First year staying at GDSA right now here

I don't think there were really any surprises when I moved in, it's pretty much as advertised, but I can do a little list of things I've picked up from my stay here:
- Firstly, you can get to Strand by walking via Waterloo, and going across Waterloo Bridge brings you pretty much directly to Bush House. It takes about 40 minutes and is pretty easy once you know the route
- I would say it's very well placed in general, you're 10 minutes from Borough high street in one direction, 10 minutes from a Lidl and 20 minutes from a Tesco superstore in the other. Also, the Sainsbury's across the road is very useful (if an excellent way to easily spend lots of money on snacks lol). It's also only 15-20 minutes on foot to Tower Bridge and generally central London, so there's lots to do that's easy to get to
- the noise is not generally that bad, though it depends on your flatmates. The courtyard gets briefly noisy when people come back from a night out, but otherwise is fine, and you generally only hear noise from within your flat. The only things I hear from my flatmates either side of me is the bathroom door (which squeaks), the light switch, and if they're shouting or playing music really loud
- kitchen inspectors can be ruthless, and you never know whether you'll pass or fail. (if you fail 3 times in a row everyone has to pay £25, but that's very rare, and I think they try and send round the resilife ambassadors instead. I think there's only one flat in the whole building that's been in trouble with it). We once got told to organise our fridge better smh
- some things are a little bit quirky. Like the fact the cleaners sometimes move the fridges for no reason and don't put them back, or the fact the microwave can't be set for anything less than 3 minutes, or the way the water in the kitchen sometimes runs cold for like 10 minutes when you're trying to get hot water, or the way the flat doors often don't shut properly, or the extractor fan comes on randomly and usually not when you're cooking. Nothing really more than mild inconveniences that are sometimes amusing
- the bathroom fan doesn't shut off until around two, maybe three in the morning if at all, so I'd recommend earplugs or something if it would keep you awake. Personally I've gotten to the point where it's weird if I can't hear it in the background lol
- the receptionists are all nice and friendly, and the maintenance team are very efficient - I've had a few problems in both the kitchen and my room (nothing major, just a bust light bulb and the oven randomly not working) and they always come within a day or so
- the Resilife programme here is really good, at least it has been this year. Events at least twice a week - films, baking, crafts etc - really chill and friendly, and a fun way to spend a free evening
- unlike Stamford St, I don't think we've had mice here lol (there is a mice of kcl instagram page)
- sometimes you get foxes in the courtyard. you get squirrels in the autumn though

- the road is actually really quiet except at rush hour, most of the time I can just cross straight over and there's very little, if any, traffic. You get emergency vehicles most days but that's standard for London. The area's pretty safe as well, it's mostly residential housing and families
- when you're in the kitchen or if your room faces behind, you can enjoy people playing football (or sometimes lacrosse) in tabard gardens basically every day without fail, no matter the weather and even well into the evening.
I think that's everything I really have to say on GDSA. It's not bad for student accommodation, personally I really love the courtyard with all the trees and I kind of got used to its quirks. I'll be sad to leave, especially since I'm on Guy's campus so it's only a 10-minute walk, but unfortunately it's only for first years :') Regardless, I hope this list helped, and I hope you enjoy your stay here
