Hey guys and welcome to my blog! My names Rahul and I’m currently a 2nd year medical student at Kings. In this blog I’ll give my top tips about accommodation to those of you currently thinking about moving out.
First I’m going to go through some of the KCL student accommodation situated around Guys and Waterloo campuses. Before I begin I must emphasise for you to visit each and every accommodation so you can really can a feel of the area and if you want to live there.
On top of my list is Great Dover Street Apartments (GDS), which is where I lived in first year. Being a 5-minute walk from Guy’s campus it’s great for anyone studying a science subject and its price range is on the low end compared to other KCL accommodations. I found that there was a great communal atmosphere here and a lot of medics (given how close it is to Guy’s!). The bathrooms do take a bit of getting used to and it’s not as ‘posh’ compared to the more expensive accommodation available.
Then there’s Moonraker Point; One of the most expensive accommodation options, it is around a 10-minute walk from Guy’s campus making it quite convenient. The accommodation is quite posh and cosy compared to others but there’s a little less community spirit as the flat sizes are definitely smaller.
Wolfson House is by far the most convenient if you are a medic or dentist or generally at Guy’s campus. Situated right behind Guy’s Hospital you will never have to worry about waking up too early for that 9 am lecture. Unlike other accommodation, it has shared toilets between around 4-5 people which may take a bit of getting used to, and unfortunately a relatively small kitchen size. However, the cost being the lowest and the great sense of community makes it attractive.
Stamford Street is opposite from Waterloo campus making its inhabitants the envy of anyone studying there e.g. Pharmacy and Nutrition students. Similar to GDS in terms of price and atmosphere it is definitely one to keep on the radar if you are based at Waterloo.
A bit further out than most, Julian Markham also offers a great accommodation at a slightly high (but lower than Moonraker Point) price range. Being a cosy accommodation and relatively close to university with great transport links, I’ve heard endless people rave about it.
Lastly if you are a postgraduate student and looking to avoid all the freshers I would recommend looking at Orchard Lisle and Iris Brook. Situated at Guy’s campus this is a great modern accommodation that I would recommend to any post-grad looking to start their year at KCL.
Is University Accommodation For You?
Taking a step back I think I should discuss whether you should or should not live out (living in university accommodation) for anyone who can commute. Honestly, this depends on you and your situation at home but I’ll give a few pieces of advice to anyone. Being from London myself, and living at home during my 2nd year, I found living our in my first year a great experience. Not needing to commute into university was a blessing as I avoided around 2-3 hours of commuting a day plus I got to enjoy time with my new friends and form close connections. On top, living in a flat full of people studying various degrees and from various part of the world (4 countries between the 8 of us) I formed friendships that would never have been made if I lived at home. This is especially good for those studying vocational courses e.g. medicine which makes it a lot harder to meet people outside your course. It also gives you a sense of independence and freedom which I definitely miss, whilst teaching you key skills on how to live with others and to do things yourself e.g. cooking. I’m not saying that none of this can be achieved by living at home but I do think living out is a key experience you should take if you can. Living at home does have its benefits, not needing to worry about food or cleaning is a massive plus, and not having to clean up after messy flatmates is a bonus. There are many ways to be social whilst living at home via societies and a ‘commuters club’ to meet fellow commuters (and complain about the central line).
On top, nothing beats the comfort of staying at home and the relief that you have saved a huge amount of money by choosing to do so. For some home is a comfort zone that understandably they would never want to leave, for others living out is an exciting and new time for them. Whichever option you choose I hope this has given a bit of an insight into it.
Meeting People
An issue a lot of people encounter when coming to university is a sense of isolation when they first start. This is very common and nothing to be ashamed about and there are loads of things you can do to combat this. Societies are a great way to meet new people and keep busy so I would definitely recommend joining a few and seeing how they go. Try to connect with your course mates and flatmates when you start and spend some time going out and exploring London together. This also plays into my next point which is keep on top of your work but don’t let it dominate your life! Make sure you have fun and make an effort to meet people and hopefully this will lead to some great friendships. If you are staying in university accommodation there will also be regular events run by them which you can attend to meet people living with you. To round it up there are lots of events and societies to join to keep yourself busy and meet new people. Lastly home isn’t too far away either, London is a very connected city and chances are you can go to see your family over the weekend if you want to!
To end this blog, I would like to talk about living in student accommodation. A major aspect of student life is shopping and cooking. For those living in the accommodation mentioned earlier there are lots of supermarkets e.g. Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, for a large and cheap shopping trip. I would strongly recommend cooking and not ordering takeaway every day as it is so much healthier and cheaper for you. There are loads of good recipes online so really no excuse to cook and try to impress your flatmates with your skills. With this comes cleaning. The dread of every student but key if you want to be on good terms with the people living with you. I would suggest keeping some sort of rota at first to make sure everyone pulls their weight. Try to also be respectful of everyone in the flat, no-one wants a loud messy flatmate. Conversely if you have flatmates like that make sure you have a conversation with them about that so it doesn’t disturb you.
To conclude living at accommodation is an exciting time for many and hopefully by reading this blog you have a better idea of how to navigate it! I would recommend going onto the King’s Accommodation website if you have any other questions, and good luck for the coming year!