Accommodation at University of Warwick
Accommodation at University of Warwick
All first years at the University of Warwick have to live in one of the 13 on-campus student accommodation halls. This can be extremely nice as it lets everyone fully experience life at a campus university. For those who want to occasionally leave the “campus bubble,” the nearest cities are Leamington Spa and Coventry, about 30 minutes away by bus. This is also where most second- and third-year students live. For those looking for a more serious getaway, London is 1.5 hours away by train, and a cool weekend trip!
One of the reasons for why I chose Warwick was that I knew I wanted to study at a campus university, to fully experience the community feeling and enjoy being a student without feeling overwhelmed. Campus universities are where all students and facilities are based on one site; they differ from universities where campuses, facilities and students are spread out across a city.
After one year, I know that studying at a campus university was the right choice for me, because it truly matched my preferences. I’d encourage anyone to reflect upon their personality and consider whether a campus university sounds exciting to you. To help you here, I tried to capture the essence of what living on campus was like for me. I also give a brief overview of what different accommodations options there are, but I’d encourage you to have a look at the Warwick website to find more detailed descriptions!
The proximity of everything
One of the biggest perks of living on campus is how little time we have to spend on commute, which so many people tend to dread. From my accommodation hall, called Arthur Vick, it took me no more than fifteen minutes walking to get to any lecture or seminar (sometimes five!). This meant that I could easily return to my hall to prepare lunch, pack something I’d forgotten, rest, or study. Such freedom of movement saves a lot of time, effort, and money! Since all first years live on campus, some of my best friends ended up living minutes away from me. This meant that socializing was easier, since there were fewer barriers to meeting up. Moreover, it could also lead to a safer environment. If ever need be, I knew I could return home from a night out late alone (though of course never recommended), because of how close the campus bars and clubs were to my accommodation. Hence, the proximity of everything at a campus university made every aspect of my student life more comfortable.
Nature
Warwick is surrounded by nature, and the campus itself is very green. In the spring, the campus grounds are laced with beautiful daffodils, crocuses, and other flowers, which is always a very nice touch! My accommodation hall, Arthur Vick, is surrounded by green areas, and the large windows overlook a forest-like scenery. In the early morning, I loved the peace and quiet of being in the spacious kitchen, with birds singing among the trees outside.
After heavy rainfall, geese living near a nearby lake would venture out further into the campus, and we would pass them on our way to the lectures. Having to pass a few large geese can make anyone smile on a cloudy day! On the days when I left my accommodation before sunrise, I could even sometimes see bunnies hopping on the grass fields around Arthur Vick, which truly felt magical! I loved the proximity of nature and occasional glimpses of wildlife — it was very calming and made the busy student life a bit less hectic.
Having said that, Warwick is by no means a retirement home — central campus is still bustling, and everyone around is under 25, which contributes to this amazing energy in the air. At the centre of the university you can find the Students’ Union, a few bars, cafes, and a club. We also have a very active arts centre, which attracts visitors from the outside of university as well (the only reason why we can sometimes see children and the elderly around!).
Different accommodation halls
One of the best things about Warwick accommodations is the diversity of offerings. Prices range from 77 pounds per week up to 198, so there is something for every budget. In general, the cost of living at Warwick tends to be significantly cheaper than living in London, and many of my friends sigh with jealousy when they hear about how much better the standard of living is at Warwick for the price they pay in London. The accommodation halls can be ensuite (meaning that everyone has their own bathroom), or not. This is also something to consider, as having a shared bathroom lowers the cost. As is standard in UK universities, most rooms only have a single-occupant; unless you specifically ask for otherwise.
Even though everyone lives on campus, which is not in itself huge, location is still an important factor to consider. This is especially true for bio-med students, who have most of their lectures in Gibbet Hill campus, further away from the rest. Hence, living 15 minutes away from the central campus in the wrong direction could mean having to walk for 40 minutes to get there (in such case, a great life hack would be to get a bike). Moreover, another unexpected factor to consider is how far away the residence is from key grocery stores. Just find “Cannon Park” (where you can find Tesco, Aldi, and Iceland) on Google Maps, and then check the walking distance to a chosen residence. This is because we all need to eat, and walking the extra 10 minutes while carrying heavy groceries is more straining than it sounds! In truth, it’s a bit of a work-out.
Another factor to consider is how many flatmates you’ll have to share the kitchen space with. Here, however, not much can be predicted — a lot depends not necessarily on the number, but more on the people you end up living with. In order to maximize the likelihood of flatmates getting along, Warwick asks everyone to fill out a survey before allocating people, where you answer questions about your lifestyle preferences etc. Answer honestly and take it seriously, since this system can work wonders. For example, a lot of my flatmates became great friends.
Moving In
Regardless of which accommodation you end up choosing, remember that you can always make it feel more like home. During my Freshers week, a society organized a trip to IKEA so that we all could all get some additional supplies. During this trip I bought a few plants, an evening bed-side lamp, a reading light, and other things that made my room much more cozy. I also made a few amazing friends along the way! Even if your room doesn’t amaze you at first impression, small changes can go a long way.
All of the accommodation halls at Warwick are self-catered, meaning that all students have to cook for themselves — unless you rely on ready-make meals and pubs, which is not sustainable for most! However, managing grocery shopping and cooking for yourself is a great step to becoming a true adult, and can be fun too! For example, flatmates cook and have meals together.
I hope that this gives you a good overview of what living on campus can be like, and that you know the factors to consider when choosing the right accommodation hall for you. Having said that, I’ve visited all of them and can honestly say that at the end of the day, no matter where you end up living, you’ll still have the chance to bond with some cool fellow freshers out there! Living in student accommodation is a truly exciting time that comes with some challenges but will leave you with unforgettable memories.