Accommodation at University of Edinburgh
Accommodation at University of Edinburgh
- By Sandhya Narayan
Starting university can often feel like an exciting but equally nerve-wracking process. Alongside the worries of finding new friends and settling into a new city, accommodation was a big concern for me as I was thinking about moving to Edinburgh.
There are a variety of considerations to bear in mind when deciding which accommodation option to go for. Before, jumping into each of these options, here are some more general things that are important to consider when deciding where to live in Edinburgh.
Location:
Depending on the course you are studying, the location of your classes will vary significantly. The central campus (where many of the humanities subjects are located) are also where a lot of extracurricular activities and the Student Union are placed. The central campus is also a 15-minute walk from the centre of Edinburgh, where you can find all the main high street shops and entertainment activities. There is a shuttle bus available from the central campus to the King's campus which is where the STEM subjects are located. As a small city, most of Edinburgh is actually walkable, however the walk from Central Campus (George Square) to Kings can take about an hour, so be prepared to consider cycling or taking the bus. The medical school and veterinary medicine schools are also in different places through the city so do some research into where your teaching will be primarily based before picking your accommodation choices. Certain accommodation options may be much further from the centre of the city which may make it more difficult to access some extracurricular activities. Sports activities are also located in different areas so if this is something you think you will be heavily involved in then you may also want to consider proximity to the gym or sports facilities.
Postgraduate: There may be certain accommodations which are just reserved for students undertaking postgraduate studies. Many postgraduate students also decide to live in private accommodation.
Fit: Different accommodation options will be suited to different people dependent on your expectations, past experiences and what they're looking for in your accommodation. The descriptions below go into some thoughts and experiences from different students at the University of Edinburgh and may vary between dependent on personal experiences.
In general, there are 3 key different options for accommodation at Edinburgh:
University of Edinburgh Accommodation
Private Student Accommodation
Private Housing
(1) University of Edinburgh Accommodation
In general, bills and WiFi are included in all accommodation. There may be variation in laundry facilities so this is worth looking into depending on the specific accommodation.
Before making decisions, it may also be worth looking into the arrangements surrounding communal areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and common spaces. There may be some en-suite options in which your room may have a bathroom attached to it. Some accommodation may also have an additional work or study space where you can hang out with friends, socialise or complete work.
Catered: University of Edinburgh Accommodation has a choice between catered and self-catered accommodation. All the catered accommodation is located together in a set of accommodation called 'Pollock Halls'. Typically, this accommodation option is slightly more expensive than self-catered accommodation but the price will also include food expenses. As well as the benefits of not needing to cook your meals, many of those living in Pollock Halls enjoy the atmosphere due to the community aspect and the ease of making friendships.
When applying to accommodation, you will get to rank 5 of your preferences. Don't worry too much about this! I didn't actually end up getting any of my top preferences but still had an amazing experience living in my first-year accommodation.
Living in university accommodation, especially in your first year at university is a very unique experience and a wonderful way to meet a number of different people from a variety of different backgrounds and areas of study. I lived in self-catered accommodation halfway between George Square (central campus) and King's (where I had my lectures) so this allowed me to walk to all my classes and extracurricular activities (as well as using the bus on occasion). I got the chance to meet some of my closest friends and course mates through my accommodation and I had a great time living in university halls.
(2) Private Student Accommodation
There are a variety of different private student accommodation options through Edinburgh. This option can be particularly useful if you have made a more last-minute decision to come to Edinburgh, which may make it more difficult to secure University of Edinburgh housing.
Sometimes private student accommodation may be a more expensive option, as some of these accommodation options come with other perks that may not be available in Edinburgh University Accommodation. This varies a lot between different accommodation units. Private accommodation options may also have larger common room spaces, bigger rooms as well as including other services such as more study facilities, additional security systems or sometimes even a free breakfast.
Common private student housing companies in Edinburgh include: Printworks, IQ and Vista.
(3) Private Housing
Typically this option is chosen by those who are in their 2nd year of study or above as well as those who are postgraduate students. I live in private student housing now. There are a variety of different estate agents and student properties to rent in different areas of Edinburgh. A popular area for students to live is the Newington or Marchmont areas. Both regions have a mixture of resident and student populations. You can live with friends if you already know others studying at Edinburgh or there are often online housing groups which may help you find other flatmates to live with.
There is a great variety in housing options through Edinburgh and you will most definitely be able to identify some accommodation that suits your expectations and the price range you are looking for. The best website to find out more is https://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/for-students/ which also features the different University of Edinburgh Accommodation options as well as some FAQs answered by the ResLife team and by other current students.
Hopefully this post is useful to get thinking about accommodation at Edinburgh. Below are some photos of some of beautiful sights to see, which are right on your doorstep, wherever you live in Edinburgh! Best of Luck!!