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Accommodation Questions

Right, so i've got an offer at Imperial for Computing (Software Engineering). But i've got a few questions about accommodation.

1 - I know Imperial is known for not the best social life in the UK, but i'll try and change that for myself! But which hall would you say is known for being the best for at least some social life?

2 - The boy/girl ratio is pretty **** know, so which hall do most of the girls choose? (lol!)

3 - I haven't decided yet, but either going to go for a single/twin ensuite room, has anyone got any experiences in these rooms, what are the benefitis/disadvantages of the two different types? What's the process for finding your room buddy??

4 - This is gonna sound so bad, and no offence to any of the asian people on the site or at the uni, but my dad is kind of getting funny about me staying somewhere where i'm swamped with foreign people. So what halls should i avoid?

Thanks for you help! See you in Sep/Oct!!!

Richard

Reply 1

Democracy

21

RichUK89

Right, so i've got an offer at Imperial for Computing (Software Engineering). But i've got a few questions about accommodation.

1 - I know Imperial is known for not the best social life in the UK, but i'll try and change that for myself! But which hall would you say is known for being the best for at least some social life?

I heard beit was quite good

2 - The boy/girl ratio is pretty **** know, so which hall do most of the girls choose? (lol!)

Look at this thread

3 - I haven't decided yet, but either going to go for a single/twin ensuite room, has anyone got any experiences in these rooms, what are the benefitis/disadvantages of the two different types? What's the process for finding your room buddy??

Dunno about this one

4 - This is gonna sound so bad, and no offence to any of the asian people on the site or at the uni, but my dad is kind of getting funny about me staying somewhere where i'm swamped with foreign people. So what halls should i avoid?

Tell him to **** off. Imperial in some of its courses is 25% international students. If you want somewhere with just english people, Imperial isn't the place for you. Oh and by the way, this isn't the 60s anymore, people of different origins aren't segregated, there aren't any particular halls that all the "foreigners" gather in. So chances are most halls are the same

Reply 2

RichUK89

OP

Thanks for your reply!

I knew that everyone would just be mixed, but i guess he's still living in the olden days! I wouldn't have chosen Imperial if i didnt want to mix, stupid man!

I'd appreciate anyone elses' comments?!

Reply 3

Alexthepenguin

lol

RichUK89

Right, so i've got an offer at Imperial for Computing (Software Engineering). But i've got a few questions about accommodation.

1 - I know Imperial is known for not the best social life in the UK, but i'll try and change that for myself! But which hall would you say is known for being the best for at least some social life?biet i would say since they are at the union...

2 - The boy/girl ratio is pretty **** know, so which hall do most of the girls choose? (lol!)the rato is extreme everywhere im afraid...

3 - I haven't decided yet, but either going to go for a single/twin ensuite room, has anyone got any experiences in these rooms, what are the benefitis/disadvantages of the two different types? What's the process for finding your room buddy??i would go for single ensuite but this is entirely up to you. you could socialise with people whenever you like while you still maintain a quite and private room when you wanna study

4 - This is gonna sound so bad, and no offence to any of the asian people on the site or at the uni, but my dad is kind of getting funny about me staying somewhere where i'm swamped with foreign people. So what halls should i avoid?all halls are full of them. some of the asian could be quite nice though

Thanks for you help! See you in Sep/Oct!!!

Richard

Reply 4

Master Polhem

15

Seriously dude are you REALLY sure Imp. is for you?

Reply 5

schrodinger's cat

13

RichUK89

1 - I know Imperial is known for not the best social life in the UK, but i'll try and change that for myself! But which hall would you say is known for being the best for at least some social life?

All halls of residence should be quite social, though beit does seem popular; i assume the ones near campus are quite good for meeting up, etc. But to be honest i don't see how which hall you are in should make that much difference - you can be friends with people from other halls you know?

2 - The boy/girl ratio is pretty **** know, so which hall do most of the girls choose? (lol!)

Hmm. Yeh it is kinda **** (though i don't think particularly worse at Imperial than other places for that subject). I don't know the answer to which halls have the most girls, i can't really see why one would have more than others.

3 - I haven't decided yet, but either going to go for a single/twin ensuite room, has anyone got any experiences in these rooms, what are the benefitis/disadvantages of the two different types? What's the process for finding your room buddy??

Single is more private and some people prefer that. Sharing is less private (shock horror) and some people might find it more social. There is also quite a big difference in price between the two. The process of who you share with is chosen entirely by the uni (they actively make sure you don't share with a friend).

4 - This is gonna sound so bad, and no offence to any of the asian people on the site or at the uni, but my dad is kind of getting funny about me staying somewhere where i'm swamped with foreign people. So what halls should i avoid?

Yeh that does sound kinda bad...

I would echo Master Polhem's comment. That's alot stuff to do with Imperial that seems to bother you.

Reply 6

xaxa

1

They're all social. Beit is the same building as the Union, but that means it's not as quiet on a Friday night (say) as other places. I think there's an equal mix of girls in all the halls. Rooms on basement/ground floors (whichever doesn't need access from the street) are for guys only.

If your dad's really racist, tell him all the international students are really poor so you need a single room in the most expensive hall.

Reply 7

HCD

16

xaxa

If your dad's really racist, tell him all the international students are really poor so you need a single room in the most expensive hall.

Exploiting racism - you're a genius. :p:

Just hope that the OP's dad isn't smart enough to realise that internationals have to be fairly rich in order to study in the UK!

Reply 8

Newton's cradle

2

xaxa

Rooms on basement/ground floors (whichever doesn't need access from the street) are for guys only.

I have noticed this in my hall. Why is this the case? Is it because they think guys would be better at dealing with intruders which would most likely come in through the ground floor?

Reply 9

Adarah

16

RichUK89

Right, so i've got an offer at Imperial for Computing (Software Engineering). But i've got a few questions about accommodation.

1 - I know Imperial is known for not the best social life in the UK, but i'll try and change that for myself! But which hall would you say is known for being the best for at least some social life?

2 - The boy/girl ratio is pretty **** know, so which hall do most of the girls choose? (lol!)

3 - I haven't decided yet, but either going to go for a single/twin ensuite room, has anyone got any experiences in these rooms, what are the benefitis/disadvantages of the two different types? What's the process for finding your room buddy??

4 - This is gonna sound so bad, and no offence to any of the asian people on the site or at the uni, but my dad is kind of getting funny about me staying somewhere where i'm swamped with foreign people. So what halls should i avoid?

Thanks for you help! See you in Sep/Oct!!!

Richard

The social life is great if you're sociable. Lots of friends of mine who fail Imperial and end up at Kings or UCL, still live in Fulham or such places with Imperial people and go to Imperial parties because Kings and UCL can't compare.
Kings has a great union, don't get me wrong, but you'll only ever find Imperial College students at Tutu's on a Friday.

There is no hall that most of the girls choose, your best bet is to go to the most sociable hall, which is Garden and Weeks. Avoid the new Southside halls like the PEST!

I live in a triple room in my fist year - really cool and you have more money to spend partying!

Tell your dad he's a moron. This is a unique chance to learn more about other cultures. On my first day my new room mate asked me what it's like to have a sister. Never been ask that question before, but life and culture is different in China!

Reply 10

dcglim

I studied at Imperial for 6 years.

The best hall is Beit Hall, newly refurbished & completely upgraded to show off to visitors. Its also on campus with a pub nearby.

The subjects with the most females tend to be Medicine & they tend to cluster at Pembridge Hall or Wilson House. Wilson is a bit grotty but there is sports centre within it.

Stay away from the halls at Prince's Gardens, they truly are in need of refrbishment!

I am sorry to hear that you don't like foreigners like myself! :frown:

Seriously, you need to get used to us. International students account for a very large proportion of students & subsidise home students cause they pay high fees.

Good luck at IC!

Reply 11

Adarah

16

dcglim

I studied at Imperial for 6 years.

The best hall is Beit Hall, newly refurbished & completely upgraded to show off to visitors. Its also on campus with a pub nearby.

The subjects with the most females tend to be Medicine & they tend to cluster at Pembridge Hall or Wilson House. Wilson is a bit grotty but there is sports centre within it.

Stay away from the halls at Prince's Gardens, they truly are in need of refrbishment!

I am sorry to hear that you don't like foreigners like myself! :frown:

Seriously, you need to get used to us. International students account for a very large proportion of students & subsidise home students cause they pay high fees.

Good luck at IC!

So what? Garden and Weeks may be falling apart but we sure know how to party, which Beit has no clue about, I'm sorry to say.

Ah, booze cruises to France, chocolate cruises to Belgium, discos on a boat on the Thames, Fetish themed valentine's parties, beach parties, random parties every night of the week...
Garden and Weeks is one big family because we are a small halls, and we have a garden :wink:

.
You get lost socially in some of the big halls if you don't make friends with people on our corridor or in your kitchen etc.
In Garden and Weeks you'll know all the reapps and wardens and they'll know all your names off by heart before you even arrive (I know, I was a reapp and had to learn them all!).
And the state of the halls are reflected in the price. If you pay for accommodation that isn't newly painted, you get to spend the rest partying and having fun.

People who care more about having money to be sociable with will apply for Garden and Weeks hopefully and those who are very particular about what kind of room they spend all day and night hiding away in ... they'll apply for the expensive halls. That's how it's normally worked out somehow, but you were never able to chose your exact hall, only what kind of room you wanted and sort of what your preferences on room types were. So slightly different, but same still applies to some extent.

Reply 12

RichUK89

OP

Thanks everyone for your help! To anyone who thought i'd i'm against international students, you're wrong. I plan to try and get an internship in the USA, and once i'm finished i want to work around the world and not stay in one place!

I've got another question thought, is the ethernet internet access included in hall prices, or is it an additional fee. Also do they monitor what you download, i.e. do they block you from downloading TV Shows through torrents?! I'll need my fix of LOST and Heroes in uni!!!

Thanks again!

Reply 13

Master Polhem

15

Sure dude, just be honest. Everyone knows that you will be downloading porn.

Reply 14

Adarah

16

normally included in the rent and yes it's monitored and some programmes are blocked. bit torrent isn't, but if you download a lot at once then you'll flag up on the system and depending on what you've downloaded you will be suspended for a certain amount of time/indefinitely/until you show all your downloads to your tutor and explain yourself etc. (that particular punishment was thought up by ICT for a guy who downloaded a gigabyte of horseporn - well, some guys in halls did that for him as a joke. He was too ashamed to beg his tutor for his internet to be reinstated and rather went without).
Garden and Weeks have shared access computers in the basement of Garden so you'd still be able to use one of those pcs to check your mail etc, if you got banned. yeah, forgot to mention that aspect of G&W. It has lots of study rooms, with internet access and some pcs for those who want to get work done but have loud room mates etc.

And college isn't far away either if you attend your lectures ;-) and there is internet acess there everywhere.

Reply 15

SavageStorm

Adarah

bit torrent isn't, but if you download a lot at once then you'll flag up on the system and depending on what you've downloaded you will be suspended for a certain amount of time/indefinitely/until you show all your downloads to your tutor and explain yourself etc. (that particular punishment was thought up by ICT for a guy who downloaded a gigabyte of horseporn

LOL, now thats a prank!

Thats very good news for me, and I'm glad the above poster asked the question, I thought I'd have to download 24, Lost, House, etc from rapidshare every week.

What exactly is 'a lot'? Torrents are inherantly slow. So as long as you stay well under your 5GB a day limit, and your downloads are spread throughout the day, would you be flagged? While I'm at it, is their an upload limit?

Thanks

Reply 16

Gimperial

11

5 gigs is total transfer, includes both up and down.

Anyway, usually they only take action if you get reported or go over the limit

Reply 17

shootbangfire

i think i might put beit as my first choice, and then the southside halls. cos although beit is furthest from the gym it's closest to my department, and they have the lowest maximum number of people sharing a kitchen.

Reply 18

Democracy

21

shootbangfire

i think i might put beit as my first choice, and then the southside halls. cos although beit is furthest from the gym it's closest to my department, and they have the lowest maximum number of people sharing a kitchen.

Beit kitchen ratio is 20:1...that doesn't sound particularly small....

Reply 19

HCD

16

Democracy

Beit kitchen ratio is 20:1...that doesn't sound particularly small....

Think he meant Southside...

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