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University of Edinburgh

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Edinburgh applicants - insurance .. accom issue

I think this thread should stay here admins because the other thread's getting a bit cluttered. I figured there should be a thread open for people to post if they are seriously considering private accomodation instead of accepting the pathetic offer of bunk beds.

Obviously nobody knows if they'll need it until results day but if everyone posts on here if they will be looking for flatmates maybe people can get talking? There can't be a better place to find flatmates than tsr really can there ..

:smile:

Reply 1

Mithra

Edinburgh are offering people who chose them as their insurance accommodation with bunkbeds? :lolwut:

Wow am I glad I didn't decide to put them down as insurance.

University of Edinburgh

Reply 2

Biochem

i thought it might be only for people who put them as an insurance. Hopefully we won't need the then.

Reply 3

Lobster91

I think I may have no choice but put up with it...as I can't look for alternatives as don't know if I'm going! (Hopefully not...)

Reply 4

oxymoronic

Lobster91

I think I may have no choice but put up with it...as I can't look for alternatives as don't know if I'm going! (Hopefully not...)

I've already told you, you can and will be able to find somewhere after results day - freshers week doesn't start until the 12th Sept or something like that, that gives you a couple of weeks to come up to Edinburgh early and find yourself somewhere to live. Even if you're going on holiday (I think that's you) you can still come afterwards and then you'll have two weeks to find a flat, which is a hell of a long time in Edinburgh terms, particularly if you're just wanting a room in an already existing flat set up.

This bunk bed lark is only your only option if you see it like this, yeah it is the easiest and I know that I would have been terrified at the prospect of going private in first year but I'm telling you as someone who knows a fair amount about getting flats in Edinburgh that its much easier than in other university cities, and that I'll help people as much as I can do with finding places/general advice and information, as I would have been desperate for someone to have done the same for me had I been in this position.

Reply 5

curtis

oxymoronic

finding a flat privately won't be hard at all, finding flatmates on the other hand will be. i'd guess that most people would prefer private over halls but people prefer halls in first year because they allow you to meet people. i have no problem with going private it's my only option if i miss my firm offer but just who i'd live with i have no idea. i know that the more people you can get to live with the more likely the place will be nicer. a one bedroom flat/studio bedsit thing won't be great i'm guessing, plus you're limiting yourself surely if you don't find people to live with from day one if you're not in halls, i.e. you may end up living on your own throughout uni

Reply 6

oxymoronic

curtis

No.... that's seriously not going to happen - very very very few people end up living with their flatmates from first year in fourth year, even if they get on very well. For a lot of people their best friends are from the societies they are a member of and their course, and their flatmates are simply people they were forced to live with in first year, that's all. I seem to be the only exception on TSR from the Edinburgh folk in that I have lived with one of my flatmates since first year and we're now going into 4th year. Trust me, not living in university owned accommodation in first year is not going to mean that you'll struggle to find people to live with in second year and beyond - most people don't even start looking for flats or thinking about the next year until March at the earliest meaning you'll have 6 months to find friends... it's not as if you have to decide in October.

In Edinburgh, the vast majority of students live in a 3 or 4 bedroom flat, 5s are hard to find but some people do, and I've never known anyone in a 6 bedroom flat or more, meaning you don't need to find that many more people than you to actually live with - sharing with one other person isn't uncommon either. There are lots of you on tsr in a mess with this bunk bed situation right now meaning it is a prime oppertunity to get chatting and make up flats, then if it comes down to it on results day you've already got a group to find a flat with should you need to, and if only 2 out of the 3 end up going, then there will also be other people needing to find a room.

Remember, they have sent this email to everyone who is a conditional offer holder and an awful lot of them might end up going to Edinburgh in september and if they've got their head screwed on they'll go private and not provide the university accommodation services with money.

Reply 7

elisabethbridge

To add to what oxymoronic said, and I whole heartedly agree with everything she's saying, that I've got a friend who was in this situation when he started his first year at Edinburgh. Well, he wasn't offered a bunk bed, he forgot to apply for accommodation in the first place. :rolleyes:

He came up to Edinburgh, found himself people that needed one more person in their flat and moved in. He didn't have the social circle of student accommodation surrounding him, but it didn't make much difference in making friends. He joined societies etc. and he's never had troubles finding people to live with since. Just because you don't do things the conventional way when you start uni, doesn't mean you won't have a good time.

Reply 8

curtis

i feel a little more reassured, how do people find flatamates though?

Reply 9

oxymoronic

curtis

i feel a little more reassured, how do people find flatamates though?

Look on the accommodation thread sticky, on the front page. I've written a whole load of information about how to find flatmates in an existing flat. Basically there are loads of different websites which people use, as well as advertising within the university and also on facebook.

Reply 10

Lobster91

oxymoronic

That's really nice of you to help! I'm not going on holiday, but it would be difficult for me to just pop up to Edinburgh as I live in Devon...and I only find out if I'm going there on 20th August, which doesn't leave me with too many options to find accommodation in advance?

Reply 11

gammapulsar

Well I'm seriously considering private accommodation. So anything PM me!
I don't wanna spend so much for a bunked bed and bad meals...

Ps. can we say we accept the bunked beds and then decide if I want or not?

Reply 12

Rainfaery

I am staying in private accommodation, but I`ve planned that for months. :smile:

The only thing I`m worried about is that I`ll be living all the way in Leith, so the commute will be a bit far...

Reply 13

oxymoronic

Lobster91

You'll have about 3 weeks after results day before you move up here, that is plenty of time to come up and take a look at what there is on offer. You might just have to arrive in Edinburgh a week earlier than normal. Yes, Edinburgh is a long way from Devon but this is a decision you'll have to make - either, come up here and sort it out yourself or don't and take the easier more convenient option of bunk beds. You might have to inconvenience yourself slightly after results day if you want to get what you want out of your accommodation in first year. Remember, one of the main reasons they can do this is that the accomm services know that it is a hassle for everyone to come up and find private flats in a city they don't know, therefore they offer you an awful option to get your money rather than giving eveeryone advice about how to go private in the first place.

gammapulsar

Yeah you can - basically, when you're made an offer of a room it is via email and then you have to fill out an online form, pay your deposit and accept the room. You have a certain amount of time to accept it before you loose the room, so you'd just have to let them know you're not taking it. Until you've paid the deposit you're not committed to anything.

Reply 14

Nelien

Any chance we can use this thread for everyone looking for private accommodation and not only you insurance people?

If so, well, I'm strongly considering private accommodation. So I've been looking around and it seems easier to just jump in an existing flat looking for an extra tenant rather than grouping up and finding an empty flat. Would be more fun to be several first years together but seems a difficult thing to arrange if you can't get to Edinburgh much in advance. Any thoughts?

Anyone else actually looking at ads and seriously considering private? I'll be chatting with you too gammapulsar :smile:

Reply 15

gammapulsar

If anyone's interested I've contacted them and they told me:

"The room will cost £117.95/week which is £3901.15 in total. This includes
meals.

The room is ensuite and is classed as a larger room, meaning it will be over
12 square metres in size.

When you accept the formal offer you will be able to set up an instalment
plan to pay either by month or by semester.

Currently the only accommodation we are able to offer is the bunked, catered
accommodation but should there be spaces that arise during the term, you can
move to a single self-catered room. You can place yourself on this waiting
list by speaking to your House Warden when you arrive."

hope that helps