The Ask a Current University of Southampton Student Thread!

Original post by Existentialistic

Is there any point in buying tickets from Boxoffice.Susu.org or can I just pay at the door?

For the first few weeks especially, events at the Union will be sold out incredibly quickly so I recommend buying online (or indeed at the Box Office) to avoid disappointment.

Reply 41

walsh12

I want to put southampton as my first choice and am deciding on accommodation-I wanted to be catered by way prefer glen eyre to wessex lane. Is it ok being self catered on glen eyre?

can you also tell me if you are able to find out your flat mates before you arrive-i.e. do you get given your flat number so can post it on a facebook group and find out who you will be sharing with?

Reply 42

Leyton

12

Original post by walsh12

I want to put southampton as my first choice and am deciding on accommodation-I wanted to be catered by way prefer glen eyre to wessex lane. Is it ok being self catered on glen eyre?

can you also tell me if you are able to find out your flat mates before you arrive-i.e. do you get given your flat number so can post it on a facebook group and find out who you will be sharing with?

Glen Eyre is self-catered only. :smile:

When you get your accommodation offer, you will be given the name of the block in Glen Eyre you are in, but not your flat number, so you can find out who is in your building (if they post on the Facebook page for the halls), but you can't know who is in your flat until you get there.

Reply 43

walsh12

Original post by Leyton

Glen Eyre is self-catered only. :smile:

When you get your accommodation offer, you will be given the name of the block in Glen Eyre you are in, but not your flat number, so you can find out who is in your building (if they post on the Facebook page for the halls), but you can't know who is in your flat until you get there.

ok fab thanks, how is it being self catered-people say it's less sociable than catered? :/

Reply 44

Leyton

12

I live in self-catered and, if anything, I'd say it was potentially more sociable; if you're self-catered, then you have to use the kitchen whenever you want something to eat, along with the other members of your flat (unless you're going to live on take-away meals, which kind of defeats the point of being self-catered :tongue:

). The kitchen is where I have gotten to know all of my flat mates the most. :smile:

Compared to catered, in which you are given a card with money to spend at the restaurants in the university, you are much more likely to get to know your flat mates; there's more chance of being in the kitchen at the same time than in the same restaurant at the same time (there are quite a few restaurants on campus :wink:

).

What is it that makes you think that self-catered would be less sociable? :smile:

Reply 45

walsh12

Original post by Leyton

I live in self-catered and, if anything, I'd say it was potentially more sociable; if you're self-catered, then you have to use the kitchen whenever you want something to eat, along with the other members of your flat (unless you're going to live on take-away meals, which kind of defeats the point of being self-catered :tongue:

). The kitchen is where I have gotten to know all of my flat mates the most. :smile:

Compared to catered, in which you are given a card with money to spend at the restaurants in the university, you are much more likely to get to know your flat mates; there's more chance of being in the kitchen at the same time than in the same restaurant at the same time (there are quite a few restaurants on campus :wink:

).

What is it that makes you think that self-catered would be less sociable? :smile:

okay thanks! I was just thinking being self catered you wouldnt have as much of a chance to meet other people outside of your flat as you would if you were catered i.e. in the restaurants

i'm not the best cook-if i fancied a proper meal are you able to pay with cash in the places the catered people eat? thanks for your help!

Reply 46

Leyton

12

Ah, I see what you mean. I suppose you could use that as a method of socialising, but there's also flat-mates, class-mates and people from any societies you join, as well as whoever you meet during the millions of things going on in Freshers Week, so there's definitely a lot of opportunities for socialising. :smile:

The restaurants also accept cash. :smile:

Reply 47

Gurney

1

1. It may seem like a silly question, but which of the halls gets the most swamped by freshers? I'm told by a friend up in Leicester that I'd be best off aiming for one of the busier bits. I'm looking at Glen Eyre as my preference - en-suite I would hope. I don't think I could deal with not having a bathroom at my disposal for a year, that'd slaughter me.

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2. How reliable are the unilink buses usually? Do they run on-time, or are they a huge fail? I know at the moment the local buses to me are an absolute crock of $***! I've done a bit of research on bus times, and they seem quick, but are they reliable?

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3. Do individual rooms have locks on?

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4. How is internet handled - is that just a part of the cost of halls? Also, how is the payment of halls handled? Do you pay the year in 1 lump sum, or is it term by term? How are late payments, etc handled?

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5. Is there any kind of student radio station, and if so how easy is it/how would one go about joining this? How does this work, and also how popular of a listener-base does it have?

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6. Should a car even be in my consideration? Is public transport good enough to mean a car would be a pointless waste of money, or would it be worth my while to shell out for a run-around?

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That's all I've got for now - apologies if any of those have been asked before!

Reply 48

Bethmunch

1. It may seem like a silly question, but which of the halls gets the most swamped by freshers? I'm told by a friend up in Leicester that I'd be best off aiming for one of the busier bits. I'm looking at Glen Eyre as my preference - en-suite I would hope. I don't think I could deal with not having a bathroom at my disposal for a year, that'd slaughter me.

Montefiore! It's generally cheaper and has more people.
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2. How reliable are the unilink buses usually? Do they run on-time, or are they a huge fail? I know at the moment the local buses to me are an absolute crock of $***! I've done a bit of research on bus times, and they seem quick, but are they reliable?

Unilink buses are really useful, there is nothing to worry about there obviously sometimes they aren't on time but are usually reliable.
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3. Do individual rooms have locks on?
Yes, they do.
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4. How is internet handled - is that just a part of the cost of halls? Also, how is the payment of halls handled? Do you pay the year in 1 lump sum, or is it term by term? How are late payments, etc handled?
You get a cable with your room and it comes with the cost of halls. You pay in 3 different payments usually the time you get student finance (Beginning of Oct, Jan and Mar/Apr.

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5. Is there any kind of student radio station, and if so how easy is it/how would one go about joining this? How does this work, and also how popular of a listener-base does it have?

I can't say I have listened to it my self, but there is definitely a student radio station and there is probably a society you can join!

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6. Should a car even be in my consideration? Is public transport good enough to mean a car would be a pointless waste of money, or would it be worth my while to shell out for a run-around?

I wouldn't say you would use it a huge deal, most people I know haven't bought a car and no one complains about unilink you can get around quite easily on it - I shouldn't worry for the first year especially!

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That's all I've got for now - apologies if any of those have been asked before!

Hope this helps, you can email me if you have any more questions, I am a fresher this year :smile:

x

Reply 49

Neostigmine

18

Original post by Gurney

...
Posted from TSR Mobile

You're only guaranteed halls for your first year anyway so all halls will be almost entirely freshers if that's what you mean. Also when we were first years we had to agree not to bring a car unless we were permanent residents of Southampton (so not in halls). I don't know if this has changed but it might be worth looking into!

Reply 50

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by walsh12

ok fab thanks, how is it being self catered-people say it's less sociable than catered? :/

look at home many rooms to a flat there are in self catered - montes 1 and 2 IIRC have more people sharing each kitchen (so the kitchens are bigger) - if you're in some of the smaller flats with only 5/6 rooms to a kitchen then there's less chance that you'll find someone you click with within your flat.

Also some of the self catered halls have or are close to tv rooms/hall bars/hall social areas that make it easier to get out of the flat and see other people if you find you're not clicking with your flat mates (I don't know if it is still the case but south hill halls used to have a lovely tv room in one of the blocks

If you're after catered don't rule out small halls - essentially it's highfield hall as that's the main catered small hall: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/accommodation/halls/smallhalls/highfieldhall.html really close to campus and has a much more cosy feel than the big complexes up at glen/monte.

At soton "catered" is actually part-catered. You get breakfast and one other meal (either lunch on campus or tea back at halls) http://www.southampton.ac.uk/accommodation/halls/Catering%20Options/caterd%20or%20self%20catered.html and also http://catering.southampton.ac.uk/Halls has info on times etc (connaught seems like a better option if you want catered and either an early start or a lie in! - but then highfield is that much closer that it might not make much difference).

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For whoever was saying they can't cope without their own toilet? Don't forget that if you have en suite not only do you have to buy your own loo roll and cleaning materials - you have to clean your own loo too. In the non en suite bathrooms it's a shared area and the cleaners do all that for you (plus if you want a bath occasionally then you're stuck if your only option is the en suite shower)

Reply 51

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

[QUOTE="BethaneyJ;40390061"]

Original post by Gurney

...
Posted from TSR Mobile

You're only guaranteed halls for your first year anyway so all halls will be almost entirely freshers if that's what you mean. Also when we were first years we had to agree not to bring a car unless we were permanent residents of Southampton (so not in halls). I don't know if this has changed but it might be worth looking into!

That looks as though it's been taken out of the regs: http://www.calendar.soton.ac.uk/sectionIV/vehicles-bicycles.html

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/estates/services/carparking/student_park_permit.html#details explains how hall parking passes work - it's not straight forward to get a pass to park in halls, you would then have to pay extra to get a pass to park on campus (and have to prove disability). I don't know how much a parking permit is but they aren't cheap - even 15 yrs ago when I was a student it was £65 for a yearly pass.

There's really no need for a car in soton tbh - with a bike and a bus pass you can get everywhere easily.

Reply 52

Lil_J

4

As an overseas postgraduate student, would 800 pounds per month for living expenses suffice?

Reply 53

marcusmerehay

17

Original post by JJGomez

As an overseas postgraduate student, would 800 pounds per month for living expenses suffice?

Comfortably I'd expect.

Will mostly depend on what accommodation you get hold of, as price can vary dramatically. Shouldn't need any more than about £100-150 per month on food and stuff.

Reply 54

zofia

Hi, I'm planning on coming to an open day in July but I was just wondering what times the open day started and finished, as we're planning how were getting there because travelling in peck times is really expensive. Thanks :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 55

Neostigmine

18

Original post by zofia

Hi, I'm planning on coming to an open day in July but I was just wondering what times the open day started and finished, as we're planning how were getting there because travelling in peck times is really expensive. Thanks :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Open days start at around 8.30/9am and go on until 4/5ish depending on the number of people around :smile:

Reply 56

zofia

Original post by BethaneyJ

Open days start at around 8.30/9am and go on until 4/5ish depending on the number of people around :smile:

Thannnkyou :smile:

do u know the cheapest and easiest was to get there because I live in The east and at peak times train is really expensive. thanks :smile:

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Reply 57

Neostigmine

18

Original post by zofia

Thannnkyou :smile:

do u know the cheapest and easiest was to get there because I live in The east and at peak times train is really expensive. thanks :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Have you looked into staying overnight? Or coaches are quite reasonable but take a while to get places. Train is probably easiest, or just driving :smile:

There is parking and travel from the station to the uni for free :smile:

Reply 58

zofia

Original post by BethaneyJ

Have you looked into staying overnight? Or coaches are quite reasonable but take a while to get places. Train is probably easiest, or just driving :smile: