My Review of Old Rootes It's pretty early in the term, so I can only give an initial assessment.
First - to address the common gripes.
1. Noise - I'm actually finding my nights here quieter than they were at home. Sure there are sometimes people partying, shouting, having fun - but I propose three easy solutions to this. One: earplugs. Two: join in. Three - ask nicely for quiet.
2. The Rooms - as previously noted, some rooms (such as my own) have the New Rootes furniture. And, tbh, the ones that don't aren't so bad. They're still a hell of a lot better than Cryfield.
3. The Building Works - I am right next to them, and haven't noticed them once.
Now then, some good old pros and cons.
Pros- Big rooms
They may not be the biggest, but they're plenty big enough. Especially if you keep them tidy
- Communal Atmosphere
In 2 weeks, my corridor has become my surrogate family. Remember that you don't have to like everyone in your family, but they are there for you.
- Location
Perfect. Everything I need is close by.
- Price
Helluva better deal than many of the halls. Am paying £83 a week for basically the same as JM, but with better rooms.
- Bathrooms
We have one of the bigger floors, with 16 sharing 3 toilets, 2 showers, and 2 baths with showers over them. It's actually pleanty! I haven't had to wait for anything so far.
- Narrow Corridors
They may seem prison-like during the day, but believe me, when you're pissed later on they make it much easier to get back to your room
Cons (all halls have them)- Kitchen.
I can't say much more on this. As someone who loved to cook before coming here, I really do hate the kitchen. (Tiny, poorly designed, really hard to keep clean.)
- Noise.
Yes it's there. I can generally hear the bass coming out of the SU until about 3am. It's just a question of dealing with it.
- Fire Alarms
We have had 3 over 2 days, though I have to say that its not so terrible as I expected. Everyone wants to sleep at some stage.
- Mobile Reception
This is without a doubt THE MOST ANNOYING thing. According to a physics student friend, the building is a Faraday Cage, making it very difficult to find spots with reception. They are there though. Eg, the kitchen has none at all, but my bedroom does.
Comparisons With Other HallsSo far I've been to Cryfield, New Rootes, and JM.
Cryfield - we have the definite advantage here. Our rooms are way bigger and nicer, as are our bathrooms. The only 2 things I envy of Cryfield are their social areas (they have nice, big common rooms with lots of comfy chairs, we don't have anything like this), and the price. Given the choice, though, I would pay the couple of quid extra for Rootes.
New Rootes - I only went in the communal areas, and I have to admit that theirs are much nicer. But, you have no choice as to whether you end up in New or Old Rootes - it's just luck.
Jack Martin - Very, very nice buildings. The kitchens are just gorgeous, and this is the main point I envy. The corridors are wide, the walls thick, and they have swish lifts. The rooms, though, disappointed me - due to the space taken up by the en-suite, they're tiny! Also - the atmosphere was completely dead to the point of creepiness.
Hope the above points help!