The Student Room Group

May I ask how to choose the dormitory at Queens' College?

QQ截图20240424222808.png
I've just received an acceptance from Queens College, what's the best way to choose these halls of residence? It looks like Owlstone Croft is a good choice with en-suite bathrooms, but I don't know how big Block A large room actually is? The Harding Wing in Grange Road also seems like a good choice, but I'm worried that I won't be allocated an en-suite with bathroom. I would prefer to have ensuite bathrooms and not too far away from the college, does any friend have a suggested order of choices?
Original post by whitetype
QQ截图20240424222808.png
I've just received an acceptance from Queens College, what's the best way to choose these halls of residence? It looks like Owlstone Croft is a good choice with en-suite bathrooms, but I don't know how big Block A large room actually is? The Harding Wing in Grange Road also seems like a good choice, but I'm worried that I won't be allocated an en-suite with bathroom. I would prefer to have ensuite bathrooms and not too far away from the college, does any friend have a suggested order of choices?

Don't get overly attached to what you want and waste too much time. Everyone gets higher priority than incoming postgrads, so you will get what's left. Look at the streets on a map, and think about where you want to be in town, and then if you want an en-suite, pick that, then check if you want to spend that much money on accommodation. Otherwise, you don't really have much choice.

Reply 2

I found a map for each of buildings with precise notes on lot size for each rooms. Any room seems bigger than my Tokyo room so I just pick the cheapest place.
Meanwhile, I'm a bit worried whether I should have not ticked the interest for the "main site rooms". What if they just give me the noisiest rooms :-(

Reply 3

Original post by threeportdrift
Don't get overly attached to what you want and waste too much time. Everyone gets higher priority than incoming postgrads, so you will get what's left. Look at the streets on a map, and think about where you want to be in town, and then if you want an en-suite, pick that, then check if you want to spend that much money on accommodation. Otherwise, you don't really have much choice.
Thank you, would you more recommend renting a room outside of the college? I feel like a room outside the college isn't any more expensive than one at the college.

Reply 4

I found a map for each of buildings with precise notes on lot size for each rooms. Any room seems bigger than my Tokyo room so I just pick the cheapest place.
Meanwhile, I'm a bit worried whether I should have not ticked the interest for the "main site rooms". What if they just give me the noisiest rooms :-(
Hello! Could you please share the map? I think the main site would be great too as it would be a lot more convenient, but do you have any idea what the dormitory configuration would be like at the main site? Also, do you mind sharing a bathroom if you pick the cheapest place?

Reply 5

Original post by whitetype
Hello! Could you please share the map? I think the main site would be great too as it would be a lot more convenient, but do you have any idea what the dormitory configuration would be like at the main site? Also, do you mind sharing a bathroom if you pick the cheapest place?
I found floor maps for each buildings at Queens' website: https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/life-at-queens/accommodation/postgraduates

For example, goto the linked "Owlstone Croft": https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/owlstone-croft and under the "Map", you can get very concise floor maps of owlstone croft. You may notice that one map showing ground floor of building A contain the room sizes in small squares and from there I deduced that every floor has bigger rooms than my own room.
You can also watch youtube channels by Queens' students and they are doing room tours and you can get a rough idea of how it will be like. Some of them are posting their rooms at main site and they are so gorgeous! (at least the views are) So I decided to try my lack and entered the random ballot. Not that I have much idea of how it actually will be like. I may regret :-(

I do not mind sharing the bathroom. I've been living in an international dorm since undergrad and never had an issue with fellow inhabitants. Only when everyone got infected by norovirus I wished for private bathroom though.

Reply 6

I found floor maps for each buildings at Queens' website: https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/life-at-queens/accommodation/postgraduates
For example, goto the linked "Owlstone Croft": https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/owlstone-croft and under the "Map", you can get very concise floor maps of owlstone croft. You may notice that one map showing ground floor of building A contain the room sizes in small squares and from there I deduced that every floor has bigger rooms than my own room.
You can also watch youtube channels by Queens' students and they are doing room tours and you can get a rough idea of how it will be like. Some of them are posting their rooms at main site and they are so gorgeous! (at least the views are) So I decided to try my lack and entered the random ballot. Not that I have much idea of how it actually will be like. I may regret :-(
I do not mind sharing the bathroom. I've been living in an international dorm since undergrad and never had an issue with fellow inhabitants. Only when everyone got infected by norovirus I wished for private bathroom though.
Thank you very much for your reply. I saw that info too, I thought you found a map with all the dorm info labelled haha. I've always felt uncomfortable mixing bathrooms though. Is there usually a risk of not getting a dorm room if you choose less from the dorm choice list (if you don't choose all 6 options)? I'd still rather live out if I'm assigned to a dorm with no bathroom, but I'm worried that there won't be any suitable accommodation available to rent by then.

Reply 7

Original post by whitetype
Thank you very much for your reply. I saw that info too, I thought you found a map with all the dorm info labelled haha. I've always felt uncomfortable mixing bathrooms though. Is there usually a risk of not getting a dorm room if you choose less from the dorm choice list (if you don't choose all 6 options)? I'd still rather live out if I'm assigned to a dorm with no bathroom, but I'm worried that there won't be any suitable accommodation available to rent by then.

Well I heard MBA students can get such maps, actually more of an excel list.

I read this article and decided to go for the dorm so that I can at least have a place to live in.
https://www.varsity.co.uk/comment/27232

Reply 8

Well I heard MBA students can get such maps, actually more of an excel list.
I read this article and decided to go for the dorm so that I can at least have a place to live in.
https://www.varsity.co.uk/comment/27232
I see. So we all definitely get assigned to a dormitory after we choose?

Reply 9

Original post by whitetype
I see. So we all definitely get assigned to a dormitory after we choose?

I do not think I know more than you do, but seems like the college will try to allocate all postgrats who apply for the room before the summer. So basically yes.
Im grad if I can get better insights from continuing Queens students.
Original post by whitetype
Thank you, would you more recommend renting a room outside of the college? I feel like a room outside the college isn't any more expensive than one at the college.

Rooms outside College are generally quite a bit more expensive, because there are extras, whereas more is included in the College price. College is more reliable in terms of maintenance etc and is almost certainly more convenient in terms of location. In general, I'd say 100% go for College accommodation, except that unfortunately not all Colleges can accommodate all their PGs.

Quick Reply