The Student Room Group
Lakeside residences
Aston University, Birmingham
Birmingham
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Unsure between going to Aston 2016 or to do The Open University for business studies.

I am a musician and I play in a brass band as well as being a keen singer and I love my musical life in Yorkshire, so among many reasons I am considering staying up here and doing The OU so that I can carry on with my music as I have been doing. Other reasons for staying here and doing The OU is so that I can work and I don't have to be bankrupt and so I can "get on with my life" and "be an adult".

But the reality is that I would love to go to Aston and have a fresh start, I'm just petrified. What are the music facilities like there? What is the potential for student jobs and how easy are they to find? What is Aston University like in terms of "one big happy family" type of thing? I'm really scared.

Thanks
Original post by dba09ab1
I am a musician and I play in a brass band as well as being a keen singer and I love my musical life in Yorkshire, so among many reasons I am considering staying up here and doing The OU so that I can carry on with my music as I have been doing. Other reasons for staying here and doing The OU is so that I can work and I don't have to be bankrupt and so I can "get on with my life" and "be an adult".

But the reality is that I would love to go to Aston and have a fresh start, I'm just petrified. What are the music facilities like there? What is the potential for student jobs and how easy are they to find? What is Aston University like in terms of "one big happy family" type of thing? I'm really scared.

Thanks


University is a scary time for everyone it may be your first taste of independence and can be a big life change, if you have any more detailed questions about the university or Birmingham i would be happy to answer them but i will address a few of your concerns:

Music - On the music side of things we have several societies which you will be able to join so neither your instrument nor your playing abilities get rusty. There is both Aston Live Music Society and an orchestra style setup. You can also start your own society to meet like minded students if non of these appeal to you.

Working - You should also be able to find a job in Birmingham to carry out alongside your studies if you are worried about being broke. Several bars on campus hold auditions every September to find new staff as Final year staff will have left to find full time employment after graduating. The student job shop is also at hand to help you find something flexible.

Aston Family - Aston is one big happy family, it's a campus based university so you will find yourself mixing with people from plenty of different courses, cultures and backgrounds and will never feel isolated. As previously mentioned there are also clubs and societies to help you along. I joned Aston with a small group of friends and now i have a massive network of people, so much so i didn't want to leave after graduating and found a job at the University itself.

Anything else don't hesitate to ask.

Josh
Lakeside residences
Aston University, Birmingham
Birmingham
Visit website
Reply 2
Wow that was so helpful, thankyou so so much!

What is it like for transport around the city? Best not to walk when dark? What is the uni accommodation like? I read that there are double beds?

Thanks,
Anna
Original post by dba09ab1
Wow that was so helpful, thankyou so so much!

What is it like for transport around the city? Best not to walk when dark? What is the uni accommodation like? I read that there are double beds?

Thanks,
Anna


Transport- is excellent around Birmingham, there is a large bus network and a rail service that should get you to pretty much anywhere in the city, sometimes things can run late and can be a bit overcrowded when the German market is on but otherwise it runs pretty smoothly.

Safety - Obviously crime rates will differ area to area, but as a citizen of Birmingham for 23 years I've never encounter any crime nor had it effect any of my friends, many a night has been spent walking through the city centre at 3am finding those precious McNuggets and a taxi home.

Accommodation - We have just completed a complete refurbishment of all our accommodation to bring the university into the 21st century, you can have a look round at some of its features and student life here.

Bedding - All of our beds are a 1.5 size so it should fit most people perfectly, unless you're a bit of a giant, it might be a bit of a squeeze if you've invited someone back with you but something tells me most people won't mind that.
Reply 4
Are there bus discounts for students? I know there is the nationalrail card that I can have. Is the German market good? I used to have a friendwho lives north of Birmingham who said its really really good.
Hahahaa, can totally understand your thoughts there!
Do you know about how easy it is to get the type of accommodationyou want? I want to be in a 5 bed flat.
LOL, that is very true! Although my thoughts were just that Iwould finally get a big(ger) bed!
Annax

Original post by dba09ab1
Are there bus discounts for students? I know there is the nationalrail card that I can have. Is the German market good? I used to have a friendwho lives north of Birmingham who said its really really good.
Hahahaa, can totally understand your thoughts there!
Do you know about how easy it is to get the type of accommodationyou want? I want to be in a 5 bed flat.
LOL, that is very true! Although my thoughts were just that Iwould finally get a big(ger) bed!
Annax



Hi Anna,

There are bus discounts for students, but they tend to only apply on seasonal passes rather than everyday tickets, odds are if you're living on campus you won't need to use the bus too often. A daysaver will cost you £4.20 for unlimited travel all day, you can find more information on Birmingham's bus service here.

I went the German market for the first time this year and i can report a positive experience, i spent far, far too much on food and ate to the point of being sick :biggrin:, you may be interested in one of our German market articles in the student living section.

Accommodation should be fairly easy to get as long as you apply early, i believe applications are open now, if you decide to make Aston your firm choice you should apply ASAP. You can apply here.

Sorry about the bed, perhaps you could make a friend in your halls and push two together, so you have more space for activities.

Anything else, just give me a shout.

Josh :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by Aston University
Hi Anna

There are bus discounts for students, but they tend to only apply on seasonal passes rather than everyday tickets, odds are if you're living on campus you won't need to use the bus too often. A daysaver will cost you £4.20 for unlimited travel all day, you can find more information on Birmingham's bus service here.

I went the German market for the first time this year and i can report a positive experience, i spent far, far too much on food and ate to the point of being sick :biggrin:, you may be interested in one of our German market articles in the student living section.

Accommodation should be fairly easy to get as long as you apply early, i believe applications are open now, if you decide to make Aston your firm choice you should apply ASAP. You can apply here.

Sorry about the bed, perhaps you could make a friend in your halls and push two together, so you have more space for activities.

Anything else, just give me a shout.

Josh :smile:



Hi, I was wondering if you could offer some advice.

I have considered the Lakeside accommodation now that I have seen how much financial assistance I am entitled to. I was wondering, how many people share a flat there? What is the accommodation like with regards to storage (both in the room and kitchen)? What is the general experience of living there? I'm worried that it will not be as "comfortable" as the more expensive accommodation.

Thankyou so much.
Anna
Original post by dba09ab1
Hi, I was wondering if you could offer some advice.

I have considered the Lakeside accommodation now that I have seen how much financial assistance I am entitled to. I was wondering, how many people share a flat there? What is the accommodation like with regards to storage (both in the room and kitchen)? What is the general experience of living there? I'm worried that it will not be as "comfortable" as the more expensive accommodation.

Thankyou so much.
Anna


Hi Anna,

Lakeside is normally a 7 bed flat, the kitchen is spacious and you should all have a shelf each, which should suffice unless you're really into your cooking. I've never lived there myself but some of my friends report good experiences and lived there for repeat years, i personally think the view makes a big difference, always nice to over look a bit of greenery and water. You should certainly come one of our open days if it's feasible for you and come have a look around.

Josh :smile:
Reply 8
Original post by Aston University
Hi Anna,

Lakeside is normally a 7 bed flat, the kitchen is spacious and you should all have a shelf each, which should suffice unless you're really into your cooking. I've never lived there myself but some of my friends report good experiences and lived there for repeat years, i personally think the view makes a big difference, always nice to over look a bit of greenery and water. You should certainly come one of our open days if it's feasible for you and come have a look around.

Josh :smile:


Hi,
Yeah it was the view that swayed me more to consider it. Im not great with being with lots of people so I was a little worried about how many people I would be sharing with.
Thanks,
Anna :smile:
Original post by dba09ab1
Hi,
Yeah it was the view that swayed me more to consider it. Im not great with being with lots of people so I was a little worried about how many people I would be sharing with.
Thanks,
Anna :smile:


That's totally understandable, i'm a bit of an introvert myself. However the upside is you do have your own room and can shut your door if you want to keep contact time to a minimum, every flat has that one person who is a bit of a ghost.

Josh

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