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KCL Accommodation

I was wondering if any of you helpful King's students could help me out with all your personal experiences of accommodation. I'm sure there are many others in a similar situation to me, wondering about the various facilities.

The most popular halls, places to avoid, interesting notes.. etc.

Also, pictures would be heartily appreciated!! :smile:

(Rep available)

Reply 1

Dark and Lovely

15

and if you've had to share a bathroom...has it been dire?

Reply 2

dollsie

and when you need to apply

Reply 3

Jess123

3

hi im currently in halls at kings so i can try and answer your questions.
after you accept an offer they will send you a booklet with details of all the accomadation with prices and some pics and stuff in. you then apply on the internet and rank the properties in preference order, they reccommend you rank all of them as not that many people get their first choice and some will get like 6th choice or something.
Im at great dover street apartments (my second choice) and they are basically separated into 10 blocks with 5-7 floors in each. each floor has about 2 separate flats with 4-9 people in who share a kitchen. you all get ur own ensuite (its about the size of an aeroplane toilet tho!) in total 750 ish people live here and its about 5-10 mins walk from guys campus, 25-30 walk from waterloo and 40 mins walk to strand.
stamford street apartments are the same layout but just across the road from waterloo campus, these are really popular cos of location so don't set ur heart on living there.
there is also Kings college halls (KCH) which are out in denmark hill, these are more traditional type halls with corridors of rooms and shared bathrooms and are catered. they are a lot cheaper thoand they have more social events and their own bar but are furthur away, bout 35 mins bus to waterloo i think.
hampstead are self catering halls bout 35 mins tube to waterloo (in a posh area)
theres also intercollegiate halls which are around russel square (v.central) these are mostly catered and you will share with UCL, LSE etc students so its cool you get to meet loads of different uni people and go to their union events with them!
hope that helps a bit, i can try and put up a few pics of gds if u want?

Reply 4

Ryands

OP

1

That's really useful Jess, thanks a lot.

I think some pictures would be really really appreciated:
shared areas
individual rooms
en-suites/bathroom facilities

that sort of thing... brilliant.

Do you find most people walk to/from GDS or do people bus/tube it?
Ta. (repped)

Ryan

Reply 5

temptasyon

How do you go about ranking The Rectory as its mature/postgrad only? :confused:

Reply 6

Jess123

3

um forgot to say wolfson house is the other place. this is a big tower block right next to guys campus with shared bathrooms. think its a bit manky but closest accomodation to guys, i haven't been so can't really comment.

i have not met a single person at uni whos in the rectory or brian creamer house ( really small places) so not sure what they are like.

Reply 7

ohsometro

4

would you lot recommend intercollegiates? socially?
i want to be in halls not flats if poss. . .
& intercollegiates are the best location!

Reply 8

Ryands

OP

1

ohsometro

would you lot recommend intercollegiates? socially?
i want to be in halls not flats if poss. . .
& intercollegiates are the best location!

Ditto.

Reply 9

barton

9

They may be in a good location but I've heard when it comes to traveling between campuses it can get tedious. Especially when meeting and socialising with friends on your course who don't live as far out as the intercollegiate halls.

Reply 10

miss_sweetiepye

Hey, Im 19, currently on a gap year, and will be starting Kings in september on the English Lang & Communications course. I think im mainly based at waterloo campus with ocassional lectures at strand (dont hold me 2 that tho - im from jersey so all this is new 2 me!) lol.

Over the past week or so I've been bombarded with information about accommodation for my 1st year at Kings and 2 b honest - im feelin worse than when i knew nufin! Im really really really stuck of where 2 live - is anyone is the same position! Or anyone that can help me!? lol xx

Reply 11

Zebrastripes

13

miss_sweetiepye

Hey, Im 19, currently on a gap year, and will be starting Kings in september on the English Lang & Communications course. I think im mainly based at waterloo campus with ocassional lectures at strand (dont hold me 2 that tho - im from jersey so all this is new 2 me!) lol.

Over the past week or so I've been bombarded with information about accommodation for my 1st year at Kings and 2 b honest - im feelin worse than when i knew nufin! Im really really really stuck of where 2 live - is anyone is the same position! Or anyone that can help me!? lol xx

I'm doing English Lang and Comms and i'm living in Stamford Street. We don't have any lectures at the strand, they are all at Waterloo, which is great for me.

Reply 12

miss_sweetiepye

ladydeborah

I'm doing English Lang and Comms and i'm living in Stamford Street. We don't have any lectures at the strand, they are all at Waterloo, which is great for me.

HA! Im so glad you told me that ... can you imagine me in a few months time?! Wouldn't even be at the right campus - what a prat!

So you're staying in Stamford Street yeah. Sorry, I cant remember - is that catered? Thats the accommodation literally right opposite our campus, aint it?

I really need to sit down and sort out where Im going to live - it's driving me insane lol. I have decided though, I definately want self-catered and I really want halls. :biggrin:

Reply 13

Zebrastripes

13

miss_sweetiepye

HA! Im so glad you told me that ... can you imagine me in a few months time?! Wouldn't even be at the right campus - what a prat!

So you're staying in Stamford Street yeah. Sorry, I cant remember - is that catered? Thats the accommodation literally right opposite our campus, aint it?

I really need to sit down and sort out where Im going to live - it's driving me insane lol. I have decided though, I definately want self-catered and I really want halls. :biggrin:

Stamford Street is self-catered, but in flats of 5 - 7 or 9 (not sure, i'm in a 5). It is directly opposite the campus, which is great, but one day i will get run over crossing the road in the morning.

Reply 14

miss_sweetiepye

ladydeborah

Stamford Street is self-catered, but in flats of 5 - 7 or 9 (not sure, i'm in a 5). It is directly opposite the campus, which is great, but one day i will get run over crossing the road in the morning.

Would you recommend Stamford Street for 1st year accommodation then?

I'm sure like many people, I'm just a bit unsure of what is best for me so I'm trying to look at every possible location. To be honest, I feel halls is best as I want to permanently be surrounded by students and experience the true feeling of student life for first year lol.

Reply 15

Zebrastripes

13

miss_sweetiepye

Would you recommend Stamford Street for 1st year accommodation then?

I'm sure like many people, I'm just a bit unsure of what is best for me so I'm trying to look at every possible location. To be honest, I feel halls is best as I want to permanently be surrounded by students and experience the true feeling of student life for first year lol.

I think that in the My Digs brochure it says whether halls are in a flat system or a corridor system. Stamford Street is great location wise, but you may be unlucky and get crappy flatmates, or be lucky and get great ones.

All intercollegiates are corridor based (i think) but then they are all catered. Great Dover is exactly the same as Stamford Street, but i'm not sure about the other Kings halls.

Reply 16

Jess123

3

if you want proper halls style accomodation then you need hampstead (self catered) or intercollegiate, or kch ( both catered). Hampstead is quite far out though. I would say mayber go for intercollegiate as its a reasonable distance from waterloo and just put up with food!
i love GDS but kinda wish id gone for a more traditional halls rather than apartments as it may be a bit more fun!

Reply 17

la fille danse

17

barton

They may be in a good location but I've heard when it comes to traveling between campuses it can get tedious. Especially when meeting and socialising with friends on your course who don't live as far out as the intercollegiate halls.

"As far out" as the intercollegiate halls? :eek:

They're as central as you can get! Hampstead and King's College hall are far out. The intercollegiates, not at all.

If you can cope with the food, then definitely get an intercollegiate! No question about it. The food is the only downside. I can vouch for Canterbury Hall, personally.

Reply 18

ohsometro

4

^^^ how was canterbury hall socially?
& connaught/commonwealth/hughes parry are all the same really, no?

Reply 19

Ron Stoppable

14

Accommodation at King's

1 - You can meet people anywhere. While exceptionally shy people may need to be in cramped 14-to-a-flat residences to force them meet others, most people find GDSA and SSA are ultimately the best for balancing work and play.

2 - The apartments have three major factors in their favour: ensuite bathrooms, superfast internet connections (700mb movies can be transferred in 40 seconds :biggrin:

) and varied social programs either hosted internally or at a number of local venues.

3 - Check which campus you'll be based at. Make GDSA your first choice if it's Guy's and pick SSA if at the Strand/Waterloo. If the three things in the above point are important to you, then make the other apartment-based residence as your second choice; they're only a 5-min bus ride away from each other. If not, pick subsequent choices based on location.

4 - For official pics, see the KCL website. For pics of my room's interior design from 05-06, click here, here and here. For this year's fab update and other views around GDSA, you'll need access to my facebook pictures - PM me! :smile:

KCL Accommodation

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