FRESHMEN ACCOMMODATION GUIDE 2012/2013 by the Warwick Singapore Society
Starting off your first year at university can be daunting, especially living with complete strangers in unfamiliar campus halls of accommodation. This guide serves to provide a peek into life in the campus accommodations, with articles written by Singaporeans who have lived in these halls in 2011/2012. We hope that this will help you to make a better informed decision when choosing which halls to apply for. For the 2012/2013 2/2013 academic year, the following halls are available for freshmen to apply for: 1) Arthur Vick 2) Benefactors 3) Bluebell
4) Cryfield 5) Jack Martin 6) Rootes
7) Sherbourne 8) Westwood 9) Whitefields
This guide includes write-ups ups for 7 of these halls, omitting Benefactors as there was no Singaporean living there and Sherbourne is a new hall that just completed construction. Some key questions that you should consider in deciding on which halls to apply apply for are: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
What is my budget for accommodation? Am I willing to move out during the holidays? Do I want an en suite room or am I okay with shared toilets and showers? Do I prefer a quiet & private environment or do I want an active hall life? Where on campus mpus is the th hall located?
In the application, you will be asked to rank your top 5 choices of halls. You will also need to write a short description of your personality and preferences – this is highly influential on which hall and which part of the hall you get allocated to, so take it seriously! If you have any medical conditions that would affect your life in hall, you would also be asked to write it in and it will be taken into consideration. Deadline for accommodation applications is 31 July, and allocations ocations will be released in September September. Do also refer to the facilities summary and the campus map for more details and locations of the halls. Sherbourne is not yet reflected on the campus map though; it is located right beside Lakeside (roughly grid C2 on the map). More information and the application form can be found on the Warwick Accommodation website: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/accommodation/studentaccommodation/all/campus/ http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/accommodation/studentaccommodation/all/campus/
If you encounter any difficulties or have any queries/concerns, feel free to send us an email at contact@warwicksingsoc.com and we will advise you as best as we can. Page | 1
Arthur Vick Review 1 - By Huang Zi (Economics, Politics and International Studies) I stayed in Westwood for 8 weeks before managing to secure a transfer to Arthur Vick, and it was, in most areas, a change for the better. Arthur Vick looks like a hotel (and the university does house conference guests in Arthur Vick over the holidays, which is why they kick the students out), has en suite rooms, and only a little more than 10 people to a kitchen. Arthur Vick is also relatively close to the sports centre and most of the university buildings, although it’s in a quiet part of the campus together with Jack Martin. In short, Arthur Vick has en suite rooms, a lounge to go with the kitchen, and good location, although you get kicked out for winter and Easter holidays (Protip: be good friends with people who go home during holidays who live in Bluebell so you can stay in their room over the holidays). Review 2 - By Sasha Martin (English Literature) Facilities Kitchen The kitchen is pretty spacious, and the best part is the common room, which most of the other accommodations don't have. It's a nice space to hang out with and get to know your hallmates. Only problem is that the kitchen only has one cooker and oven, which means that with 13 people in a hall it can get a bit crowded, so you have to stagger your cooking time. Still, I didn't really have many problems with that. Room Arthur Vick is pretty awesome. Highlight is obviously that you get your own bathroom, with a shower and bath (which even bluebell doesn't have). This is worth it. So worth it. I wouldn't trade my bathroom for anything. Also the room is great - big enough to not get claustrophobic (bigger than JM), more than enough shelving space, and lots of drawers and wardrobe space for clothes. Single bed, radiator works well. Location In terms of accessibility it's not bad. It's not as accessible as say, Tocil, but it's not much further away, just a couple of minutes more. Everything on central campus is less than a 10min walk away. It's also relatively near to Tesco about 15-20min walk. Flatmates and Environment The noise level in AV is average. Some kitchens are noisier than others. I had a pretty good balance - just be very specific about how much noise you can deal with (say whether you prefer going out/peace/mix of the two) when you do the accommodation write up and they should match you with the same sort of people.
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Bluebell Review 1- By Eric Wong (Economics) Shared Facilities Kitchen Each flat has at most 8 people and shares a kitchen together. The kitchen is huge enough with a dining table for 8 and beanbags for just hanging out. Everyone gets at least 2 cabinets to store their cutlery and foodstuffs which is more than sufficient. Others Bluebell has many other facilities within the block; which makes it convenient for anyone without stepping out of the block. There is a launderette room in each block with washing machines and dryer on the ground floor to do your laundry without going to the main launderette on campus. There is also a social space in the basement too for gatherings or studying during the exam period et cetera. Room The rooms in Bluebell are the largest on campus and the only hall with a super-single bed big enough for anyone. The furnishing of the room is adequate: a long study table and shelves, as well as big enough wardrobe and cabinets for you to store your stuffs. Having en suite facilities bring about convenience that other halls do not allow for. You can shower as and when you feel like and have the comforts of doing your business as you please without disturbance. (: Plus the toilet and shower is reasonably big with a heating rack and storage cabinet for you to put whatever toiletries you have inside. Location Bluebell is located a little further away from the Student Union and makes it more peaceful during the night. However, it is further away from the main school buildings as compared to Rootes, Jack Martin, Whitefields or Arthur Vick by a few minutes’ walk (depending on the block you get too) but it is still generally accessible. Overall I appreciate Bluebell for its 39-weeks let that lasts through the whole academic year. It saves the trouble of packing up before every winter and Easter break as well as sourcing for alternative accommodation during the break (which other halls of 30/37 weeks let have to do). The cost of the hall is probably the most repelling factor and £145 per week is a very expensive price to pay for the hall, but the rooms are larger, newer and common facilities shared between lesser people and in my opinion, it is worth what you get. On the downside too, access to Bluebell is through a keycard instead of a key. And apart from the wow-factor, technology also comes at a price of being locked outside when forgetting to bring the card wherever you go and losing it. It takes some time getting used to, as well as some moments where your key card just spoils. In all, Bluebell is the way to go IF you are okay with the price, and if you regard comfort as an important factor away from home. (:
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Review 2 - By Ho Sheng Yi (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) This is the best accommodation on campus in every regard. It’s centrally located, has some of the best rooms, comparable to Arthur Vick or Jack Martin. Facilities and Room It has en-suite bathrooms and double beds, and plenty of cupboard and shelf space. It’s hard to regret taking Bluebell even with the price tag, should you be offered a place there. The relative luxury of the facilities and the central location is certainly worth the amount that you’re paying. Location The drawbacks, apart from the price, is that it is near Rootes, the party hall, and you may hear some partying and drunken singing in the middle of the night, though it shouldn’t bother you too much. This also means it is sometimes an alternative partying location to Rootes as it is right next door, so the party might come to your block, though if it’s in another flat the noise level should be fine, and I personally found the sense of buzz and activity is quite reassuring in the quieter parts of the academic year such as the beginning of term 2 or exam period (Yes, the locals party as if there is no exam period!). Price Also, it is a 39 week let. Meaning that if you plan to go home during one or both of your inter-term holidays, Christmas and Easter, you will be paying the full 156 pound-a-week accommodation fees though your room is vacant (or a friend from a 30 week let hall asks to take your room in the interim). So if you have travel plans for the holidays, you forego more cash than if you were in a cheaper 39 week let hall. But that’s about all the cons about this new hall.
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Cryfield Review - By Jeremy Ling (MORSE) Hello, thrifty ones! I suppose the only reason you’re reading this is because you want to save some money. It’s the main reason why each of us three Singaporean Cryfield freshers chose Cryfield anyway. And I don’t think any of us regretted it. Honestly, Cryfield isn’t bad just because it’s the cheapest. It’s actually a very nice place to live. Here’s a table comparing Cryfield with similarly priced accommodation such as Rootes and Whitefields. I can’t give any input on Benefactors as I’ve never been there.
Room
Cryfield
Whitefields
Rootes
(30 week)
(37 week)
(39 week)
Smallest in the group (with the Largest Rooms Big Rooms exception of some rooms in old Rootes). No Sink (brushing teeth / New Rootes sinks/mirror look a Sink and mirror look primitive washing up becomes a hassle). lot better than those in Cryfield (not necessarily ugly), but perfectly functional. Poor layout with little room to Very spacious with enough Spacious with plenty of room room for friends to stay over. for friends to hang out. move chair at all at desk. Thin walls, apparently you can hear when people are enjoying themselves.
Thin walls (especially on ground floor - can hear the exact words your neighbour says while he’s skyping in the next room). It’s better on the first floor (1 level above ground). Showering Facilities and Toilet
Toilet/shower/bath cubicles all Toilet/bath in individual cubicles Toilet/bath in individual located in the same “room”, next to each other. cubicles. Singapore style. Appears older and less clean Filthy compared to Cryfield. Relatively new and clean. than Cryfield’s.
Kitchen
10 to 12 to a kitchen
12 to a kitchen (whole flat)
12 to 16 to a kitchen (I believe).
Spacious, with the option of using another kitchen right opposite yours (means you don’t always have to wait tocook).
Kitchen itself is cramped compared to Cryfield, but the common area next to it might help.
Large, but with a square layout and an abundance of furniture which makes it seem more cramped thanCryfield’s kitchen.
Sufficient cupboard space, but Sufficient cupboard space, but fridge space is a free for all. Sufficient cupboard space, but fridge space is a free for all. fridge space is a free for all. Food/juice/milk does get stolen regularly (maybe it’s a localised problem).
I hear milk regularly.
gets
stolen
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Common Area
Huge common area on ground floor where open mic nights/events are held. I lived right next to the common area in Term 1 and it was unbearable.
Large common area where flat No common area. mates hang out. The rooms right next to common area might not be ideal too.
People talk until 5am every night, blasting music occasionally. You hear every word. Literally. Location
Furthest from Tesco Furthest from Tarkett Furthest from Sports Centre Furthest from library
Closest to everything behind Costcutter. About equidistant Sciences
right Marginally further as compared to Whitefields, except for Gibbet Hill Campus.
to Social
No bass from the Copper Furthest from Math/Stats, Rooms. About equidistant to Gibbet Hill Humans, Science and Campus (for Science students) Engineering blocks. About equidistant to Social Sciences Close to SU Building / Copper Rooms, might hear the bass at About equidistant to Gibbet Hill night. Campus (for Bio students) People
Fun loving people, mostly About the same as Cryfield, I Notoriously the wildest people British but with the occasional suppose. on campus. But that is international student. debatable.
In terms of location, Cryfield is considerably far from most places. Returning from Tesco with loads of bags is nowhere near comfortable. I got a bike in term 3 and that made things a lot easier and more convenient, so you might want to consider that. Finally, don’t choose Cryfield if you hate moving and packing. You’d have to move out twice at the end of each term, and it is a major hassle to pack especially if you have a heavy class schedule. I had a 27 hour week in Term 2 and it was tough to pack up (despite not going for more than half my lectures), especially when there were never ending deadlines towards the end of term 2. Moving back in is yet another headache. However, if you don’t mind all the moving, I would say Cryfield is the nicest among three of the cheapest accommodations available (again, I can’t speak for Benefactors). And you pay about 2/3 the rent of the other two over a year. Advice: You don’t ever want a ground floor room. You’ll have to close your windows when you leave your room, which leaves the room very stuffy, and the noise level is unbearable if you live next to the common area. No matter how much you like partying, I suggest mentioning you are a light sleeper so they don’t put you near the common room. You can always join in the party by leaving your room. Also, my resident tutor told me that people who write that they are studious and hardworking are put together in Cryfield 3 (at least for this year), so do take time to consider what you write for your short statement in the accommodation application. Feel free to ask me, Dominic or Melson anything about Cryfield. We each lived in a different block, so we could probably give you a perspective on each one of them.
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Jack Martin Review 1 - By Li Caijia (Economics, Politics and International Studies) Shared Facilities Kitchen: Two stoves and ovens shared amongst 10-12 people. Lift: If you are not as unlucky as me to get Jack Martin 2, your block will come with a lift, which makes moving out much easier. Room The room comes with a bed, small dressing table, study table, table lamp, drawer, wardrobe, shelves, radiator, bathroom that comes with a bathtub – basically everything that all residences have except the bathroom with the bathtub (only Jack Martin and Arthur Vick residences). The room is relatively spacious. As a gauge, there’s just enough space for you to do Pilates. Walls are extremely thin so if you’re speaking a little too loudly, your neighbour can definitely hear you. This applies to speaking loudly along the corridors as well. Your room and bathroom will be cleaned once every week. Toilet paper will be provided, so don’t bother bringing any. If you have any maintenance issues, help will be rendered pretty quickly. For example, I had some clogging issue with the sink and without even reporting it, the lady who cleans my room got the maintenance man to fix it for me within the week. Then again, this depends on how nice your cleaner is. Location I consider Jack Martin to be relatively near everything. It is about 3 minutes’ walk to Costcutter (a small supermarket on campus), 6 minutes’ walk to the library and about 10 to 12 minutes’ walk to the Maths & Stats Building, which is about the furthest building you will have to go for lectures. The University House and the Post Room will take you about 20 to 30 minutes’ walk respectively, as they are not located on main campus. Flatmates and environment As Jack Martin offers only a 30 week lease, most of the people that are staying here are locals who can pack and move their things back home easily. In my case, I’m the only Asian staying in my kitchen group of 12 people. They are all really friendly, though they might get a little noisy from time to time, especially during the weekends when they are partying and drinking. Overall I enjoyed my stay in Jack Martin and am honestly quite sad to be leaving this place. I strongly encourage everyone to stay here, but that is only if you do not mind the hassle of packing and unpacking every term. If not for that, there is no other gripe about Jack Martin to discourage one from staying here (unless you get really irritating neighbours who steal your food).
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Review 2 - By Natalie Soh (Law) Facilities Kitchen JM has amazing kitchens as well, its renovated and super lovely. But then again all kitchens get pretty gross after a while but at least it’s nice after it gets cleaned on Mondays. It’s also a rather quiet environment, but this again depends on the type of people you live with. My block is generally quiet I usually only hear drunk people screaming during the weekends. Launderette I feel the need to reveal the only downside to it though. JM doesn't have its own launderette. :'( We share it with Rootes and Whitefields and considering that there are almost a thousand people living in old and new rootes, it can sometimes be quite a wait for the launderettes during the weekends. It’s also a bit of a walk if you stay at JM 2 or 3 since its located like in the middle of old and new rootes. And also, the main launderette breaks down ALL the time, I've gone days without being able to do my laundry. No worries though I'm sure warwick accommodation will do something about their lousy washing machines soon and you can always hop over to AV or Bluebell to wash your things if you have nice friends. And don't worry about the walk; a bit of exercise never hurt anyone. Room The rooms at JM are really spacious, enough to do one full cart wheel and dance around when you are high (: The desk is also pretty big and nice and there is a chest of four drawers in addition to the cupboard to keep your things. The best part is the ensuite bathroooom! Makes a real difference really! And here's one of my favourite quotes from Sylvia Plath, "There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them". JM for the win! You won't regret it (: It’s not as expensive as Bluebell or as spacious as AV and the location is better. :D Location JM is honestly one of the best accommodations one can get on campus. It has a great location, barely 5 minutes to the SU and the sports centre and costcutter, and is about 7 minutes to the library and lecture halls.
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New Rootes Review 1 - By Hong Siang Huat (Psychology) Facilities Toilets are shared with about 10 others but I never had to queue for showers. There are 2 showers and 2 toilets. Laundry is pretty convenient as the launderette is just 1 or 2 mins away. Rent is about 76 pounds per week so it’s pretty decent for what you get. Kitchen is shared with about 16 others and it can get a bit crowded during peak hours. However there are enough hobs (8) and ovens (2). There are also 2 fridges and 2 freezers with decent space for everybody. The sucky thing is that we only have a basin so washing up can be an issue. Location New Rootes is about 5 minutes away from the library and main campus, 10-15 mins away from Tesco and 10 mins away from the sports centre. The room size is pretty decent and surrounding environment can be a bit noisy at night if your block is facing the Student Union as there are parties there a few nights per week. However, it is typically not excessive to the point that I can’t sleep. Other than that, it’s generally quite peaceful. Flatmates Just my own point of view, it sounds cliché but it’s really the company (the flatmates you have) that defines your boarding experience. I have untidy flatmates who don’t wash up after themselves but i also have kind ones who go out of their way to tidy things up. I get along really well with my flatmates and they did play a large part in helping me to settle down. So, on top of looking at the nitty gritty details, number of showers, etc., they won’t matter as much as keeping an open mind and interacting with your flatmates in the future. Review 2 - By Natalie Soh (Law) New Rootes is honestly, very very value for money. It is one of the cheapest accomodations on campus, and boosts a superb location of barely 2 minutes to the Student Union and Costcutter and 5 minutes to lecture halls and the library. Room It has everything one can need in a room, a large desk, a cupboard etc. It does not come along with an ensuite bathroom but it has its own sink which comes in very handy (you can brush your teeth and wash your face and pour water into your water jug and kettle). Unfortunately, the side of the Rootes buildings facing Bluebell does not come along with a bedside desk and the kitchens have not been renovated. Kitchen My kitchen was rather disgusting and fridge space was severely limited. It’s a matter of chance whether or not you end up on the renovated side! Showering Facilities and Toilets Also, don't worry about the shared toilets, there are two toilets and one shower and one bath. I never had to wait very long to use the bathroom or the loo but toilet paper does tend to run out by midweek :( Rootes can be summed up as simply value for money. That’s about it; it’s cheap, it has a good location and the rooms are of a good size. It’s nothing compared to the en-suite options on campus but you really get a bang for your buck! Page | 9
Old Rootes Review 1 - By Phuah Kia Liang (Economics, Politics and International Studies) Facilities The liveliness of Old Rootes comes about due to a large number of residents, of which its effects can be felt in the kitchen when I often found myself having to wait to cook since there can easily be up to 4 people trying to cook over one stove at a time. I did not have to wait to use the toilets and showers though. Flatmates and Environment Along with Old Rootes’ reputation of being the party hall comes an unchallenged leadership in the number of fire alarms experienced by its residents. I had lost count of the number of times the alarm went off in my block over the year, but it’s definitely no less than 40, sometimes with multiple alarms within the same night. Its close location to central campus also means the music from the Terrace Bar and Copper Rooms (club) can be heard from some rooms. Overall Old Rootes is a lively place; it’s filled with people and things going on. You get a good mix of all kinds of people from around the world, most of whom are generally friendly. Staying in Rootes comes with a number of conveniences, such as no need to move out during the holidays, a short walk to most of the key places in central campus and having a sink in the room is a greatly appreciated perk too. Overall, Old Rootes is a comfortable place to live in, and your hall experience can be interesting and memorable. You have to be open to staying around an active and fun-loving crowd, so if you place a great emphasis on private peace and quiet then I would not recommend you to choose Rootes. That being said, if you do engage with the other students staying around you, Old Rootes can promise you a highly entertaining and exciting first year. Review 2 - By Joanne Loo (English Literature) Facilities Showering Facilities & Toilets There are 2 showers and 2 bathrooms shared amongst the 16 of us in the flat. Doesn’t sound a lot, but they’re really adequate, I’ve never really had to wait to shower. I feel that the showers are rather small, even for a normalsized Asian girl like me; there’s just enough room to turn without scraping the walls. The bathrooms are much more spacious and are most of the time clean enough to shower in, although occasionally the bath tubs look a bit dodgy because people do things like soak their vomit-filled towels in there. We also share three toilets that are not attached to the showering facilities. I’ve also never had to wait to use the toilet, although the toilets do run out of toilet paper on quite a regular basis. That really depends on your cleaner though because they’re the ones who replenish the toilet paper.
Kitchen Shared amongst 16 people, the kitchen can get crowded during meal times, especially the cooking area, which is separate from the dining area. We have 1 microwave, 2 ovens and 2 stoves to share, which is better than some other blocks, which only have 1 oven and 1 stove. Even so, it is rather difficult to cook with more than 4 people in the cooking area at one time. As for storage space, the 2 fridges and 2 freezers we share can often get crowded Page | 10
especially after grocery shopping. Some flats are really organized in allocating fridge space to each person, but not so for my flat, so sometimes people take up the space that you usually use and you just have to find a way to squeeze everything in or borrow someone else’s space. At its worst, I had only half a shelf of fridge space to keep my food; because of the lack of space, I keep whatever food I can in my room or kitchen cupboards. Most of the time, my food doesn’t get stolen though, which happens in some other flats. It helps to label your food and utensils because you often end up buying the same thing as someone else, and sometimes things can get taken accidentally. The amount of kitchen cupboard space you get to keep your pots, pans and utensils are dependent on how fast you are in claiming cupboards; I think there’s sufficient space to go around for everyone if it were split evenly, but most of the time, some flatmates will take up extra space, leaving less for you if you’re too slow in claiming space. My main gripe about the Rootes kitchens is how dirty they tend to be. With the most people sharing one kitchen amongst all the accommodations, pots, pans and dirty dishes pile up really quickly. Although the cleaner does a good job of cleaning the kitchen 3 times a week, messy flatmates can rapidly dirty and clutter a clean kitchen. Room Room space is generally adequate; it’s bigger than most Tocil and Cryfield rooms but slightly smaller than the bigger rooms in Arthur Vick and Jack Martin. I also got a corner room facing Cryfield, which made it feel slightly bigger than the usual rooms and gave me a really nice view. The sink in the room is one of the most useful and convenient things to have for a non en suite room. The walls are rather thin so you can hear when your flatmates are talking loudly and vice versa, but that’s also true for most residences. Location Rootes is just behind the SU, which is good because it’s very near Costcutters and ATMs, but it also means that it can get rather noisy on party nights, especially for the blocks that are very near the SU. It is 7-10 min walk to the Library and most lecture halls and seminar rooms and 15-20 min walk to Tesco, which is reasonable. Flatmates and Environment Being in a corridor-style hall, you can choose to interact with your flatmates or avoid them like the plague. We have quite a good mix of nationalities, with about half of my 16 flatmates being British while the rest of us are from various countries all over the world. Although I’m not close to my flatmates, most of them are quite friendly and not too difficult to live with. Rootes is traditionally reputed to be the party dorm, and can get rather noisy at times, whether from drunken flatmates yelling and banging on doors or from the frequent fire alarms. Overall Considering the relatively low rent we pay, Rootes is not too shabby and definitely a livable place, once you keep an open mind and get used to its quirks and your neighbours. However, it wouldn’t be the first accommodation I would recommend and if you really need private space in the kitchen, as well as peace and quiet to study and sleep, Rootes is not the best place to be in.
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Westwood Review 1 - By Huang Zi (Economics, Politics and International Studies) Facilities It’s about 18-24 people to a kitchen that can only comfortably fit about 15 people at most, so it’ll be a mad scramble for fridge space from Day 1, and almost impossible to cook during mealtimes.The massive overcrowding in the kitchen and the distance from main campus really made life rather unbearable. Westwood has the biggest rooms on campus (although if you’re really unlucky, you might get a room that’s about the size of a room at Rootes, or half the size of an average Westwood room). Location Ah, Westwood, the campus accommodation so far away from campus that a lot of people actually see it as an offcampus accommodation. If you’re willing to spend a ridiculous amount of time walking to and fro from campus every day (unless you have all your classes in the Math & Stats Building), then Westwood might not be such a bad choice after all. Because of its distance away from everything else on campus, you will come to know your flatmates very well, since there really isn’t anyone else to talk to this side of campus. Tesco is also relatively near (although not as near as most people think it is), while the post room is in Westwood, so it’ll be a breeze if you do a lot of online shopping and need to collect loads of parcels. Review 2 - By Ho Sheng Yi (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Facilities The student-kitchen ratio is 18-24: 1, which means it can get super messy in the kitchen, and you can easily lose your stuff. It is significantly messy and cramped when everyone is cooking at the same time. Location The two good things about Westwood is its proximity to Tesco for shopping, and the fact that the post room is situated right in the middle of it. If you’re one to abuse online shopping for large items having the post room near is a big deal. Also, if you stay in Westwood, cooking lunch is sometimes not viable as it means having to walk all the way back to your hall, so you will probably eat out more on campus, incurring higher costs. Flatmates and Environment You may be attracted by the price, but you’re better off taking Whitefields or Rootes as options. It can be lively with the large number of people, but you can also find liveliness in other halls like Rootes, Arthur Vick or Jack Martin. Bear in mind that however “lively” a hall is reputed to be, it depends on your luck and on who you get as flatmates or corridor-mates in whatever hall you end up in. This is just a general trend. Overall Avoid Westwood! It’s essentially the same as Rootes but far away. I would STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you do NOT put Westwood as ANY of your 6 choices at all. I was in Westwood for Terms 1 and 2 and moved to Bluebell in term 3. The change in convenience is amazing. It takes 15 minutes to walk quickly from Westwood to the centre of campus, and even longer to walk to other halls, if you want to meet friends for meals/work or to pass them stuff. Page | 12
Whitefields By Leong Shi Wei (Economics) Facilities Whitefields is basically a bunch of 2-storey cottages located around a triangular patch of grass. Each cottage houses 12 people (except for houses with resident tutors, which only house 9 students) with 6 rooms on each floor. I guess the low price comes with a price after all because some flats are in deplorable conditions with paint peeling off the walls, cracked ceilings and old facilities which I think sometimes it is even unethical for the University to let this accommodation out. For example, there were leakages from the bathroom on the second floor, which resulted in several repairs from the maintenance team. At one point of time both bathrooms were out of order so we couldn’t shower at all. You will get used to it eventually and it really wasn’t much of a trouble on hindsight BUT Whitefields really isn’t for the faint-hearted. Showering Facilities and Toilet: Every house has a toilet on each floor, with a shower stall on the ground floor and a bathtub and showerhead upstairs. Kitchen & Common Room: There’s also a common room and a kitchen equipped with stove, grill, oven, microwave, fridges and cupboards. The common areas and toilets are cleaned thrice a week, and a vacuum cleaner is readily available for you use. Location In my opinion Whitefields has the best location on campus, it is a stone’s throw away to the SU and Costcutters, with the Sports Centre, Arts Centre and the usual lecture venues all within 7-8 minutes’ walking distance (no exaggeration). You will come to appreciate and love the convenience that Whitefields offers. However, being so centrally located on campus, it can get quite noisy sometimes during the clubbing nights especially if you get allocated to the flats that are located near the Copper Rooms, which some of the Singaporeans got. My flat is far enough away, so it’s really quiet and conducive for revision (you can try to request for a quiet flat in the writeup!) Flatmates and environment I chose Whitefields because it offers a flat system rather than a hall arrangement, which brings about a closer-knit community than corridor-based accommodation. This allows you to interact and get to know your flatmates better. Basically it really feels a family living together in a house, and you see everyone every day. Also because it is a 37week let accommodation, there are relatively few Asians and majority of the students are Brits so it provides you with an opportunity to experience life as a local. I’ve had so much fun with my flatmates, cooking together, going out for drinks etc. and I know I wouldn’t have had such an incentive to know my flatmates better if not for me staying in Whitefields. Also, as each flat has their own fire alarm system, fire alarms are extremely rare at Whitefields compared to other accommodations where the fire alarm triggers the entire block (ask your seniors from Rootes – they get at least 2 a week). Cost Whitefields is the 2nd cheapest accommodation choice at 70+GBP per month. I saved quite a bit due to accommodation and I channeled this surplus to travelling which was a higher priority for me.
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Arthur Vick (AV)
Benefactors (BH)
Bluebell (BB)
Claycroft (CC)
Cryfield (CH)
Heronbank (HB)
Jack Martin (JM)
Lakeside (LS)
Redfern (RE)
Rootes (RR)
Sherbourne (SH)
Tocil (TO)
Westwood (WW)
Whitefields (WF)
Facilities summary (accurate for 2012/2013 academic year)
Price per week £
135
97/ 117
150
108
78
121
131
124
84
89
117
95
89
79
Number of rooms
396
70
505
679
258
701
425
596
216
923
527
574
460
195
First year undergraduate
Final year undergraduate
Postgraduate
30 week let
39 week let
50 week let
Flats
Corridors
Some twin rooms
Single sex areas
Residential staff
Services
AV
BH
Integral launderette
Communal areas cleaned
Network port
BB
CC
CH
HB
JM
LS
RE
RR
TO
WW
WF
Phone in room
Communal phone
Bathroom facilities
AV
BH
CC
CH
HB
JM
LS
RE
RR
TO
WW
WF
En suite
Number to bathroom
1
1& 2
1
2
6
1
1
1
5
6
1
4
6
6
Washbasin in room
Bath
Bath with shower over it
Shower
Toilet
AV
BH
CC
CH
HB
JM
LS
RE
RR
TO
WW
WF
BB
BB
SH
SH
SH
Kitchen Facilities
AV
BH
Self-catered
Catered
Number to kitchen
914
2224
Cooker
Microwave
BB
CC
CH
HB
JM
LS
RE
RR
TO
WW
WF
8
8
1016
8
1113
8
5
1219
913
612
1826
912
Fridge / Freezer
Toaster
Kettle
Ironing board
Bedroom facilities
AV
BH
CC
CH
HB
JM
LS
RE
RR
SH
TO
WW
WF
Bed
Pillow
Linen
Duvet
Blankets
Desk
Chair
Bookshelf
Wardrobe
Wastepaper bin
Average room size in metres
5.0 x 3.0
4.9 x 2.9
3.5 x 4.4
3.9 x 2.5
3.75 x 2.3
4.3 x 3.8
5.0 x 2.84
4.3 x 3.8
3.8 x 2.35
4.5 x 2.9
4.7 x 2.7
3.4 x 2.45
4.9 x 2.9
4.0 x 2.35
AV
BH
BB
CC
CH
HB
JM
LS
RE
RR
SH
TO
WW
WF
BB
SH
The description above is intended to provide a general overview of the residence’s facilities, there may be minor variations in some areas