Kent Accommodation

Hi, I'm putting uni of Kent as my firm choice and will be booking accommodation for the first year but still looking through the options, Parkwood flats stood out as they are quite cheap and I was wondering what people's honest opinions about living there is? and what accommodations they'd recommend onsite.

Hi, I'm putting uni of Kent as my firm choice and will be booking accommodation for the first year but still looking through the options, Parkwood flats stood out as they are quite cheap and I was wondering what people's honest opinions about living there is? and what accommodations they'd recommend onsite.

Hi, I'm putting uni of Kent as my firm choice and will be booking accommodation for the first year but still looking through the options, Parkwood flats stood out as they are quite cheap and I was wondering what people's honest opinions about living there is? and what accommodations they'd recommend onsite.

Hey @tklili,
I hope you're keeping well! 🙂
So I've lived on the Canterbury campus for 2 years now, both at Keynes but in different buildings. So, I think the best way to frame this situation is that it really depends on one's own preferences to see what works for you.
For the following list below, your choice of Park Wood Flats would fit into [Both Lone or Twin Room Available || En-Suite Facilities || Self-Catered Kitchen (Though you can opt in for catered) || 5 - 10 min walk depending on your own flat and uni classroom (but on average 5min walk to central plaza) || 39 week contract || Moderate lifestyle available (I think) || and price, which for flats is higher than for houses at £236 per week, or £9,211 for the year. Flats is more expensive than houses which go for £129-£162 per week, or £5,034-£6,352 for the year. Really, the only main difference between flats and houses is shared facilities (shared toilets, showers, sinks), rather than en-suite.]
So the main preferences I notice are typically:
Lone vs Twin Rooms: Some rooms you get all to your own, however you can cut the costs by choosing the option to share a room with another person in a twin setup, plus ensuite setup. From what I've heard, this is actually quite nice since you get the benefits of high quality rooms, at a much reduced price at the cost of some privacy.
En-Suite vs Shared Facilites: For some rooms, you can choose to have your own toilet and sink (ensuite), whereas in other accommodation you can choose to share these facilites for a reduced price as well.
Self-Catered vs Catered: As for catering, you can choose rooms with a Bed&Flex meal plan - whereby you pay £6 a day to eat for the year,and receive £12 in tokens to spend at restaurants at the University, but lack a kitchen (which is surprisingly a pretty good deal as you save money on groceries, as well as on time cooking and effort in cooking, all while getting restaurant-quality food each day) -or you could choose another accommodation and cook your own food in a shared kitchen. Do note that you can also select the Bed&Flex plan as an extra option even if you're placed in an accommodation with a kitchen and supposedly self-catered service.
Location: Some flats are closer to central campus than others, for example Keynes, Darwin, and Turing are closer to the library and teaching facilities than Park Wood, though only by a few minutes. Nevertheless, this can be pretty handy if you leave your room late just before class is about to start! I think its more coincidence though that these places tend to cost more than the further away location though.
Duration: The normal duration that a contract lasts for accommodation is 39 weeks - meaning you can stay in your room from September - July (or June I can't remember). But, for a reduced price, you could choose to leave during Winter and Spring break which can help save you a pretty penny - thus spending only 32 weeks in your accommodation.
Moderate vs Normal Lifestyle: This won't cost you anything. You may get given the option of moderate living in your select accommodation, which means you'll be paired up (not just in a flat, but in a block) with others who selected moderate, and what this means is you all choose to not party too much, not staying up until 3am drinking, and not being too loud so that others and you can get a nice rest.
Price: Hopefully a bit self-explanatory, but its typically lone rooms, en-suite facilities, and location which increase this, whilst opting for twinned bedrooms. shared facilities, or a shorter contract duration will typically decrease price.
I know that in my course, Park Woods is very popular (predominantly houses) - as its known more for being cheaper, as well as having more extroverted people who have more parties. Personally, I'm more a fan of Keynes, since I find that it's relatively quiter, but also having my own ensuite facilities and being close to the library is also more my style. This does cost more though, so I took the 32 week option, and move out during breaks - which is a bit annoying, but not the end of the world. Just so you know as well, all first years and those living on Uni accommodation get free sport and fitness membership to Kentsport - which is always a nice, little thing to have!
Anyways, I do hope my 2 cents have helped out a little.
Warm regards,
David 🙂
University of Kent Student Rep

Hello If you still need to find an option I currently live at turing block j which is a really nice modern building that you could take over if you'd like and I'm wishing to move back home let me know if you're interested.

Hi! If you're still deciding on accommodation, I have a place at Darwin Houses that you could take over. It's a great option—comfortable and well-located on campus. Let me know if you're interested!