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Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
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A few general questions

1) is there any real difference between the standard houses eg baird, lee, grant etc at pollock halls?
2) how good is the gym, and is it located at the "centre for sports and exercise"?
3) Do people living at Warrander Park Road/Crescent or Kitchener/ David Horn House feel far away from other students?
4) As i calculate, S/C seems around £45 cheaper than catered each week, do self catered students think that they save or lose money here? How much would you say you spent on food each week?
finlayash
4) As i calculate, S/C seems around £45 cheaper than catered each week, do self catered students think that they save or lose money here? How much would you say you spent on food each week?


Self-catered definitely saves you money. I spend 20-25 pounds on food a week. (When I was really tight on money, I managed 15.) Also, lunch isn't included in the rent in Pollock hence you'll have to spend extra money on that, and then all the snacks you're bound to have.
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Reply 2
Avatar for crypt0r
crypt0r
1
I can only reply for question 1. I'm not at ed uni but have stayed in the halls a few times (visiting friends and such).
From what I've seen there is no difference between the catered for halls though one of the people I met there had a double bed and a bigger room than my friends in lee and grant but she was a few mins walk away from them and (I'm assuming) in self catering.
Reply 3
Avatar for Obscured
Obscured
finlayash
1) is there any real difference between the standard houses eg baird, lee, grant etc at pollock halls?
2) how good is the gym, and is it located at the "centre for sports and exercise"?
3) Do people living at Warrander Park Road/Crescent or Kitchener/ David Horn House feel far away from other students?
4) As i calculate, S/C seems around £45 cheaper than catered each week, do self catered students think that they save or lose money here? How much would you say you spent on food each week?


1, Can't answer because I'm not at pollock.
2, Don't use the gym myself but friends have been impressed with it. Good deal and there is a swimming pool as well.
3, I live in Warrender Park Crescent myself and there is a great community feel and I haven't felt isolated from other students. It's in a great area and only a 15min walk to george sqaure.
4, food costs are variable but roughly £20 a week if not less. I think you do save money being self catered but you do have to be able to cook on a bit of a budget. It also means you get more choice. Bonus with SC accommodation is you get to keep your room in the xmas and easter holidays.

Hope this helps.
finlayash
1) is there any real difference between the standard houses eg baird, lee, grant etc at pollock halls?
2) how good is the gym, and is it located at the "centre for sports and exercise"?
3) Do people living at Warrander Park Road/Crescent or Kitchener/ David Horn House feel far away from other students?
4) As i calculate, S/C seems around £45 cheaper than catered each week, do self catered students think that they save or lose money here? How much would you say you spent on food each week?


1) As far as I know there's little difference, but I don't live at Pollock so I can't be sure.
2) The gym seems good, and it's good value.
3) I live in Warrender Park Road and I don't feel far away at all. Marchmont (the are it's in) is full of students and it's quick to get to central area.
4) S/C is cheaper. For all the reasons that Obscured gave. It's cheaper because instead of having lunch out every day you go home and eat it much more cheaply. But also, you save a bit because in S/C you have somewhere you can hang out with people and so on - so you can drink/party at home and not always have to go out - which is also bound to save you a bit of money.
finlayash
1) is there any real difference between the standard houses eg baird, lee, grant etc at pollock halls?

No. Grant, Lee, Baird, Turner and Ewing are of an almost identical design.
Reply 6
Avatar for finlayash
finlayash
OP
Thanks for all the helpful answers. Heres a few more:

5) Does this mean that with SC accommodation I will still be paying for it over christmas and easter even if I am away, but won't be paying for it if i get catered? Doesn't seem like a great bonus apart from being able to leave my stuff there.

6) So which is better: Warrender Park Road or Crescent? :smile:
finlayash
5) Does this mean that with SC accommodation I will still be paying for it over christmas and easter even if I am away, but won't be paying for it if i get catered? Doesn't seem like a great bonus apart from being able to leave my stuff there.

6) So which is better: Warrender Park Road or Crescent? :smile:


5) Yes you will pay for it when you're away. Pollock Halls is a 34 week lease and S/C is a 37 week lease. You might not think that leaving your stuff is that great, but some people that I know have found having to shift there stuff several times in a year a big hassle. Additionally, you might decide you fancy spending a few days at Christmas (say for Hogmanay) or at Easter in Edinburgh. If you're at Pollock you've got nowhere to stay. In my opinion paying for the 37 week lease is worth convenience.

6) Warrender Park Crescent is architecturally superior although Warrender Park Road doesn't look bad (check out the S/C section of the wiki guide to Edinburgh here on TSR where there are some WPR photos). Roomswise they're much the same and socially they do socials together and so on.
I thought people in Pollock get to keep their rooms over the Christmas. Just not over Easter.
elisabethbridge
I thought people in Pollock get to keep their rooms over the Christmas. Just not over Easter.

That is the case. It is also possible for a limited number of students to keep their room on over Easter for an extra cost, on a room-only basis (no catering). This year this cost £273, the year before, £252.
Reply 10
Avatar for booms
booms
Is it right in thinking that you get a better social life in pollock? My sister went to UoE and stayed in self-catered flats and regretted it later on. Apparently pollock is were all the partyin goes down... :smile:
Reply 11
Avatar for ooze
ooze
13
Any accomodation is what you make of it.
booms
Apparently pollock is were all the partyin goes down... :smile:

I've not heard of much going on in terms of people I socialise with the only things they do is pizza parties in their rooms - which is not as good as, in my opinion, socialising in a flat where you can have a larger pizza party and actually invite more than 4 people...

...the only slight loss is that the "self-catered end of year ceilidh" is in Pollock despite being for people from self-catered, none of whom live particularly close - but that's just the accommodation services are confused people or something...
artorscience?
I've not heard of much going on in terms of people I socialise with the only things they do is pizza parties in their rooms - which is not as good as, in my opinion, socialising in a flat where you can have a larger pizza party and actually invite more than 4 people...

...the only slight loss is that the "self-catered end of year ceilidh" is in Pollock despite being for people from self-catered, none of whom live particularly close - but that's just the accommodation services are confused people or something...


It's actually more to do with the restrictions on the amenities budgets, the fact that it's easier to arrange deals for South Hall as Edinburgh First is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accommodation Services and because, actually, Pollock Halls is fairly central for self-catered people. Remember, places like Kitchener and Warrender Park Road have to be catered for too.
Oh, and Pollock's near Sciennes. Just thought I'd mention that. :p:
michaelnicholson88
It's actually more to do with the restrictions on the amenities budgets, the fact that it's easier to arrange deals for South Hall as Edinburgh First is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accommodation Services and because, actually, Pollock Halls is fairly central for self-catered people. Remember, places like Kitchener and Warrender Park Road have to be catered for too.
Oh, and Pollock's near Sciennes. Just thought I'd mention that. :p:

Heh, I know. :p: I'm living in Sciennes this year - but at times it still feels far away (mainly because I feel it's in the opposite direction to where my interests lie). I think the general point of socialising being easy wherever still stands though :smile:
WPR has a more recent interior than WPC.

In WPC, you should expect drafty windows, and a windowless sitting room.
Reply 16
Avatar for finlayash
finlayash
OP
Ok, I've just applied for accommodation, but for anybody that is in a rush to do so too, don't worry as once I applied they annoyingly decided to tell me then that they don't start processing until the beginning of June. I know I probably can't change my choices now, but could anybody be able to tell me the difference in size between standard sized rooms and large rooms? I put all 3 down as standard without thinking as they are a bit cheaper.
yossarianlives
WPR has a more recent interior than WPC.

In WPC, you should expect drafty windows, and a windowless sitting room.


I live in WPC, you shouldn't expect a windowless sitting room as every flat i've been in has one, 'yossarianlives' must be unlucky. They are very old windows and therefore are only single glazed etc, curtains keep the heat in well though I find, I've been very comfortable in my room anyway.
WPR does have modern fittings.
TheeHelenine
I live in WPC, you shouldn't expect a windowless sitting room as every flat

If you are male you have a much higher chance of being in the basement where the windows are practically non-existant.

finlayash
could anybody be able to tell me the difference in size between standard sized rooms and large rooms?

Well there can be a big difference between different sizes of rooms in some places, the "large" rooms in WPC, for example, are huge and you could lay 5 people on the floor around your bed if you desired. In my experience "small" and "standard" are very similar with a standard gaining perhaps an extra foot around the edge. I'm sure other people have other experiences though.
artorscience?
If you are male you have a much higher chance of being in the basement where the windows are practically non-existant.


Unlucky. Yay for being a girl. :smile:

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