[ATCAdam]

Hey everyone,

Royal Holloway is my second option and as such I'm not guaranteed accommodation, which kinda puts a downer on things and could potentially ruin my Uni experience if I'm a 10 commute away from everything and everyone. Also I think private renting will be more expensive than halls, so I'd have less money to live on and it'd inhibit my chances of making friends my age.

Which halls am I likely to get, if any?
Did anyone else get in through their insurance offer or clearing and if so which halls/accommodation did you get?

-Adam

[live_a_life]

Hate to start it off with a downer, but I had a friend who applied through clearing and didn't get a place in halls. She did however thoroughly enjoy living in private accommodation.

Are you having doubts about your firm?

[ATCAdam]

Nah thanks for your reply, helps to be realistic!

Royal Holloway want AAB but have stated that they will consider all near misses before clearing applicants, I'm pretty much guarenteed ABB and the course is still in Extra so I thinky my chances are quite high of getting in if my firm says nope.

Just seems a shame to go private when part of freshers is about living around people your own age not having to worry about bills, chours and meeting firends.

[toastehmonstah]

I got my place through clearing and managed to get a place in halls. Admittedly it was a shared room in Founders and I had to be a bit crafty about it, but it's still possible.

[gm15]

Halls aren't the only way you meet people...10 minutes isn't that far and if you end up in private you can always just spend your whole day on campus.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my U20i

[llacerta]

I know people who lived in private accommodation for whatever reasons in their first year and had a great time. It's not necessarily more expensive and will probably be better value for money in terms of how much you pay per week (as most private lets are for 12 months). Yes, you have to pay for bills and things like that, but even so it can work out cheaper depending on where you live, and bills aren't that much of a hassle in and of themselves.

I understand what you're saying about being a fresher and having the whole freshers' experience, but if you're proactive you'll definitely still make lots of friends (in the same way that someone living in halls who isn't proactive probably won't make very many friends) and I know many people who preferred living in a house because they felt less babied and more free, so to speak; RSAs and security have a habit of spoiling the fun in halls, sometimes.

Also, some people can find living on campus a bit claustrophobic. I remember times in first year, particularly during exam season, when I hadn't left campus for a good week or so and it got rather depressing. Living in a house this year meant I had somewhere off campus to escape to.

And finally, if you live in halls for your first two years and still feel like you want to get the halls experience at some point, you can always apply for halls as a third year. I know some will say it's not the same as being a fresher in halls, but there's still that element of meeting lots of new people and the convenience of it, too.

[ATCAdam]

(Original post by toastehmonstah)
I got my place through clearing and managed to get a place in halls. Admittedly it was a shared room in Founders and I had to be a bit crafty about it, but it's still possible.

What's the crafty business? :P PM me if you don't want to announce it

[toastehmonstah]

Nothing too fancy, but i was going on holiday the week they started processing the waiting list, so I phoned up the day they started whilst in the car on the way to the airport and said I didnt want to miss my chance whilst I was away. They offered me a room on the spot, and although it was shared I was happy to take it rather than have nothing :P

[outOfFayz]

(Original post by ATCAdam)
What's the crafty business? :P PM me if you don't want to announce it

I also came through clearing and got a place in Kingswood.

The key is to react as quickly as possible. Once you find Royal Holloway is your choice, the first thing to do is to get your application in to the Housing team asap. Do not leave it more than a day, and I'm sure you'll get a place.

[ATCAdam]

I'm so willing to do this. Does ringing them like toastehmonstah did, speed up the whole process?

I'd even be up for driving down there on results day to sign paperwork if it meant getting halls etc

[gm15]

(Original post by ATCAdam)
I'm so willing to do this. Does ringing them like toastehmonstah did, speed up the whole process?

I'd even be up for driving down there on results day to sign paperwork if it meant getting halls etc

Ah well the paperwork is all electronic except signing when you collect your key (physical or temp electric one)...i think

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my U20i

[toastehmonstah]

once they've started processing the waiting list you could always phone them up and say you're going away and worried about missing your accom. offer and see if they can speed things up