University of Edinburgh
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Taking stuff to uni....
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I wish I could just pack my stuff in a car and drive to Edinburgh (yeah, it would be possible, but I haven't got the money 
). I can't really bring anything extra by plane... Guess I'll just bring my clothes and books (without which I can't live) and have a completely fresh start.
). I can't really bring anything extra by plane... Guess I'll just bring my clothes and books (without which I can't live) and have a completely fresh start.University of Edinburgh
If you bring less you'll probably be better off anyway, as you acquire so much junk over the year that if you turn up with loads you definetley won't be able to take it all back home. Thats the problem I'm having, I have no idea how I will get everything home again in June as it was a struggle getting it here in the first place.
On the S/C v Pollock front, it totally depends on what you want. On this forum you'll get the Pollock and the S/C supporters, so if you want to know anything just ask us, but its ultimatley your own decision. I applied for Pollock, didn't get in, and I am so glad I didn't. But I also know people who applied for S/C and moved to Pollock during the semester, as well as people who got into Pollock and moved out to S/C. And obviously, a lot of people are in Pollock and love it. So its completley subjective. The best thing would be to read the Edinburgh wiki, and come up and see for yourself. We can arrange for you to come and see where we live, either in Pollock or S/C flats while you're here.
On the S/C v Pollock front, it totally depends on what you want. On this forum you'll get the Pollock and the S/C supporters, so if you want to know anything just ask us, but its ultimatley your own decision. I applied for Pollock, didn't get in, and I am so glad I didn't. But I also know people who applied for S/C and moved to Pollock during the semester, as well as people who got into Pollock and moved out to S/C. And obviously, a lot of people are in Pollock and love it. So its completley subjective. The best thing would be to read the Edinburgh wiki, and come up and see for yourself. We can arrange for you to come and see where we live, either in Pollock or S/C flats while you're here.
Emma, stop making promises that can't be kept- we don't let just any old riff-raff into Chancellor's you know...
kasias
What are people's thoughts on going by train?
I wouldn't need to since Edinburgh isn't too far but if I lived in England I'd get the train.
I wouldn't need to since Edinburgh isn't too far but if I lived in England I'd get the train.
My parents have driven up once a year (so far) with my stuff, but apart from that I find the train really good for getting home and back at Christmas and Easter. It's great if you're on the east coast mainline, because the GNER train is quite cheap (£25 return to Scunthorpe) but my flatmate has to pay around £70 to get to Oxford and back even if she books a long way in advance... so guess it depends on where you are in the country!
michaelnicholson88
Emma, stop making promises that can't be kept- we don't let just any old riff-raff into Chancellor's you know...
Now where did I say Chancellors exactly, Michael dear? I mentioned Pollock, not CC specifically- there is a whole world to Pollock outside of your upper class rah accommodation you know!
oxymoronic
Now where did I say Chancellors exactly, Michael dear? I mentioned Pollock, not CC specifically- there is a whole world to Pollock outside of your upper class rah accommodation you know!
Well EXCUSE ME, Little-Miss-I-Just-Got-A-Swanky-New-Kitchen.
Most accommodation is near enough the University central area (Arts and Humanities students) and there's a regular shuttle bus (free of charge) from George Square to the King's Buildings (Science and Medicine). The only accommodation that's a bit out of the way is Kitchener, or so I know, and that's actually quite close to KB I'm told.
Pollock is about 10 minutes walk from the central area, so no big deal whatsoever. And yes, Chancellor's is the most expensive, and most comfortable, of the accommodation. It cost £5096 for the year this year, but that will probably go up next year (on average, the cost rises by 11% a year, according to Tom French- trust me, you'll meet him soon enough). However, bear in mind that you can only select to apply for Pollock, and can't actually specify a preference of houses. Moreover, you can't put down alternative preferences for self-catered, in case your Pollock application is rejected- they just plonk you anywhere, as happened to Emma. Sometimes it works out well (Emma has awesome flatmates) but sometimes it doesn't. Just think about all of that.
It's a good attitude to have, because frankly some of the accommodation sucks.
I had no idea what the accomodation would be like. As an international student I had never visited so just took my chances... Edinburgh as my insurance offer and when if was finally decided the last week of Aug/first of Sept that I'd end up in Edinburgh I was worried that I wouldn't get any accomodation. But there must be lots of room at Chancellor's Ct since I got one of the many open rooms there. Single room, 2 beds, desk, ensuite loo and shower, closet (I think you call it a wardrobe), balcony with an amazing view and great for keeping my milk and beer cold and for parties, and get this a TV in my room....
Pity the walls are abit thin though... can almost hear conversations (and other things) next door!!
Pity the walls are abit thin though... can almost hear conversations (and other things) next door!!
Nope- it's just pot luck.
But even though you get the TV, you still have to pay your own TV License.
But even though you get the TV, you still have to pay your own TV License.
The above room description only goes for Chancellors. In all of the other accommodation (including the other houses at Pollock) you will not get a tv in your room. At Pollock there are pantries/small kitchens dotted around the corridors shared by around 12-15 students, and some but not all have Tvs in. For the S/C lot, if you want a tv you have to bring your own, or decide as a flat to purchase one. In Pollock Chancellors, Holland and Masson are en suite, and the other houses contain shared facilities, the same as in flats.
The more typical rooms contain: a bed (the ones in Darroch can be made into doubles, not sure about anywhere else), desk and chair, bookshelves, wardrobe and maybe a few other storage bits. What you get depends where you live as everywhere is slightly different. The rooms are a decent size too, I've not yet been to a room which is really small.
In S/C flats you're looking at around £3200 a year for rent, I spend £15-20 a week on food, which works out over 37 weeks as about £600. For a standard room in Pollock its around £4200, and for the en suites it varies from £4700 to £5000.
I really should start doing work instead of "helping" on here...
The more typical rooms contain: a bed (the ones in Darroch can be made into doubles, not sure about anywhere else), desk and chair, bookshelves, wardrobe and maybe a few other storage bits. What you get depends where you live as everywhere is slightly different. The rooms are a decent size too, I've not yet been to a room which is really small.
In S/C flats you're looking at around £3200 a year for rent, I spend £15-20 a week on food, which works out over 37 weeks as about £600. For a standard room in Pollock its around £4200, and for the en suites it varies from £4700 to £5000.
I really should start doing work instead of "helping" on here...
Yes, oxymoronic (Emma) is a first year- as are most of us in the EdSoc thread (check it out).
When you apply, the don't ask you anything at all about your interests. It's all random.
When you apply, the don't ask you anything at all about your interests. It's all random.
You don't get asked about your interests when you apply, so in that respect it is random, but the accommodation services do try to match similar people together using the information they have. For example, science students tend to be put together, and you tend to get linguists together, or people from the more "arty" spectrum such as music or philosophy. My flat appears to be a strange mix, as we have a medic, a nurse, a teacher, and two anthropologists!
They also appear to take into consideration what A level/Higher subjects you did, and where in the country (or world) you're coming to Edinburgh from. For example, in my flat we have 4 English and a Northern Irish, we all live 5+ hours away from Ed, so therefore we would be very unlikely to go home in term time. The flat next to me has "local" students in and they all live with an hour of uni and go home a lot at the weekend. Similarly, all of us in my flat took A level English, 3 did psychology and 3 of us did a language. So its all very interlinked. Incidentally, we're all also Pollock rejects (yeah, rock on!!)
In a way it is pot luck, but thats what being at uni is about: you get thrown in a flat (or corridor) with a bunch of people and are left to make what you want of it. Obviously in a flat its more essential that you are friends with the people you live with, as in Pollock if you don't like your neighbour you don't have to talk to them, but when you live in the same house as someone its would be very difficult if you didn't get along.
They also appear to take into consideration what A level/Higher subjects you did, and where in the country (or world) you're coming to Edinburgh from. For example, in my flat we have 4 English and a Northern Irish, we all live 5+ hours away from Ed, so therefore we would be very unlikely to go home in term time. The flat next to me has "local" students in and they all live with an hour of uni and go home a lot at the weekend. Similarly, all of us in my flat took A level English, 3 did psychology and 3 of us did a language. So its all very interlinked. Incidentally, we're all also Pollock rejects (yeah, rock on!!)
In a way it is pot luck, but thats what being at uni is about: you get thrown in a flat (or corridor) with a bunch of people and are left to make what you want of it. Obviously in a flat its more essential that you are friends with the people you live with, as in Pollock if you don't like your neighbour you don't have to talk to them, but when you live in the same house as someone its would be very difficult if you didn't get along.
I got incredibly lucky regarding accommodation, especially considering the rush I did it in - when it came to getting my flat offer I couldn't even remember where I'd applied for! Ended up in Darroch Court and couldn't be happier, for people and location, and I didn't even have any stairs to climb to get my stuff to my room 
Considered catered, but couldn't really justify paying for it, as I eat at very unusual times and have a small appetite, so noodles from the chinese supermarket it is for me. Just occured to me that I've still never been up to Pollock..
I live(d) in Essex, though my parents decided to flee to Austria at the same time as I started uni, so moving stuff about was a bit of a nightmare for me. Took one carload up at the start of 1st semester with the help of a friend, left some things in a storage locker down south. I basically just leave everything here all the time, get a train back to see friends and such, and fly out of Edinburgh to see parents for christmas. Come the end of this semester it'll be getting shunted in to a flat somewhere round these parts, one of my flatmates for next year can drive, so should be fine.
Re flatmates, no idea how I ended up in this particular flat, I do chinese and live with 3 lawyers and a guy doing PE, never really socialse together, though some flats seem to get on really well. So many other great people around our court though, and various other s/c residences nearby, never really been an issue.
Really, try not to let the distance put you off
It's a great place, and I've had an amazing first year so far. Now to go for my summer exam exemptions..
...Y'know, if I'd typed as many words as I did here in to my essay, I'd only have 150 to go
Considered catered, but couldn't really justify paying for it, as I eat at very unusual times and have a small appetite, so noodles from the chinese supermarket it is for me. Just occured to me that I've still never been up to Pollock..I live(d) in Essex, though my parents decided to flee to Austria at the same time as I started uni, so moving stuff about was a bit of a nightmare for me. Took one carload up at the start of 1st semester with the help of a friend, left some things in a storage locker down south. I basically just leave everything here all the time, get a train back to see friends and such, and fly out of Edinburgh to see parents for christmas. Come the end of this semester it'll be getting shunted in to a flat somewhere round these parts, one of my flatmates for next year can drive, so should be fine.
Re flatmates, no idea how I ended up in this particular flat, I do chinese and live with 3 lawyers and a guy doing PE, never really socialse together, though some flats seem to get on really well. So many other great people around our court though, and various other s/c residences nearby, never really been an issue.
Really, try not to let the distance put you off
It's a great place, and I've had an amazing first year so far. Now to go for my summer exam exemptions.....Y'know, if I'd typed as many words as I did here in to my essay, I'd only have 150 to go
I have no clue how they organise the flats; I live with a Nurse, English and a Psychology student. Guh.
Re: rail travel. If you're taking the train any distance at all more than once, get a young person's rail card. Anyone under 25 (or in full time education) can get one. It costs £20, but the fee is a one-off for a card valid for 5 years. You save 1/3 fare every time you use it, so a decent sized return will pay for itself in one or two journeys. Also, you can get singles which are cheaper than a return ticket (sometimes), and booking ahead lowers expenses.
Re: books to Elisabeth. Give some thought to whether you want to bring all your books. I sent 22 kg (ish) of books to myself. Most of them don't get looked at much, and while I very much like having them *available*, I don't actually use them very often. I, too, love books, just bear in mind that you'll have a lot of course reading to do and probably won't spend that much of your free time reading. You won't want to, and you're more likely to spend free time with friends. Also, the main library has a *fairly* wide selection of novels, and the city is FULL of used book shops where you can find interesting books on the cheap, as well as the ubiqitous Blackwells and a WH Smith's on Prince's Street.
To Michael: WTF you on about Grant House? Grant is awesome! Just because we're in your shadow over at Chancellor's Palace and you guys are in all the accomodation pictures (no, prospective students, most of Pollock does NOT look like the pictures you see in brochures--that's Chancellor's Court).
On accomodation, you can choose to apply for en-suite or standard at Pollock. Masson actually has the best deal--double beds and ensuite shower, without the reputation for luxury/snobs that Chancellor's (mostly unfairly) gets. They like to act circumspect.
Re: books to Elisabeth. Give some thought to whether you want to bring all your books. I sent 22 kg (ish) of books to myself. Most of them don't get looked at much, and while I very much like having them *available*, I don't actually use them very often. I, too, love books, just bear in mind that you'll have a lot of course reading to do and probably won't spend that much of your free time reading. You won't want to, and you're more likely to spend free time with friends. Also, the main library has a *fairly* wide selection of novels, and the city is FULL of used book shops where you can find interesting books on the cheap, as well as the ubiqitous Blackwells and a WH Smith's on Prince's Street.
To Michael: WTF you on about Grant House? Grant is awesome! Just because we're in your shadow over at Chancellor's Palace and you guys are in all the accomodation pictures (no, prospective students, most of Pollock does NOT look like the pictures you see in brochures--that's Chancellor's Court).
On accomodation, you can choose to apply for en-suite or standard at Pollock. Masson actually has the best deal--double beds and ensuite shower, without the reputation for luxury/snobs that Chancellor's (mostly unfairly) gets. They like to act circumspect.
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