The Student Room Group

QMUL accommodation not worth it!

hi people,
i'm new to this forum and i see that many people have queries regarding qmul accommodation. I'm going in to my 2nd year student at qmul studying law. I was at Pooley house last year, and sum of my other mates were staying at the other lower priced mile accommodation.

Pooley house is OK, but the price is wayyyyyy too high. The accommodation is too over rated and I would recommend not bothering to stay there, as you will not have enough money to go out, even with a loan check and job.

If you are at a commuting distance, then you might as well travel and save yourselves that money, because I was restricted to go out even with a 6 grand loan check and £500 hardship fund from uni. My friends have also said to me, what I have just written, and I'm sure a majority of QMUL students who could have travelled would say the same. I found that living in halls affected my performance in uni big time and caused laziness and too much socilaising, and hence I have not achieved very good results.

I recommend a better and cheaper option which is renting a flat, obviously because it's cheaper, but also you get more space. I know a guy going in to his 3rd year who lived in a rented flat and said it was better than uni accommodation and he said he had more FUn as well..

Bottom line is if you're in London or 1-1.5 hours travelling time, then living at home and enjoying the home cooked meals and cheaper option would be much better. I regret living in halls now.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Hey,

Thanks for the comments - but almost everyone has decided where they are staying by now!

I have to agree with you about the whole socialising thing and not studying. I am about to start QM in my second year, but back at UEA in my first year it was SOOOOOO difficult to just sit down and learn. I would have rather just lounged around for a day than work, and do my work to the bare minimum - since thats all that was needed for the first year - a pass.

However, now I HAVE TO work hard since my grades now start counting towards my degree. I am going to force myself, that no matter how much temptation it is - I am going to work solid and try and get a first (yes - a first).

Its all about keeping up and on top of your work. If you get stuck, solve it right away, cos otherwise your screwed. :frown:

I know it sounds a bit pointless and expensive, but I have always wanted to see what all the fuss is about living in London - hence I am staying there this year in uni halls. Tho I have to admit - its a serious rip off considering what you can get if you are living by yourself or with friends.

Halls is also easier place to make friends. Its a vicious circle! :frown:
Reply 2
ouch.. !

well as for laziness, it varies from one another. You've just got to know how and when to stop..

How much is pooley house anyways?
Reply 3
QMUL_STUDENT
hi people,
i'm new to this forum and i see that many people have queries regarding qmul accommodation. I'm going in to my 2nd year student at qmul studying law. I was at Pooley house last year, and sum of my other mates were staying at the other lower priced mile accommodation.

Pooley house is OK, but the price is wayyyyyy too high. The accommodation is too over rated and I would recommend not bothering to stay there, as you will not have enough money to go out, even with a loan check and job.

If you are at a commuting distance, then you might as well travel and save yourselves that money, because I was restricted to go out even with a 6 grand loan check and £500 hardship fund from uni. My friends have also said to me, what I have just written, and I'm sure a majority of QMUL students who could have travelled would say the same. I found that living in halls affected my performance in uni big time and caused laziness and too much socilaising, and hence I have not achieved very good results.

I recommend a better and cheaper option which is renting a flat, obviously because it's cheaper, but also you get more space. I know a guy going in to his 3rd year who lived in a rented flat and said it was better than uni accommodation and he said he had more FUn as well..

Bottom line is if you're in London or 1-1.5 hours travelling time, then living at home and enjoying the home cooked meals and cheaper option would be much better. I regret living in halls now.



hey how is law at qm. what did u get. how hard is it
Reply 4
I totally agree with qmul student in most respects. I am going into my second year and lived in london all my life. I live in southall and am within commuting distance if i so choose to travel, but being lazy and believng the hype of living out i opted for halls in my first year.

Firstly i stayed in france house which is the most expensive halls, just slightly more than pooley house and you don't realise how much you have spent till the end of the year. The halls were ok but to be honest £110 a week is just not worth it when you can be spending that on going out to all the freshers parties and just generally enjoying yourself.

Secondly in order to survive and when i say survive i mean literally survive, you need to get a job working at least 15 hours a week which will take up alot of your time and not allow you to go out or study as you would probably like or need too. Most people get a loan of £5125 at the most and around £4000 goes on paying for accommodation, this leaves very little for books and going out.

Lastly on the issue of friends, the people in halls that you meet and cling to in your first few months never tend to be your friends at the end of the year. I found the friends i meet in my classes and mainly the ones i meet just in the student union were the ones i formed a close bond with.

If any of you first year student who live within commuting distance want any advice i would say live at home, enjoy the extra money and spend it on having a good time. You will have the freedom of meeting new people and going out, without the responsibilities of worrying about your next meal and how broke you are by february.

You may not choose to take my advice but im just giving it so i can help you new students know how life really is. Whether you live at home or at halls i wish you all good luck and hope you have a great first year
Reply 5
Thanks for the advices, but these advices are coming really late coz by now most of us have already accepted the accommodation offers and probably have paid the fee too.
Well its jus gona be the first year for me, 2nd year onward im thinking to find some friends and rent a house by which we will have to pay less money and no strict restriction like student halls one. :biggrin:
Reply 6
Only joined this forum recently thats why the advice came so late. I just thought i should inform some of the people who haven't got accommodation who are on the waiting list, as thats how i got halls last year. As for the people who already have halls, it is still possible to pull out as there will be people willing to take on your contract, but thats up to you.
Reply 7
The accommodation doesn't necessarily come out of your loan. For example, if you've been working for the year before hand and saved and saved...etc... so hopefully i'll be able to live in pooley and have a good time going out as well. Is University not about learning to balance the partying with the studying, and cramming as much of both in as is humanly possible and still coming out with good results? ...and you can only learn by screwing it up a little bit. I'm grateful for the advice all the same. After all, i haven't been yet and you have! :rolleyes:
Reply 8
Just to state the obvious - that this is just one persons opinion, and many, many QM students would think this person totally off their trolley!

Make your own mind up.
Reply 9
well.... if anyone is willing to give up their place at either pooley or france house i'll be willing to take it.. i was given intercolligiate and although i dont mind staying there...being cheaper and all i would prefer to be at either pooley or france house...(+ willing to compensate)
Also, Pooley house is not that expensive compared to much smaller, less well equipped halls for the Royal Academy. Simply because it's in NW1 some of their halls are £120 a week, with smaller, dingier rooms and not enough space for a full size single bed. Ask them if they have a fridge in their room and they wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Reply 11
lol that sounds horrible... not even a full size single bed o.O?!
Reply 12
Hey,

I've been reading everyone's replies and I understand every1s view, but I'm trying to be unbias here.

As a QMUL student I know the benefits of living out but I also know the downsides. If you want honesty, then the downsides outweigh the benefits. When the downsides outweigh the benefits, then there's gotta be consequences.

Two of my mates have failed their first year coz they were working (employment), and also socilising too much. Someone mentioned sumthing about balancing work and pleasure, but trust me pleasure always wins! When u're having such a good time, then u're not wanna do any work.

Without having to scare any1, my two mates have been chucked out of uni coz they failed their first year, and now they really wish they didnt live in halls.

In terms of people saving money, well thats good, but the people that save up are a minority of students, and I'm trying to show the people who havent saved and will b living on a loan cheque and job, that it is very likely that pleasure will overcome work.

In regards to Fluffy's view, I see that u r very bias towards QMUL, and I'm also a QMUL student and yet I'm showing unbias. What 'm trying to do here is warn people of the consequences of living out, and try and stop people from making the same mistake that myself and many of my friends made. Just out of curiosity have you lived in halls before?? If you have then I respect your opinion, but if you haven't then I dont think u're in any place to be making judgements.

In regards to Pooley house not being expensive, if you dont mind spending 4 grand a year for your own little fridge next to your bed, that's up to you. But remember, for 4 grand you can get a much bigger flat with a bigger kitchen, own living room, and you can buy 5 extra mini fridges if you wanted to, and you would still end up paying less than 4 grand.

At the end of the day I'm giving my own opinions of what the troubles are of living out. If you choose to use my info, then its up to you, but I really wish that some1 had told me what I have just written before I moved in to halls, then I would have had a more enjoyable first year.
joana--
well.... if anyone is willing to give up their place at either pooley or france house i'll be willing to take it.. i was given intercolligiate and although i dont mind staying there...being cheaper and all i would prefer to be at either pooley or france house...(+ willing to compensate)


hey joana which intercollegiate hall are you in? i'm in canterbury and no1 seems 2 be in intercollegiate!
QMUL_STUDENT
Hey,

I've been reading everyone's replies and I understand every1s view, but I'm trying to be unbias here.

As a QMUL student I know the benefits of living out but I also know the downsides. If you want honesty, then the downsides outweigh the benefits. When the downsides outweigh the benefits, then there's gotta be consequences.

Two of my mates have failed their first year coz they were working (employment), and also socilising too much. Someone mentioned sumthing about balancing work and pleasure, but trust me pleasure always wins! When u're having such a good time, then u're not wanna do any work.

Without having to scare any1, my two mates have been chucked out of uni coz they failed their first year, and now they really wish they didnt live in halls.

In terms of people saving money, well thats good, but the people that save up are a minority of students, and I'm trying to show the people who havent saved and will b living on a loan cheque and job, that it is very likely that pleasure will overcome work.

In regards to Fluffy's view, I see that u r very bias towards QMUL, and I'm also a QMUL student and yet I'm showing unbias. What 'm trying to do here is warn people of the consequences of living out, and try and stop people from making the same mistake that myself and many of my friends made. Just out of curiosity have you lived in halls before?? If you have then I respect your opinion, but if you haven't then I dont think u're in any place to be making judgements.

In regards to Pooley house not being expensive, if you dont mind spending 4 grand a year for your own little fridge next to your bed, that's up to you. But remember, for 4 grand you can get a much bigger flat with a bigger kitchen, own living room, and you can buy 5 extra mini fridges if you wanted to, and you would still end up paying less than 4 grand.

At the end of the day I'm giving my own opinions of what the troubles are of living out. If you choose to use my info, then its up to you, but I really wish that some1 had told me what I have just written before I moved in to halls, then I would have had a more enjoyable first year.


I understand what you're saying, but there is a large group of people to whom this cannot really apply, and those are the people going to QM without knowing anyone there. Even if I had wanted private accommodation, I couldn't have done it if my life depended on it because I don't know anyone there. I know plenty of people at London Unis but what would be the point in living with them, as I wouldn't get to know anyone at the University i'm actually going to?

I plan to get private acc. in my 2nd year, with the intent on living with people I meet in my first year, so perhaps I'll enjoy the drop in price then. But you don't get a cleaner, the same security and your department 200 yards away - all added costs of living privately.
Reply 15
I have been offered a place in Commonwealth Hall (intercollegiate) - really think it looks crap though. So anyone who doesn't want their mile end (or even whitechapel) room swing it my way! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!
Reply 16
char_ashworth
hey joana which intercollegiate hall are you in? i'm in canterbury and no1 seems 2 be in intercollegiate!


im not sure yet...i called and they told me i was for sure in intercollegiate but i still havent received the accomodation pack with all the info...(i applied through clearing)

i have a few questions tho...are intercollegiates all catered? and are there any ensuites? i would really like self-catered ensuite...very unlikely...but iv got my fingered crossed...

anyone wanting to trade send me a private message!! : :p:
Reply 17
rachelisa
I have been offered a place in Commonwealth Hall (intercollegiate) - really think it looks crap though. So anyone who doesn't want their mile end (or even whitechapel) room swing it my way! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!


hey! im goin commonwealth halls, they are in a good location to get to venues and bars, it doesn't look to bad at all! it looks good, plus you get evening meals and breakfast. its ace.
Reply 18
Re : QMUL STUDENT

That's a good piece of advice, least you let us know what to expect and such. People with rational thinking will know what should be done and whatnot. I believe not majority of students who lived in Pooley house neglected their studies and got thrown out right?

School residence is, IMO, best choice for new students/international students who do not know anybody prior their arrival, not familiar with London, and come alone. It provides opportunity to socialize with other students (just remember don't overdo it!), get to know the city, close to college etc.

Private residence may be cheaper, but there are loads of things you'll need to take into account. Insurance, electric/water/gas, telephone line, internet, TV lisence.... commute to and from school bla bla bla... maybe halls are more expensive, but there are much less hassle.

The only thing is try to remember what youre doing in college, study or socialize? It's your own responsible, the college residence is not to be blame. If the person is irresponsible, no matter where he/she lives, they will always find ways to socialize with different people, different method.

I never lived in london before, never lived in hall before so I'm not bias. I'm just stating my opinion. :smile:
Reply 19
Hi everyone i'm new to this forum and just wanted to find out if anyone here is in France house this year coz that's where i am and wanted to see if i could find some other people in the same place?!?!?let me know!x