University of Reading Accommodation 2017/18 - FAQ

Hi there

Firstly, congratulations on your offer from Reading and glad you have firmed it!

You are right, from the university webpage St Patrick's does look like a catered hall - just wondering, have you applied for undergraduate or postgraduate study?

I will endeavour to find out some more information about this and get back to you.

In the meantime if you do have anymore questions, feel free to ask!

Alice :h:

2nd Year Food Science Student

hi! i've applied for undergrad study! i've emailed the accommodation office and did find one price list for halls that wasn't linked on the website that does say that st. patrick's is self-catered, but i've emailed anyway just to make sure! i don't want to be the only self-catered person hehehe

also do you know what st. patrick's is like? it wasn't my first halls choice so i don't really know much about it. is it mixed gender halls? how many people typically share a bathroom? is it particularly quiet as halls go or is it a bit more lively? i've heard some people say that st patrick's itself isn't very nice as halls go, is that true? sorry to ask so many questions!
thanks!

Reply 141

caoimhe_t

3

also (sorry this isn't related to accommodation) i've been told about applying to be a Complete Students ambassador, which apparently pays £8.00 an hour! is that true? the website that it was posted on doesn't really look legit, do you know if that's a real thing that pays that much or is it a scam? if it is real, do you know what the job actually is, like what would you have to do if you were a brand ambassador for them? thanks!

OP

Original post by caoimhe_t

hi! i've applied for undergrad study! i've emailed the accommodation office and did find one price list for halls that wasn't linked on the website that does say that st. patrick's is self-catered, but i've emailed anyway just to make sure! i don't want to be the only self-catered person hehehe

also do you know what st. patrick's is like? it wasn't my first halls choice so i don't really know much about it. is it mixed gender halls? how many people typically share a bathroom? is it particularly quiet as halls go or is it a bit more lively? i've heard some people say that st patrick's itself isn't very nice as halls go, is that true? sorry to ask so many questions!
thanks!

Hi,

Have you had a reply from the accommodation office? They have access to all of your application details and any given offer, therefore they are the only people that can clarify what your offer means. Sorry that I can't be more helpful in this situation but I do not want to make any false promises or guarantees.

If you have not yet had a reply, wait for a couple more days and if you do not hear anything I would suggest you follow up with a phone call to them: +44 (0)118 378 4203.

All of the halls are mixed-gender unless you selected the single gender option when making your application.
I know people that have lived in St. Pats this year and last year who have really enjoyed their time there. All of the halls have a great mix of people so you will be able to find people who are similar to you. This does mean that there will be both lively and quieter people meaning that you can seek those that suit you. St. Patrick's has 296 rooms available which means there will a lot of people but this gives you a great opportunity to meet new friends.

Everyone has a different experience of halls and so long as you are engaging with student life I am confident that you will enjoy your time at St. Patrick's.

With regards to your second post, that is not a company that I am familiar with and when I searched online there were not too many results. It could be completely legitimate, but I would exercise caution.
Brand Ambassador jobs in general are popular among students, most commonly seen on campus are ambassadors for large companies such as Spotify and Asos. These involve promoting, advertising and selling the brand to other students.

There are plenty of jobs available both on campus and in Reading town that you can apply for when you get here. We have a job fair in the first couple of weeks that I would recommend you go to if you want a part-time job, or alternatively, visit the Job Shop in the Carrington building. It is better to go through these avenues as then you know that you are applying for genuine jobs and are not at risk of being scammed.

I hope that you find this useful and that you get an answer soon about your accommodation offer.

If you have more questions then feel free to ask.

Dan :smile:

First Year Student Ambassador

Reply 143

neza99

4

Can anyone tell me why there are a 40 week and 51 week contracts? Let's say if i choose the 40 week contract but my course doesn't end after the 40 weeks, do I have to find another place to stay?

Reply 144

lauren447

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows of any Facebook groups/etc that are set up for specific halls? I'm staying in bridges and I can't find a group for this year (2017/18). I know we won't find out flat mates until after A-Level results but I'd still quite like to join a group for my halls.

Thanks!!! 😊

OP

Original post by lauren447

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows of any Facebook groups/etc that are set up for specific halls? I'm staying in bridges and I can't find a group for this year (2017/18). I know we won't find out flat mates until after A-Level results but I'd still quite like to join a group for my halls.

Thanks!!! 😊

Hi

Well done on your offer!

I was in Bridges two years ago and there was a Facebook group. Perhaps the group hasn't been set up yet, I only found the group at the end of August, if I remember correctly. I think nearer Results Day a group will be set up as then you can see which flat numbers people have been assigned.

Hope that helped!
Any further questions feel free to ask

Sophie
Second year Philosophy student :smile:

OP

Original post by neza99

Can anyone tell me why there are a 40 week and 51 week contracts? Let's say if i choose the 40 week contract but my course doesn't end after the 40 weeks, do I have to find another place to stay?

Hi,

Sorry nobody has replied to this already. If you are doing an undergraduate course, it will not run for more than the 40 week tenancy agreement. All courses run from mid-September to the start of June, which is the dates you would be paying for.

A 51 week contract is offered in case anybody was looking to stay in Reading over summer e.g. an international student who doesn't have the capacity to fly home or somebody who had a summer placement.

Does that make sense?

Ben :smile:

Second Year Human and Physical Geography

Reply 147

SCK1

Dear all,I'm an international student and hope to start Uni in Sept/Oct. A few quick questions, if you don't mind.1. Is the catered option worth the circa GBP 60/week.? I don't eat much (breakfast is an alien concept!) 1.1 Do you know if I get a refund if I don't fully use the weekly amount?1.3. Are there shopping areas around the accommodation areas e.g Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose etc.?2. Which accommodation, with an en-suite, would you say is the closest to the law faculty?2.1 Which en-suite accommodation would you recommend?2.2 Do I need a TV licence for say Netflix? 3. Do I pay monthly or how does payment work?Many thanks, I do appreciate any help.SCK

OP

Original post by SCK1

Dear all,I'm an international student and hope to start Uni in Sept/Oct. A few quick questions, if you don't mind.1. Is the catered option worth the circa GBP 60/week.? I don't eat much (breakfast is an alien concept!) 1.1 Do you know if I get a refund if I don't fully use the weekly amount?1.3. Are there shopping areas around the accommodation areas e.g Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose etc.?2. Which accommodation, with an en-suite, would you say is the closest to the law faculty?2.1 Which en-suite accommodation would you recommend?2.2 Do I need a TV licence for say Netflix? 3. Do I pay monthly or how does payment work?Many thanks, I do appreciate any help.SCK

Hi

Congratulations on your offer!

For the catered option it is a standard amount and unfortunately it is not carried on for the next week. You'll just get the same amount every week. But yes it is around £60 per week.
You can eat at any of the different food outlets around campus so it is not so regimented that you have to have breakfast, or it has to be at a certain time. You could just pick someone up when you feel hungry at one of the canteens, cafes or shops! You eat whenever it suits you.

There is a shop on campus to buy food and there is a fruit and veg market every Thursday which is really handy. In Reading itself there are lots of supermarkets at just a short bus journey away. Also many students living in halls get online supermarket shops with their flatmates. I did this last year and it was easier than carrying bags of shopping.

En suite accommodation near the law building are Greenow and McCombie which are also catered halls. Although, you may not have all your lectures in the law building. Most students have lectures taking place across campus. However, your personal tutor will be based in the law building so that would be handy for you. The Greenow and McCombie halls are also located in the central part of campus too which is good for the library and other facilities.
Here is the link for the accommodation website so you can take a look at the different accommodations. https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/accommodation/university-accommodation/self-catered-halls/greenow-and-mccombie.aspx

You don't need a TV licence for Netflix as you pay a subscription for that and it's not watching live TV. However, if you wanted to watch BBC player or anything on demand then you would need a TV licence and can pay monthly subscriptions or it all in one payment.

Hope this has helped!
Any further questions, feel free to ask.

Sophie
Second year Philosophy student :smile:

Reply 149

Moz_curious

I will be staying at St. Patrick's hall...anyone else?

And can any current students comment on what the food is like (quality/taste) and what options there are?

Reply 150

caoimhe_t

3

Original post by Moz_curious

I will be staying at St. Patrick's hall...anyone else?

And can any current students comment on what the food is like (quality/taste) and what options there are?

I'm staying at st Patrick's hall too! Are you catered or self catered???

Reply 151

Moz_curious

I am catered! What course are you studying? Tell me more about you. My name is Tatyana, I'm 25 and will be studying MSc. Agricultural Economics

Reply 152

science_nerd6345

Hiya! I've already got my place at Reading and was wondering what portion of first year students rent privately.

Reply 153

Tobikuyinu

1

Any idea when we start hearing about accommodation offers? :smile:

OP

Original post by science_nerd6345

Hiya! I've already got my place at Reading and was wondering what portion of first year students rent privately.

Hi,

Congratulations on your place at Reading! The majority of first year undergraduate students will live in halls but there are a large selection of private halls/ houses in and around Reading. Although I don't know the precise numbers, I know of several people who did live off campus in their first year of study.

Ben :smile:

Second Year Human and Physical Geography

OP

Original post by Tobikuyinu

Any idea when we start hearing about accommodation offers? :smile:

Hi,

Although there is no official date for hearing about your offer of accommodation, it is done as soon as possible after your place has been confirmed at Reading. I'm sorry I can't be more specific but it will be in plenty of time for you to arrange everything you have to.

If I remember correctly, I received my offer of accommodation about a week after Results Day.

If you would like a more definite answer, you can email the Accommodation Team, although they are likely to be very busy at the moment! Their email address is: [email protected]

Hope that helps a little!
Ben :smile:

Second Year Human and Physical Geography

Reply 156

Tobikuyinu

1

Original post by UniofReading

Hi,

Although there is no official date for hearing about your offer of accommodation, it is done as soon as possible after your place has been confirmed at Reading. I'm sorry I can't be more specific but it will be in plenty of time for you to arrange everything you have to.

If I remember correctly, I received my offer of accommodation about a week after Results Day.

If you would like a more definite answer, you can email the Accommodation Team, although they are likely to be very busy at the moment! Their email address is: [email protected]

Hope that helps a little!
Ben :smile:

Second Year Human and Physical Geography

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the reply but no worries! My offer just came through a few minutes ago and I'm really happy :smile:

Reply 157

science_nerd6345

Original post by UniofReading

Hi,

Congratulations on your place at Reading! The majority of first year undergraduate students will live in halls but there are a large selection of private halls/ houses in and around Reading. Although I don't know the precise numbers, I know of several people who did live off campus in their first year of study.

Ben :smile:

Second Year Human and Physical Geography

Thank you for replying.
To add to it, would you recommend living out for your first year?

OP

Original post by science_nerd6345

Thank you for replying.
To add to it, would you recommend living out for your first year?

Hi

Although most first years do live in halls, I know lots of people that did live in shared houses and they still had just as good experience! The student houses are in particular areas of Reading just around the campus, with lots of students in each road so still really sociable.

I lived in halls in my first year, and it was nice having lots of other students around me. However, living in a shared house is actually really sociable as you live with slightly less people (the average is around 5/6 people). It is also often cheaper, as halls do work out slightly more expensive. Plus, you do get a student house slightly longer as they normally run from the 1st July-1st July.

I lived in a student house in 2nd year, and I am again this year and I think I preferred it to living in halls just because of the people I lived with. It feels slightly more grown-up as you have your own space, so if you do end up privately renting then I think you will have a great time.

Hope this helps you and if you have anymore questions then just let us know!

Alice :h:

Food Science Placement Student

OP

Original post by Moz_curious

I will be staying at St. Patrick's hall...anyone else?

And can any current students comment on what the food is like (quality/taste) and what options there are?

Hello

Sorry no-one replied to this earlier!

Congratulations on your offer, hope you are getting excited! :biggrin:

The catered food has lots of variety, as you can get it from lots of different places on campus. There is normally around 4/5 hot food choices (lasagne, fish, fajitas, curry etc), lots of side dishes (chips, potatoes, veg choices) but also burgers, pizza, pasties. In some catering places (Eat at The Square and Park Eat) there is a noodle bar with stir fry that is cooked to order. There is also salad bars in some places that offer falafel and lots of other options. There are also sandwiches, wraps, and salad boxes in all of the cafes for example in the library and in the Henley Business School.

I had friends that were catered in first year and they found it really convenient and enjoyed it. There is lots of choice, and you can generally have enough money for lunch and dinner each day (most people tend to buy their own breakfast from supermarkets as this is much cheaper!)

Hope this helps, and anymore questions feel free to ask me,

Alice :h:

Food Science Placement Student

University of Reading Accommodation 2017/18 - FAQ

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