Post contributed by Tanya. She is an undergraduate student at King’s, studying Law.

Life in Atlas

Hi, I am Tanya, a second year Law LLB student. I was a Community Facilitator and a resident of Atlas. Atlas is one of the newest King’s accommodations for both undergraduates and postgraduates. It has been a jovial and dynamic experience living at Atlas. The residence is in the newly upcoming neighbourhood of Vauxhall and is five minutes away from the Victoria bus/ tube station. One of the perks of living in this area is its connectivity to central London and the university campuses. The building accommodates around five hundred students coming from different countries and backgrounds and enthusiastic to befriend people and make the most of the London attractions.

The management team and the people at the reception are very amiable and helpful. They are easy to approach and make an effort to know almost everyone in the residence. If you have any issues or queries they are the first post of call who can solve your problems efficiently! The other advantage of living at a King’s residence is the King’s ResiLife programme which at its core is aimed to facilitate the adjustment of students in university life, providing an inclusive and engaged community. There are student-led weekly events for all to enjoy, relieve stress and make new friends. There are excursions and trips to London attractions every Saturday. There are large residence wide events cater to the multitude of festivals of all cultures like Christmas, Eid, Holi, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Easter and the list goes on. What I found unique to Atlas was that it has its own swimming pool and gym with the services provided at a heavily discounted rate to King’s students. I’ll recommend everyone to make the most of it. There are various sessions in collaboration with King’s BeActive programme where you can take part in classes such as Yoga, Pilates etc. Atlas has some fantastically furnished communal places such as a study room with free printers, a common kitchen room for lavish dinners, pool tables and a media room just in case you don’t feel like going to a cinema. There are two-rooftops where we have hosted an induction and a year-end barbeque for all the residents. Atlas has great security and basic amenities such as cycle storage, laundry machines, and postage boxes.

Local Area

Atlas is not only a self-sufficient residence but is also situated in the best locality you could ask for. There is a Vauxhall park opposite the building where films are screened in the summer time, the Vauxhall comedy club, rock climbing facilities, and for someone like me who is interested in dancing, a ballet school as well. For all the art lovers, Tate Britain is just 10 minutes of walk away from the accommodation. Various other London attractions nearby are the MI6 building, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye, Winter Wonderland, and the Natural History museum- all within a reach of less than thirty minutes! Vauxhall has its own food market where students, residents and tourists enjoy spending quality time on a weekend. From various gourmet food restaurants to the classic Nando’s, the market has it all. For all the cricket fans, the renowned Oval stadium is a 10 mins on foot from the resident and this year was particularly buzzing because of the World Cup. To the surprise of all, there is a city farm amidst the hustle bustle of London and a great way to relax and ride horses. If you desire to have a riverside dinner, then Albert Embankment is a stone’s throw from the building with an attached dockside restaurant. Vauxhall is rightly situated for the students to enjoy not only what it has to offer, but also what the rest of the London has to offer!