The Student Room Group

student accommodation on on ground floor?

Hi there,
I dont mean to make a fuss out of nothing, but ive just received my accommodation offer, and my room is gonna be on the ground floor!
Im worried this makes it a potential easy target for burglars, cos of course im gonna be having a brand new laptop and other stuff in my room which I would like to keep :redface:
Is security at uni quite good or will I have to invest in better window locks etc.
In a way its a good choice of room cos in a fire i will be able to escape quite easily, and if I get locked out its easier to get back in again :wink:
but aside from these perks im quite disappointed in my new residence!

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Reply 1
Make sure you get insurance. That's important wherever you are!

You'll just have to be more careful about locking your room, as if you make it easy for burglars you're first in line really.
Reply 2
Thats what Im worried about! I hope they have thick curtains so that passers by cant look into my room and see what im doing all the time lol :wink:
Also Im gonna have to be careful about keeping my laptop on display in my room, but i guess its always good wherever your room is to keep valuables hidden.
Hopefully the uni already provides good locks on the windows, otherwise i might be a baby and feel unsafe at night :smile:
Reply 3
yea im on the ground floor too. ill just have to remember to only have my window open when im in the room and make sure its closed if i go out.
Reply 4
You can always ask to move if you feel too unsafe when you get there. Or discuss your concerns with the dean/provost/student union/other uni person and see if they can do anything to make you feel safer.

Be especially careful for the first few weeks, as you won't know everyone so won't notice whether that stranger with a laptop is moving in or stealing it. And people might prop doors open to make it easier for people to move stuff in, but it makes it easier for stuff to go out too!

When you get there though they might have bars on the windows, swipe cards and things like that though. So it might be very safe!
Reply 5
i visited another uni residence there, and they used swipe cards i think to enter the main building, and then a key for their own room. Im sure things wil be alright its just the room i would have been least likely to pick!
In a way its gonna be alright cos im more visible to others walking past, so on the first day it mite be easier to meet new people :biggrin:
poptart86
i visited another uni residence there, and they used swipe cards i think to enter the main building, and then a key for their own room. Im sure things wil be alright its just the room i would have been least likely to pick!
In a way its gonna be alright cos im more visible to others walking past, so on the first day it mite be easier to meet new people :biggrin:


Haha yeah, just hang out of your window and wave at random passers-by!
Reply 7
At least you have accommadation, and it's Talybont! I'm really worried I'll be shoved somewhere rubbish
Reply 8
My friend who is disabled, had a ground floor. She tended to keep her windows shut and curtains drawed most of the time, because of people looking in and advertising her stuff. She had a security door and her own door locked, so she was pretty safe, The windows only openned an inch or so, so no-one could climb in or anything.
Reply 9
hallucination
Haha yeah, just hang out of your window and wave at random passers-by!


I dont know if thats gonna scare people off if anything! Actually I think its good im on the ground floor because if im late for a lecture i can just jump out my window to save time :p: obviously id only do that in an emergency :biggrin:
I was on ground floor last year I had thick curtains and all ground floor flats had net curtains 2 to reduce visibility. There were locks and restrictors on the windows which stopped them from being opened fully and there were 5 different swipes and key locks to get through before you even got into your room, and you had to get past security guards felt a lil like a prison, never heard of anyone havin any problems with valuable being stolen although a pasta bake and tub of chocolate icecream did go missing out of our freezer! strange!
Reply 11
I've always lived on the ground floor and its fine as long as you are sensible - eg not living the window open as ha been said. As for buying extra locks etc, dont make any modification to structural things like windows - unis/landlords really dont like it any you many incur charges.

Also, lock your door whenever you go out of your room (loads of people prop it open, and this is just asking for trouble) even if its just for a couple of mins to make a cuppa or something. Also make sure the door into your accomodation is always secure, and don't be afraid to ask anyone wanting to come in why/who they are visiting etc. If you see anything suspicious, report it to security, who usually respond fairly quickly where intruders are concerned!:smile:
Well at Nottingham included your accom fee is insurance for items worth up to a certain amount e.g. laptops=£1000 etc, so you should be covered. But im sure security will be good, as they will have had experiences of burglaries in the past.
Reply 13
john do you have the link to where it says that on the nottingham website
Freeway
john do you have the link to where it says that on the nottingham website


http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nh/hall_offer/ancaster/hall_rules.htm

then scroll down where it says: PERSONAL INSURANCE.
Reply 15
cheers dude, it must apply for all halls on university park right. its only that i cant see a personal insurance section under rutland
Freeway
cheers dude, it must apply for all halls on university park right. its only that i cant see a personal insurance section under rutland


yeh pretty sure it will, it should be under your hall regulations bit. Plus the whole of uni park is the same price regardless of hall.
I have a pack of those JML Sonic Alarms..if I am on the ground floor I am planning to put two on my window (extra loudness) but I am going to have a plastic storage box (not a clearless one) for the valueables and put one on that too.

They are currently half price - 4 for £5 worth it!
Reply 18

I lived on the ground floor last year which was annoying because i had to remember to close my window everything i went out, and kept my curtains closed a lot of the time. But i was at the back of the halls complex and there were security guards with alsatians constantly patrolling so i felt quite safe. There was a swipe card to get into my block, then a key to get into my flat, and another key to get into my room so it was definetely secure. I did get insurance from Saxon last year, they were the cheapest quote i got which covered everything, but luckily i didn't need it.

Good luck! :biggrin:
Reply 19
I thought fresher girls in general were kept off the ground floor nationwide? Certainly at my uni we've been sent some regulations that say that female freshers are not going to be given ground floor rooms :smile: . Still as long as you stay safe then there shouldn't be a problem, just don't leave your window open overnight, its like a neon sign for any burglars/rapists :eek: !