studying etc. If you're still after the young and dumb 'student atmosphere' everyone creams themselves about before uni by halfway through the year, you'll be in a minority. You find your crowd/scene no matter where you happen to sleep every night. A lot of the 'Freshers' week atmosphere is generated by you lot anyway, with little input from the hall/JCR. And any JCR input depends on the JCR, and they change year on year - you might get lucky and get an awesome crew. Or the bottom of the barrel. It's a lottery, no matter where you go! :-)

[georget1]

(Original post by brabzzz)
They're all much of a muchness.

There are far more students far closer together in Stoke Bishop, so you'll find more, well, student life there. But, lets be honest, you only ever go for beers with 20 people, max, so the other 9880 are pretty irrelevant as you don't know them anyway. Therefore the fact you all live 50m away is a mute point.

I spent 4 years in Churchill, ran the bar there for a while too, but probably spent a third of my time in the Durdham hall bar because it was a bit more chilled with less of that 'student life' everyone harps on about.

Stoke Bishop is 30 minutes walk, 10 minutes bike ride or 15 minutes by bus from uni. I recommend 2 wheels. There are thousands of people going in/out though. You'll never walk alone...

Wills looks nice, i have a soft spot for Churchill, never been to any of the Clifton ones, Hawthorns has a good location, HB/B are fine, despite whatever anyone says...on the inside at any rate. Pick one, any one, and get on with what's important. Meeting people, having fun, studying etc. If you're still after the young and dumb 'student atmosphere' everyone creams themselves about before uni by halfway through the year, you'll be in a minority. You find your crowd/scene no matter where you happen to sleep every night. A lot of the 'Freshers' week atmosphere is generated by you lot anyway, with little input from the hall/JCR. And any JCR input depends on the JCR, and they change year on year - you might get lucky and get an awesome crew. Or the bottom of the barrel. It's a lottery, no matter where you go! :-)

When you say you spent 4 years in Churchill, do you mean you actually lived in for 4 years? I thought halls were just for 1st years and everyone lived out in the other years? Am I wrong?

[brabzzz]

Yep, i lived 'in' for all 4 years.

Halls are 99% first year...
...but they need some returners. JCR committee, bar manager & team, christian union crew etc.

You don't have to have a 'role' to stay on, but it helps. It also helps you get the best rooms. Some of the rooms we lived in were effin awesome, for the same rent as 1st years I had a double bed, sink, 2nd bed/couch, frige, microwave, 4 or 5 tables, shelves, a load of couches...and still enough room to swing a (large) cat.

Google image search 'The holmes bristol' - that's where we lived - why would anyone want to leave for some dingy student hole that's more expensive? With no housemate arguments, no need to clean and no need to cook.

[punctuation]

(Original post by brabzzz)
x

Is it awkward at all, being in a hall with mostly first years?

[brabzzz]

(Original post by punctuation)
Is it awkward at all, being in a hall with mostly first years?

Nahhh. The accommodation is usually a bit separate (we were over the road in our kick-ass old building), but i was immature enough that being in the thick of it was awesome

Organising freshers week, JCR events throughout the year and the Ball at the end. Next year: same ****, but as treasurer. Lots of money to play with - even more fun Final year - ran the bar. Challenge, good fun, good cash, free booze.

Awkward? No. Ok, i'd never do it now, 5+ years out, but at the time i felt like Van Wilder. You know the staff, you know the management, you can get away with murder. It was cheap, fun, and given the change to wind the clock back to 2001, i'd do it all over again.

It's probably not for those that consider themselves too mature for all that, but then again, there's no obligation to 'get involved' to that extent. But there is the option to stay after 1st year. Few exercise it, but it is cheap and easy to do. A group of maybe 10 of us stayed the whole time - so rather than bothering organising a couple of houses, we let the university take care of it!

[punctuation]

(Original post by brabzzz)
x

Ah, cool! Would you say it was easier to stay, administration-wise, because you were at Churchill the first year?

That is, would it still be as easy as you describe to stay if I had to switch to a different hall? I'm applying to some relatively "competitive" halls which I don't think I'd be invited back to second year, so I was wondering if I could do the same as you, after switching halls in second year.

Conversely, would you recommend applying to a non-competitive hall in first year, so that I could stay for the whole of uni without a problem?

[brabzzz]

(Original post by punctuation)
Ah, cool! Would you say it was easier to stay, administration-wise, because you were at Churchill the first year?

That is, would it still be as easy as you describe to stay if I had to switch to a different hall? I'm applying to some relatively "competitive" halls which I don't think I'd be invited back to second year, so I was wondering if I could do the same as you, after switching halls in second year.

Conversely, would you recommend applying to a non-competitive hall in first year, so that I could stay for the whole of uni without a problem?

I really don't know - I only experienced 'my way' because i went through it, but it was easy, super easy, as i wanted a role in 2nd year in my hall & knew the warden, staff and current JCR.

Halls really are not that 'competitive' and don't really care who they take/don't - it's a bit of a lottery. I can guarantee you the hall warden has a million better things to do (including jerking off) than reading a million personal statements begging for a place in halls. Especially as most people leave, as in 99%, after a year - because that's the 'cool' thing to do.

It's not hard (at all) to get yourself elected on to the JCR/bar/something, and thus securing another year's accommodation...but only at your own hall. Nobody really applies for other hall's positions. It's decided by an election, and though not hotly contented, unless you know dozens of people in some other hall of choice, it's just easier in your own - you'll get the positions by default as nobody wants them - and they're as from Easter (which makes it fine in your own hall, but, again, 'weird' in a rival hall...)

Pick one you like, hopefully you'll get in. Then re-apply for Y2 there

[punctuation]

(Original post by brabzzz)
x

Ah, I see. Thanks! So, did you and several friends go this route? I would feel quite alienated if I were to be the only one in my group of friends who stayed at the hall, especially since I was thinking of going self-catered. :/

[brabzzz]

(Original post by punctuation)
Ah, I see. Thanks! So, did you and several friends go this route? I would feel quite alienated if I were to be the only one in my group of friends who stayed at the hall, especially since I was thinking of going self-catered. :/

Yeah, about 6 of us from my block and and another few who we knew from other parts of the hall, plus the 2nd/3rd/4th+ year returners coming back. It just seemed like the right thing to do. A load did move out too, and we kinda kept in touch, but it's not as easy as if you were living together. I dare say that had all my friends moved out, i probably would have too at that point. Most of them did move out after the 2nd year, but by that point i had another crew, my fellow serial hall-stayer-oners, so it didn't matter - i stayed in!

If they're good friends, maybe go with them. If you're just afriad of being back at square 1, alone, then don't worry about it and stay in. Moving out with them would be the wrong move & halls are a very friendly & sociable place - doubly so as a returner.

[a.partridge]

All the ones I have seen seem pretty price,

However - Avoid UNITE house at all costs

my adivce - don't apply to goldney 'with en suite' or you may end up in UNITE

[HannahPelly]

does that mean first years are very unlikely to get ensuites?

[punctuation]

(Original post by HannahPelly)
does that mean first years are very unlikely to get ensuites?

No, it means Goldney has a lot of applicants as it is, and as such it's unlikely to get a regular room at Goldney, not to say an ensuite, which is even more desirable.

[a.partridge]

(Original post by HannahPelly)
does that mean first years are very unlikely to get ensuites?

I think you have a good chance in some halls, I just wouldnt try in goldney/manor for it. UNITE house is like 90% ensuites... but you just don't wanna live here ha so thats the risk you run ticking the ensuite box + competitive hall

[HannahPelly]

Is Durdham more popular than Churchill?
i dont know which one to put as first choice!!

[punctuation]

(Original post by HannahPelly)
Is Durdham more popular than Churchill?
i dont know which one to put as first choice!!

I think it is, yeah. Just decide if you want catered or self-catered?