Hi,
I'm a 3rd year student who's graduating soon and I've decided to make a thread to combat the majority of your fears!!
Accommodation:I've lived in both Brook Street and Hughenden so I've got good experience! Ultimately choosing which halls to live in is a trade off and you have to decide what matters the most to you, but hopefully the lists below will help you out!
Brook Street:- Cheapest option
- Only 5 mins walk from the uni campus
- Perfect if you're sociable and love courtyard parties
- Don't get a lot of peace as there's always something happening
- Share a flat/bathroom/kitchen with 9 other people. (10 per flat)
- Oldest halls residence, looks like a prison which brick walls and is quite run down.
Hughenden:- Middle range option
- 15-20 mins walk from the uni campus
- However there's a bus that runs from directly outside the halls straight into town. The bus is free (just show your Bucks ID card) but finishes at 9.30pm.
- En-suite bathroom which is always a bonus.
- Only share with 5 other people
- Whereas Brook Street has a courtyard where different blocks can socialise, Hughenden doesn't have such a place, unfortunately.
- Only built 4/5 years ago, fairly new, and looks quite upmarket
Windsor:- Most expensive option
- Halfway between Brooks and Hughenden so only about 10 mins away.
- Built in rown so can be quite noisy.
- Very plush and upmarket but not a lot can afford the price.
- Only built in Summer 2012.
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Night life:SU:Our SU is utterly amazing. We are the ONLY SU in the ENTIRE UK that do NOT have to pay for entry, thanks to a little something called The Big Deal (more on that below).
The general weekly schedule goes a little something like..
Monday - Alternate nights
Tuesday - Alternates between Comedy Central and Suck My Acoustic
Weds - FRAT - BIGGEST STUDENT NIGHT! Tends to be society takeovers!
Thurs - Crash or Clarity
Fri - FLIRT - Tends to be themed nights and probably the SECOND biggest night out!
Sat - Unisex
Sun - Rock and Roll Bingo. Always win up to £100 in cash.
The SU has a range of themed nights including Foam Parties, UV Parties, Popcorn Party, and Silent HeadPhone Disco Party to name just a few.. Guaranteed that you will NOT want lecs at 9am on a Thursday Morning as Weds nights are the biggest nights out every week!
Yates:There's a Yates next door to Windsor House. Their student nights tend to be on a Tuesday.
Pubs:Fairly large range of pubs including Yates, Wetherspoons, Butlers, Antelope, Hobgoblin, Beaconsfield Arms, The Falcon and O'Neils - just in case that takes your fancy!
Although there isn't a massive nightlife in High Wycombe, the SU definitely has an event on every single night and to be fair, there's always a massive variety. Not only that, in case you ever fancy a change, London is only 35 mins away on a train and there is Revs in Beaconsfields as well. However, I've been here for 3 years, and I've loved it!
Entertainment:There is a Cineworld and AMF Bowling Alley in the town centre called Eden. Student cinema tickets cost £4.20 which is actually a bargain! There's also an Empire's which is about 15/20 mins away.
Jobs:Ample opportunities for part time jobs. The Eden Centre has plenty of retail shops and restaurants that are constantly hiring and can be quite flexible with students. Just make sure you have a CV ready and get in early.
The SU also hire for the Bars in the SU as well as other jobs. Make sure you check out the Bucks SU website (
http://www.bucksstudent.com/)
Restaurants:Nice host of restaurants in the Eden in case you ever fancy eating out.
There is a Nando's, La Tasca, Wagamama's, Frankie and Benny's and Zizzi's in the Eden.
There's a Noodle Nation straight outside the university campus.
There is a TGI Friday's and Frankie Benny's next door to the Empire Cinema about 15/20 minutes away.
Plenty of fast food and pizza places including: Domino's (Which deliver until 5am AND you get awesome vouchers in the Freshers Fair), Pizza Hut, Chicken Cottage, Kebabish, Dennis's etc.
The Big Deal:The Big Deal. Is. Amazing. Basically, as BNU student you will not have to pay for any events, activities, societies or the SU because The Big Deal will take on all of your costs. Whether you want to join the netball society, Bucks Newspaper, go to Thorpe Park, learn to water-ski, gain new culinary skills, speak Spanish etc - YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY!! IT'S TOTALLY FREE! If you join a society, you don't have to pay for equipment or uniforms because The Big Deal pays. The amount of opportunities that come your way is utterly ridiculous but I will 100% suggest getting completely involved because you will be so much better for it!! No other university offers this, but this is definitely our worthwhile Unique Selling Point.
Contact Info:Official New BNU Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BucksnewuniOfficial Bucks SU page:
http://www.bucksstudent.com/Official Website:
http://bucks.ac.uk/BNU Freshers Page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/573153449374921/?fref=tsBNU SU Pics:
https://www.facebook.com/BucksSuPhotos201213?fref=tsTop Tips:- Find out what you want from university, and shop around for the best university
- Join a clubcard according to where you're living and where you'll be doing your main shops
- Don't be afraid to get stuck in.
- Use social networking sites to meet coursemates, flatmates etc in advance
- TALK to students who've studied at the uni and make sure it's a varied demographic to gain an accurate review
- Come down for the Open Days and get a feel for what the uni is like. If you're spending 3 years in a uni, minimum, then make sure you've picked the right place.
- Your experience is what you make it. Remember that.
- Your time at university will FLY past. Don't have regrets.
Feel free to post questions below and I hope that I've helped! Like all student towns, Wycombe does have it's fault but I've been here for 3 years and I've had an amazing time. Best of luck, Freshers! x