Brunel Uni Accommodation (quiet, tidy)

I am hopefully studying Product Design this September in Brunel and was wondering if anyone else is looking for maybe a house in town that they want to share. I did a foundation year in another Uni and so I have experienced living in halls and personally I would prefer a quieter and cleaner environment. I'm not into partying which is why i'd prefer to avoid halls. I wouldn't consider myself unsociable, it's just that I don't drink alcohol and so i'm not fond of the environment . I'm looking for people that are focused on getting through uni rather than partying. I kind of want to just get on with my work, do some sports and make friends along the way without everything else that comes with halls (partying, ridiculously loud music, ridiculously messy kitchen, dodgy people). If anyone feels the same please let me know :smile:

Reply 1

littlemissmidget123

Not looking for accommodation as I am out of here soon, but word of advice from one designer to another - look for somewhere to live near to the uni - you will spend a lot of time on campus, in the workshops, needing design facilities, so you don't want to be far away. This is why as a final year designer I chose to live back on campus, as i found the travel to/from uni very disruptive at times in second year when i lived in a house.

Lastly - good luck with everything! Any questions about design let me know.

Brunel University London

Uxbridge

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Reply 2

ocal

Original post by littlemissmidget123

Thanks for your advice! :smile:

It's a good point.

Reply 3

Nemo 13

Original post by littlemissmidget123

Hi I am thinking of accepting a place for design for this coming year and I was just wondering about the place in general to live as I am not a big fan of going out drinking etc.
What are the societies like and does everyone on the course hang out in the workshops etc
Thanks 😊

Reply 4

littlemissmidget123

Original post by Nemo 13

theres plenty to do besides drinking/going out. but i will mention that we have a student bar for a more relaxed night, also there are plenty of nearby pubs. uxbridge itself is ok, nothing special per say, but of course london isnt far away. theres some nice places to walk by the canal if that's your thing

there are a load of societies, the best thing i can say is to check out brunelstudents.com which is our student union website. there you will find loads of info about the societies and clubs on offer, including sports

due to the sheer amount of specialised work involved (eg in the workshops, and group work), design tends to be like a big family, so dont worry about finding friends, because i'm sure you will!

if you do firm brunel, i recommend trying to get down to our made in brunel design degree show in the bargehouse (oxo tower) in london 16th - 19th of june.

Reply 5

Nemo 13

Original post by littlemissmidget123

Thanks so much and how do you honestly find Brunel socially when not in class like do people tend to hang out in their rooms or play sports etc???sorry for all these questions but I am still deciding between two uni'sAlso are the links to industry as good as we are told for example if i wanted to get a placement at a large company like Lego,Disney or dyson would that be a possibility?
Also how good are all the lectures ?
Thanks for taking to the time to respond.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

littlemissmidget123

Original post by Nemo 13

the links to industry are very good. placements at dyson etc are a distinct option for you (and assuming you work hard a very real possibility). but not only this, you get the chance to work with companies from day 1. this years second years have worked with bosch and flair (a huge toy company). i worked with samsung on a project in second year... other collaborations include mothercare, early learning centre, JCB, unilever...... it varies year on year. your final year project can also be in collaboration with a company (big or small)...

socially there is something to suit everyone. besides societies, there are plenty of ways to meet people, play sport, religious groups, join a band, go for a walk, even play poker if that is your thing. the first few weeks of uni are always a daunting prospect, but my best advice is to get stuck in, even if it may not be your thing, because eventually you will find like minded people. (this goes for any uni). and no club nights are not the only social events, we have pub quizzes, charity runs, all sorts.., and nor do you have to drink if that isn't your thing either. uni is about finding yourself, and also trying new things.

the course itself is quite demanding, but you will find that at Brunel everyone on the course, and lecturers/admin staff too are like one big family. if you need more proof, they held a bbq for all final year designers last thursday (as a celebration for handing in our dissertations). it so happened to be my friends birthday, so i made brownies for them all and we did a massive super embarrassing happy birthday thing - lecturers included!

i really enjoy the lectures. first year can be a little dull if you have had a better design education at school (because some people havent so they have to go from the basics). however the lectures challenge you in and out of the classroom. its one of those courses where you can really push yourself beyond the basic material (and it is encouraged to do so), and get all the extra support you need (no cost etc, from any member of design staff, and sometimes beyond the design department too). really you are in control of your learning and during second year and into third year, you really have the chance to direct your career in the direction you want it to go (final year projects range from digital stuff, to graphics, to medical products and much much more....) of course some lectures are going to be more dull, but inevitably some will be, but overall i really enjoy lectures, and would encourage you to engage with lecturers outside of the classroom.

to sum it all up (yes I do speak with some bias) i can honestly say that I have loved every moment of my 4 years at brunel. honestly with only a month or so to go, i am getting somewhat sad that uni will all be over soon. but having said that, I've had some amazing experiences, met some amazing people (some of whom i am sure will remain friends for life), and of course i've had a fantastic education. i couldnt have made a better choice. but you have to make the choice that is right for you, and having visited brunel (and presumably the other unis you applied for too), and taken all factors such as distance from home etc into account, i think you will know where you want to go. at this stage think with your heart, focus less on the educational side of things. you are committing 3 or 4 years of your time to somewhere, and you need it to become home.