Choosing my first year accommodation

Undergraduate student Goraav shares his experience of choosing his first-year accommodation at the University of Warwick.

A couple of months prior to joining Warwick Business School, I started exploring ‘Life at Warwick’. After watching countless hours of testimonials filmed by Warwick alumni, I decided to make a plan of how I was willing to spend my first year at university. In particular, I conducted in-depth research regarding facilities, such as the Sports and Wellness Hub, and the WBS building. Alternatively, I researched existing nightlife and entertainment activities available for Warwick students. Yet, a stand-out factor in kicking off my first-year was planning my first-year accommodation.

A week prior to anticipating my IBDP results which would confirm my acceptance to Warwick, I began taking notes of potential accommodations. At first, I started listing accommodations suited to my personality traits. After watching a few YouTube vlogs by Warwick students, I was fascinated to understand the changes in student lifestyle at each accommodation. As an extrovert who often relishes conversing with individuals from multiple cultures, I believed I wanted to reside within a livelier setting, such as Rootes. However, as I conducted further research, I began visualising certain struggles I would face in setting my daily routine. Having been at Rootes, I would have largely spent several late nights socialising with students at residence halls. Moreover, I was hesitant about sharing a bathroom with multiple flatmates, whilst preferring to live within an ensuite.

Soon after, I began exploring ensuite residence halls at Warwick. Whilst I had now decided I wanted to reside in a room with an ensuite, I realised the downside of spending a larger rent per week. Initially, I listed the accommodations from lowest- to highest price. Concurrently, I filtered residences centered on popular amenities at university. After having briefly researched accommodations, I debated which accommodations would best be suited to my personality traits and first-year plans. Eventually, I ended up narrowing my options to Bluebell, Jack Martin, and Sherbourne. Now that I narrowed my final-three accommodation options, I decided to conduct in-depth research on each residence hall to build my optimal list. I started off exploring Sherbourne as it was the lowest priced among the three options.

As I began looking at Sherbourne, I was captivated by the size of the kitchen. Having the opportunity to share a large kitchen amongst 12 flatmates would entice memorable experiences as our flat could host lively gatherings. I was also impressed by the room. Although, it was only a single bed, having looked at the pictures, I was enlightened by the décor and ambience surrounding the room. Moreover, speaking to a couple of Warwick alumni, I heard positive experiences about their experience at Sherbourne. Yet, I was hesitant about the location of the accommodation. Having been located at lakeside, a relatively quieter area, I felt I was too far away from the buzz of central campus. Furthermore, I believed I would have to leave at an earlier time to reach my classes at university.

Next, I decided to discover Jack Martin. As I was researching the accommodation, I was fascinated by the location of the residence halls. Having a more natural view was an exciting factor. Meanwhile, I was pleased with the room and kitchens. As I spoke to several students living in Jack Martin, I realised diverse students who lived there shared enthralling experiences in the past. Being an extrovert, I believed this place was perfect for me. However, I felt slightly anxious about the 35-week let policy choosing the accommodation. Secondly, I felt the residence halls were slightly secluded from central campus. Eventually, I decided to explore Bluebell. As I researched the accommodation, I was ecstatic about the location of the residences. Moreover, I was also happy with the double bed available in the rooms. However, the only downside was paying a much larger fee. Regardless, I was glad to have concluded Bluebell as my first-choice accommodation.

Although choosing my first-year accommodation was a long process, it was exciting to visualise campus accommodations at Warwick. Having completed this process again, I would certainly have started exploring my choices at a much earlier date.

If you would like to know more about student accommodation at Warwick, you can find out more on the Warwick Accommodation website.