Birmingham City University

Birmingham

Hamstead Campus

Hey, thought I'd start a Hamstead Campus thread for anyone thinking of living here in September.

I'm in my first year here studying Criminology at Perry Barr, so the journey's pretty decent just a 10 minute bus and a half hour bus into the city.

The campus is great with helpful staff and security around all the time, a cheap pub run by the SU on site, a MUGA pitch, free gym and the place looks like Hogwarts so that's a bonus right?

There's always something to do (mainly drinking) and everyone's really friendly and there's a real community atmosphere here :smile:

Any questions about the Campus please ask!

Or if you just want to meet some people who'l be on the campus in September, this is the place to do it :smile:

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Reply 1

Arcanum

Hi.
Im planning on living at HamCam this september. I'm a first year student and i'm stuck between opting for the Halls or the 5 person Flats. Which do you think would be better?

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Reply 2

minimonkeyman

Oh hey there! I'm living in the halls this year but moving into a 5 person flat next year.
I would say halls is great especially considering the pricing option, however if you care about getting a lot of sleep in your first year, or having a tidy kitchen on weekends, that could be a problem lol. Although we do have cleaners during the week so that's pretty cool :smile:

Halls is closer to the accommodation office, study rooms, tv room and gym etc however which is useful although in halls there is only really your kitchen you can often go to socialize/predrink with mates there so in a flat having a lounge type area with a tv is good for social reasons I guess.
But honestly I think it just comes down to cost they're both great places to live :smile:

Reply 3

DonnieBrown

Hello there,
I'll be living there aswell in a five person flat. Went for a viewing and I was really impressed with the place, especially the on site pub and shop. I'll be in my second year studying Criminology and Psychology so I quite look forward to making new friends :yes:

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Reply 4

minimonkeyman

Original post by DonnieBrown

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Hey! yeah the pub and shop is great here! I'll be doing criminology and policing second year, so we'll have a couple lectures together! cool :smile:

where are you staying at the moment?

Reply 5

DonnieBrown

Aah yess that'll be good :yes:

I'm living in IQ Five at the moment imagine the price difference

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Reply 6

KimRochelleee

I reserved my room at Hamstead today, the excitement is killing me! Really looking forward to making new friends :')

Reply 7

shan5

Moving into hamstead campus in september! Excited :tongue:

Reply 8

kaya1717

Hey guys, so I just thought I'd give my two scents worth on my experience at Hamstead Campus in Bimingham and some advice for those who are looking for accommodation for their student digs.. yeah.. don't bother.. so where to start... Throughout my experience there I can say this for definite.. 1. Too noisy - although the staff will sweet talk you and say any noise complaints will be dealt with and anyone who continuously disrupts will be evacuated and told to leave.. don't expect this to happen all they want to do is to keep as many students as possible despite complaints :angry:

, 2....... Drugs sold on campus, fights etc..... :eek:

3....... Foxes and rats can and are seen on the campus grounds at night YUK! :eek:

4......... RUDEE staff who are all nice and friendly when they want your custom for accommodation but be weary that once the contract is signed you will see the other side to them :frown:

5...... The gym which they have on campus is soooo super small that there's practically only one of each equipment and if one machine breaks down they take agessss to fix it - YEAH im talking like 4 weeks or longer - who wants that? And trust me those machines are always breaking down :mad:

. 6..... The area (HANDSOWRTH WOOD) has one of the highest crimes rates in England!! Whilst I lived ther 3 people have been killed (CLICK THE LINK FOR THE TRADGEDY ON FRIARY RD (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16508304) this happened just last year (2012) unfortunately, and is the same road the campus is located - and more beaten up students on their to campus either robbed or physically attacked. Smashed car windows -the lot AND in the neighbour hood park Handsowrth Wood Park less than a mile from the campus (http://supatrax.co.uk/index.php/news/144-carnival-fears-after-shooting-at-woodyz) :frown:

. 7.... SMELLY CAMPUS - bins are left INDOORS and over the weekend when cleaners are off duty rubbish is left to pile up (indoors) and cause a horrible stench which is probably what attracts the rats :/ :eek:

8...... Depressing rooms which are full of mould on the windows (atleast that was mine and some others' experience that I know of especially in halls where the building is old. 9... OMG almost forgot this one.. during the winter the heating goes down so cold - have no idea why, this was my experience every year that I lived there without fail, and they never seemed to fix the problem (which leads to my last point about it probably because they're money greedy *** and can't be bothered to sort the heating out 10.... SAME thing with the water in the halls especially - there have been days on end where the water was too cold to take a shower in and they wont allow you to take a shower in one of the empty flats (imagine if you're a girl and having you're time of the month - like what the heck do they expect us to do??? 11.... Almost forgot the time that accommodation staff walked into my room even though I had locked it without even knocking first (even though it says in the contract that they would NOT do that as its invasion of privacy and they should give notice first or atleast knock of damn courtesy you would think, its happened on atleast 2 occasions that I can remember so if any of your personal belongings go missing just know that there's a possibility you're not imagining things.. 12....It's generally unsafe for women too lots of weird men following young women and harassing them (parents, please think of your daughters or atleast make sure they know how to handle themselves by enrolling them on a defence martial arts class) AND to top it all off..when I wanted to end my contract early (despite having found a replacement for my room who had already moved in) they tried to threaten to take me to court for the full term even tho they knew full well I did not owe them the rent that I hadn't stayed on campus! - Just goes to show what money greedy hungry t**** they are and I wouldn't recommend living there by a MILE!.... On top of that Birmingham City University Campuses will all be located in the city centre by early 2015 of which most courses will be there by 2014 so save yourself the 30minute long commute into town by public transport and get accommodation closer to the city centre where its a lot safer and a lot cleaner and more student friendly................. SORRY about the long rant but it needed to be put out there for parents and students alike to get to hear a real first hand experience from and ex-student that lived there. Believe me if I could do my time over I would not have picked Hamstead Campus to live.........RANT OVER#

Reply 9

shan5

Okay, sounds like you had a bad experience! However alot of people have told me mixed opinions, most of them being positive. So i guess people that are moving in there this year will have to judge for themselves.
And fair enough its in handsworth wood, but the crime aint that bad at all! And i"ve lived in a much worse place for the last 14years which is lozells!! And i have felt safe as can be round there. These days in birmingham, no matter where you live, your at risk of being attacked :frown:

. I mean like last year i lived in the ensuite apartments in the mailbox by broadstreet! And alot of people think that its posh and perfect round there. Where in fact there were so many robberies, both armed and non armed. And at one point me and few friends just got back through the secured gates to where we were staying and someone wanted for armed rape followed a group of girls in just before we got there. So really and truely i guess ur eyes need to be open in area of birmingham.

I am a bit weiry about the contract, seems a little too good to be true. But i will keep an eye for things that you have pointed out in that section. :-)

I am staying in a 5bedroom flat and it seems like the main problems are occuring in the halls?

But thanks for post your "rant" lol, it has made me watch out for a few things this year. :-)

Reply 10

kaya1717

LOL! deifintely watch out for things that I've mentioned, and you are right, all areas in Birmingham wherever you are regardless of the reputation you need to be careful.. rememeber the girl who got stabbed on the bus at 7am on the way to school.. who would have thought such a thing would happen?? Certainley not me. Truth be told I know many people who's experienced crappy things at hamstead but they weren't pissed enough to rant on a public platform like this.. but me on the other hand.. I was.. and so I have, in an attempt to shed some light of my own personal experience at Hamstead of things that went on, 90% of the things listed occurred in general (not just me) e.g the bins, noise, gym equipment breaking down, rude staff (although I've got to say some of them are very nice - just the odd people who aren't) cold showers (definitely just the halls - to my knowledge is where it happens), the crimes, creepy perves etc, these are all facts and many others would say the same.. Although I'm not saying it was ALL bad ofcourse there were some good points about living in hamstead but my bad experiences for me personally, outweighed any few gd points about the place. The only thing that tipped it off completely for me which I cans ay was singularly my own experience that I can bear witness to was the whole issue with my contract and them trying to be money greedy grabbing crooks at the end which just made my blood boil as they were sending me letters saying they would take me to court which was wholly unnecessary seeing as I didn't owe them the money they claimed I owed... Just saying out of everything definitely be weary and have a good look at all the other student accommodations out there, especially as BCU will be completely relocating all campuses including City North Campus (Perry Barr) to the city centre by 2015.. Makes sense guys :smile:

Also... just to add, I studied marketing at University and I wouldn't be surprised if half of the comments on here weren't made by some of the staff themselves as a marketing ploy to get more students.. just saying...

Reply 11

GeorgiePi

Just a note from someone who has lived at Hamstead for all 3 years of my degree (2010-2013), in the hall - its great. the staff are really friendly and if you do have a problem (for example the shower) just tell them at the accommodation office and usually they'll send someone to look at it the same day. in my final year the hob in our kitchen broke and it was replaced within a week. there is 24/7 security so there is always someone on hand.

some points reading through the comments above:

yes there is a drugs presence on campus, there will be in any halls you go in I'm afraid, but you only have to deal with it if you're friends with people who use.

I have never seen a rat. cats, a fox and a hedgehog yes, but no rats.

noise complaints are dealt with swiftly - the chap below me liked his music loud but security always got him to turn it down to a reasonable level within 10 mins of my complaint.

the gym is fairly small but (when i was there) it was about £15 for the year, so what do you expect - if you want more equipment join the main uni gym at perry barr.

Yes there is crime in the area (but there is in the whole of Birmingham!) it never put me off living there, I never had any problems and as I say, the security on site is 24/7.

the cleaners in the main hall building work 5 days a week, kitchens and bathrooms are cleaned everyday. of course the bins are left over the weekend, and emptied first thing on monday, whereas in most halls (like the flats at hamstead) you are responsible for taking out your own trash. If the smell bothers you I suggest you do this.

the heating in the main hall works fine and it was very cosy in the winter.

I never had a mouldy window.

I lived at Hamstead even though I studied at the city centre campus, the 16 bus is very direct and takes about 20 mins.

So I would deffo recommend living here, I had a wonderful 3 years and didn't want to leave. there is a park area out the front of the hall which is great in the summer, and its a short walk from Handsworth park with is really lovely. I also had a bus pass included in my contract which was a great saving.

Reply 12

shan5

I guess everyone has their own story to tell with any accomodations that they have lived in. I guess its what u make of it. I mean im looking forward to moving in; but after reading a few comments, i will be looking out for certain things.

But like i said i lived in mailbox apartments for first year of uni and there were still robbings and stabbings there. And we had 24/7 security.

Reply 13

outtacontrol

What date is everybody moving in?

Reply 14

balpizzle

Original post by kaya1717

, 2....... Drugs sold on campus, fights etc..... :eek:

3....... Foxes and rats can and are seen on the campus grounds at night YUK! :eek:

4......... RUDEE staff who are all nice and friendly when they want your custom for accommodation but be weary that once the contract is signed you will see the other side to them :frown: