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Inside University of Bristol
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Bristol accommodation

Hi,
If all goes to plan with grades I will be studying Medicine at Bristol in September.
I am a bit confused as to which accommodation to choose.

I want self catered & ensuite, and so have shortlisted some places. Would anyone be able to give pros/cons of each? Are there any that are known to be especially bad and should be avoided?

Everyone seems to favour North Village because it is very social, but I am worried about the time it takes to get to uni every morning, and also the rep it has for house parties etc...

East village seems convenient because of how close it is to lectures, but some people say it can be isolating/ you don't get a proper student hall experience.

West village seems like a perfect balance but the ensuite accommodations there are far too expensive for me!!

The places I have narrowed it down to are:
Colston Street
The Hawthorns
Unite House
University Hall

What would you recommend?

Thanks x
Original post by not_XIX_forever
Hi,
If all goes to plan with grades I will be studying Medicine at Bristol in September.
I am a bit confused as to which accommodation to choose.

I want self catered & ensuite, and so have shortlisted some places. Would anyone be able to give pros/cons of each? Are there any that are known to be especially bad and should be avoided?

Everyone seems to favour North Village because it is very social, but I am worried about the time it takes to get to uni every morning, and also the rep it has for house parties etc...

East village seems convenient because of how close it is to lectures, but some people say it can be isolating/ you don't get a proper student hall experience.

West village seems like a perfect balance but the ensuite accommodations there are far too expensive for me!!

The places I have narrowed it down to are:
Colston Street
The Hawthorns
Unite House
University Hall

What would you recommend?

Thanks x

Hi second year Bristol student so hope my advise helps!

Colston street- good location though at the bottom of park street so not right in Uni but may be good for you given where medical buildings are, modern accommodation from what I've seen, went there for a party was really nice with an ensuite etc. Though its not super social I would think as it's in town and the hall itself is quite small, but met a few people from there and they seem great. Also Uni is what you make of it so you'll make friends I'm sure

The Hawthrons- a bit of a meme at bristol as nobody meets people from there, its small but the location is SUPERB right in Uni and near the triangle, cannot get much better. It may or may not be social I'm not sure, but my bestie was there and she loved it.

Unite house- good location, basically the same as Colston , though not super modern and is a bit run down, but in town and seems social enough depending on your flat.

University hall- bad location as are all stoke bishop halls but the bus might negate that for you, I was in badock and hated getting the bus tbh. It is quite social and there's a good community there, but the accommodation is a bit small and grim, people nickname it poverty halls.

If I were you I would go for Unite or Colston, good location and probably the most social halls after University Hall.
Inside University of Bristol
University of Bristol
Bristol
Original post by oof1234
Hi second year Bristol student so hope my advise helps!

Colston street- good location though at the bottom of park street so not right in Uni but may be good for you given where medical buildings are, modern accommodation from what I've seen, went there for a party was really nice with an ensuite etc. Though its not super social I would think as it's in town and the hall itself is quite small, but met a few people from there and they seem great. Also Uni is what you make of it so you'll make friends I'm sure

The Hawthrons- a bit of a meme at bristol as nobody meets people from there, its small but the location is SUPERB right in Uni and near the triangle, cannot get much better. It may or may not be social I'm not sure, but my bestie was there and she loved it.

Unite house- good location, basically the same as Colston , though not super modern and is a bit run down, but in town and seems social enough depending on your flat.

University hall- bad location as are all stoke bishop halls but the bus might negate that for you, I was in badock and hated getting the bus tbh. It is quite social and there's a good community there, but the accommodation is a bit small and grim, people nickname it poverty halls.

If I were you I would go for Unite or Colston, good location and probably the most social halls after University Hall.

Thank you SO much!
This is incredibly helpful!!

What do you study? Do you like Bristol?
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by oof1234
Hi second year Bristol student so hope my advise helps!

Colston street- good location though at the bottom of park street so not right in Uni but may be good for you given where medical buildings are, modern accommodation from what I've seen, went there for a party was really nice with an ensuite etc. Though its not super social I would think as it's in town and the hall itself is quite small, but met a few people from there and they seem great. Also Uni is what you make of it so you'll make friends I'm sure

The Hawthrons- a bit of a meme at bristol as nobody meets people from there, its small but the location is SUPERB right in Uni and near the triangle, cannot get much better. It may or may not be social I'm not sure, but my bestie was there and she loved it.

Unite house- good location, basically the same as Colston , though not super modern and is a bit run down, but in town and seems social enough depending on your flat.

University hall- bad location as are all stoke bishop halls but the bus might negate that for you, I was in badock and hated getting the bus tbh. It is quite social and there's a good community there, but the accommodation is a bit small and grim, people nickname it poverty halls.

If I were you I would go for Unite or Colston, good location and probably the most social halls after University Hall.

I really wouldn't recommend Unite, had a friend who absolutely hated it, rooms are small and dark etc.
Also the phantom sh*tter roams the halls of Unite

I'd say University Halls, the bus really isn't that bad and the social side is way better
Original post by Anonymous
I really wouldn't recommend Unite, had a friend who absolutely hated it, rooms are small and dark etc.
Also the phantom sh*tter roams the halls of Unite

I'd say University Halls, the bus really isn't that bad and the social side is way better

Thanks for the advice!
So out of the ones I’m considering, you would pick university hall and which other one?
Original post by not_XIX_forever
Thanks for the advice!
So out of the ones I’m considering, you would pick university hall and which other one?

I'd say University Halls and Colston Street probably! I'm a 3rd year and Colston Street was only built at the end of my first year, so it's very new and modern.
Original post by not_XIX_forever
Thank you SO much!
This is incredibly helpful!!

What do you study? Do you like Bristol?

NP hope you like your accommodation! Having read what the other poster said I would agree between University halls or Colston. What you need to decide is if you want a more social time in halls, you don't mind getting the bus to commute to uni and the accommodation itself being a bit grotty (UH) or somewhere super nice and modern with no commute, but likely a lot less social than UH and may not feel as studenty as you're not in stoke bishop which has a very campusy feel to it. I study Law and Bristol is great, got all sorts of people pretty sure whoever you are you'll find your crowd, its super fun and feels very studenty whilst still not feeling like a small town, also the Uni is pretty good so yh!
Reply 7
Following! Interesting answers. I've firmed Vet Nursing so different course but considering Colston Street and Riverside. I've seen bad reviews about Unite House online, people often feeling unsafe etc! So I'm avoiding that one for sure. The university halls is a little outdated for my liking I think. I originally was 100% on wanting a en suite but have opened up to not really minding too much now. I think for me Riverside or in your case Unite house would be more social over Colston Street, being they're larger (riverside you can access all three buildings) but I think Colston street I like with it being more modern and newly refurbished/built. The price is quite a significant different though! It's a tough choice for sure.
Perhaps consider Badock self-catered? Lovely modern rooms (I moved in when the new kitchens/bedrooms/everything were put in 2 years ago) with double beds and v nice bathrooms. I see en-suite as kind of pointless for most people as you’ll have to share in second and third year. Badock had 3 bathrooms between 8-10 and I never had any issues. I was originally against shared bathrooms but there’s good person:bathroom ratio and Badock self-catered are v modern and clean.

I’m pro Stoke Bishop - lovely green areas and almost like a little village. Great social opportunities, I didn’t gel with my flat but because Stoke Bishop is a little village of different accoms I was able to meet my 3 closest friends who all went to different halls. Also, if you meet potential friends in freshers on your course, there’s a 50/50 chance they’re from Stoke Bishop, making it easy to meet up. Overall, I think it’s ideal for freshers trying to make friends.
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 9
Hiya I’ve got a place for dentistry at Bristol this year and I’m in a similar dilemma. I want to be in the city centre just because it’s easier to get places but I’ve heard that people are generally more antisocial there. Do you know anyone from Orchard heights/new bridewell?
Original post by lawcalling
Perhaps consider Badock self-catered? Lovely modern rooms (I moved in when the new kitchens/bedrooms/everything were put in 2 years ago) with double beds and v nice bathrooms. I see en-suite as kind of pointless for most people as you’ll have to share in second and third year. Badock had 3 bathrooms between 8-10 and I never had any issues. I was originally against shared bathrooms but there’s good person:bathroom ratio and Badock self-catered are v modern and clean.

I’m pro Stoke Bishop - lovely green areas and almost like a little village. Great social opportunities, I didn’t gel with my flat but because Stoke Bishop is a little village of different accoms I was able to meet my 3 closest friends who all went to different halls. Also, if you meet potential friends in freshers on your course, there’s a 50/50 chance they’re from Stoke Bishop, making it easy to meet up. Overall, I think it’s ideal for freshers trying to make friends.

How many people share a kitchen? Also, I've heard it's got a reputation for being quite druggy and noisy. Is there any kind of balance, i.e. would it suit someone like me who is social but only likes going out 1-2x a week? Thanks
Original post by Anonymous
How many people share a kitchen? Also, I've heard it's got a reputation for being quite druggy and noisy. Is there any kind of balance, i.e. would it suit someone like me who is social but only likes going out 1-2x a week? Thanks

I think it’s between 6-10 but I’d just check the accom details and it should say. We were a 10 but had 2 hobs etc so it wasn’t too bad. I only went out a few times each term and it was fine for me! I think it’s just a matter of who you’re paired with and writing an honest PS for accom (I’m not sure if these still exist, but we used to have to write a few sentences about our ideal social life/work ethic etc).
Original post by lawcalling
I think it’s between 6-10 but I’d just check the accom details and it should say. We were a 10 but had 2 hobs etc so it wasn’t too bad. I only went out a few times each term and it was fine for me! I think it’s just a matter of who you’re paired with and writing an honest PS for accom (I’m not sure if these still exist, but we used to have to write a few sentences about our ideal social life/work ethic etc).

Thanks so much!
is university halls really that grim or do you guys think it’s worth the price atleast? (£111pw)

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