UEA accommodation dilemma

So I need some advice about my accommodation problem, I seem to be going around in circles with it and not getting anywhere!

I have had a pretty awful first semester and introduction to university. I will give a very brief overview:
1: No student finance for the first 5 1/2 weeks and SFE refusing to pay my loan until we got the local MP involved, then miraculously things started happening

2: Various viral illness, not uncommon but I have CFS and fibromyalgia so they have had quite an impact and coupled with no.3 have been devastating.

3: Lack of a good nights sleep, almost every night since I moved in on 23rd September. This is due to drunken behavior by the flat next door (previously my flat but I moved), running around outside, shouting, screaming, chanting all at or after 11.30 pm. On the worst two nights I was up until 4 am because no matter how many times I called security or the SR they just started again once they had left.

These 3 things put together have meant that I have missed a lot of lectures and I have missed lots of deadlines (I have extensions though). But I and the senior adviser for science believe that with enough rest I can catch up and get better and at least scrape a pass for this year.

Here comes the dilemma... I need somewhere to live. I feel that I have been treated appaulingly by university staff and in the end it was only after I had to return home for 2 weeks and my mother wrote to the Dean that something was done (this was week 8, 7 weeks after I started, 7 weeks without proper sleep and being disturbed at least twice a night). But I will make a formal complaint and deal with that elsewhere. Now I have been offered a room in a completely different part of campus, but I am completely fed up with this accommodation it is depressing and if I come up against the same thing again in January then it will be another semester or part of a semester wasted.

Obviously my other option is private rented accommodation which is cheaper than uni accommodation, but most of those on the market now look pretty poor. The upsides I can see to this are that I will have somewhere for next year. I have hardly been able to do anything this semester and I don't really have any friends so I don't have anyone to live with next year for now. So with private accommodation I could stay on. Obviously there is then the commute to campus and having to rely on public transport etc etc...

What do people think? Are there any ideas out there...

Sorry for the essay!

Reply 1

Lit2010

17

Your situation sounds very similar to mine in first year.

First of all, go to the accommodation office. They'll be familiar with people in your situation who don't feel at home in their flat. They keep a book of all the people who wish to swap rooms and can arrange it like that.

Also, have a look on homerun, people are very often looking for another room mate off campus. Especially now, as semester is ending/ people go on semesters abroad etc. The accommodation office may also be able to link you up with those living off campus.

Don't feel afraid to name and shame those causing trouble- if they're causing you problems, you can guarantee they're making the cleaners' lives hell by leaving mess, and accommodation will be pissed off having to deal with it the whole time.

If you need someone to talk to about these things, though, please PM me. I went through it all in first year :tongue:

Good luck!

Reply 2

SuperCat007

OP

17

Thank you so much for your reply. I have done all of those things, but sadly it seems accommodation just don't care. These people are breaking the T's and C's of the license but they're just not interested. They're more interested in forcing me out of the uni to intercalate than actually solving the problem.

Thank you though, it's nice (in a way) to know I'm not the only person going through hell. Currently I'm at home unable to commute because of having nowhere to live... Very difficult situation.

Reply 3

Lit2010

17

Original post by SuperCat007

Thank you so much for your reply. I have done all of those things, but sadly it seems accommodation just don't care. These people are breaking the T's and C's of the license but they're just not interested. They're more interested in forcing me out of the uni to intercalate than actually solving the problem.

Thank you though, it's nice (in a way) to know I'm not the only person going through hell. Currently I'm at home unable to commute because of having nowhere to live... Very difficult situation.

You need to really keep on at them. When they can see that it's affecting people other than you, they'll have to take action. They were really helpful when I was experiencing problems in halls, they value the input you can give them.

Is there any chance you could move to another building/ off campus?

Reply 4

makingamemory

3

I had problems like this in my first year, especially as I had to be up at 9am 4 days a week for labs and people would come home drunk and have an after party in the kitchen (which I was next door to, and would just walk in and turn the music off). To be honest (and it's not something you really want to hear) it's kinda expected that in your first year flats are generally very noisy as freshers have just flown the nest and first year doesn't count. It's just very annoying when you're on the other side of it sleep deprived and pissed off.

There are spare rooms available in private accommodation. However, you still have to make sure that the people you are living with are not noisy too, as some 2nd years can still act as if they're freshers especially if they have so few contact hours (trust me from experience). Also you have to check that the landlord isn't going to screw you over, if you do find a place, be sure to hand in your contract to Home Run (in the advisory place on the square) to get them to check through it. Don't feel pressured to sign anything just so you can get out of accommodation asap, and don't let anyone pressure you into going into a room you don't feel 100% comfortable with. Especially as in some houses the current tenants are footing the extra rent for that room so are very eager to hand it over to someone else.

Reply 5

Anweener

You guys have me so worried now :-( I'm a 3rd year exchange student and don't want to be stuck with a bunch of freshers.... But I don't qualify for the proper international housing. What can I do about my accommodation application for spring semester??But I also want to live on campus to ensure I meet loads of people and such. Eeek

Reply 6

CurlyStasy

Hey!!

Your case is really sad...I had similar problems when i lived in Britten House in my 1st year!

I think I can help you with accommodation though! :smile:

The thing is that I would like to move out from my accommodation after this semester and would like to find someone to rent this room after me. I live in Suffolk Terrace block D which is a postgraduate block, which means very quiet - as everyone is occupied with their studying. Its cheaper than say Nelson court and alike. The thing is that I won't need this room after march and for this reason want to live with a friend. I don't have exams this year which means no sense in coming back after Easter holidays. This would mean to lose the money from renting this room as I will not live here after March. But the accommodation office won't let me do it unless there is someone else wanting to rent the room for January semester.

So what would you say? It is 100% quiet here :smile:

And I really like my flatmates, but I don't want to lose money for renting a room without living in it :smile:

Please reply to my post if you are interested :smile:

It would be very useful if you reply asap as I need to know whether to go and hit on accommodation office again which has to be done before the Cristmas holidays.

Anastasiya

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 7

SuperCat007

OP

17

Thanks for all of your replies. I have gone for the room in Constable, but I am rather dreading going back. I have missed so much and I'm feeling rather panicked and alone! Nobody seems to reply to emails or answer the phone at this place!

I really appreciate you offering me a room, but I desperately don't want to have to share a bathroom with other people. I know other people say it's not that bad, but I really don't think it would suit me.

Thank you so much, I appreciate your helpful and understanding responses. I'm unsure what to do about my future at UEA, but I want to keep fighting to get something done about the awful noise at night.

UEA accommodation dilemma

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