Post contributed by Rev K. He is a postgraduate student at King’s, studying Population Health and Environmental Sciences. 

Life in Wolfson House

Found in the shadow of the Shard, this central London accommodation provides an affordable living place with intimate access to the city centre. Found within a stone’s throw of the transport hub that is London Bridge Station, there is excellent access to the London transport network and the delights of the rest of the city.

The close proximity to Guy’s Campus and Greenwood Lecture theatre, both within a couple of minutes’ walk of the front door, ensures that even late sleepers can easily make it their lectures in time, while lectures at Strand or Waterloo are never more than half an hour away. With the Kings Gym (London Bridge) also nearby, with a running BeActive program (free for Halls!) offering sessions both at the accommodation or in the vicinity, allowing you to get that couple of hours of exercise a week with the minimum of hassle.

Local Area

Locally, the site is within a very short distance of Borough High street and Markets, famed for their diverse and high-quality foodie experience, with more affordable student venues also available amongst them. Nearby, there is HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and many museums and theatres, ensuring that there’s always something to do or sights to see.

Despite being one of Kings’ older accommodations, Wolfson House has provided me with an unparalleled experience living in London, and the bar was high; having lived and studied in London for the past five years. There’s life in the old dog yet.

Post contributed by Natalie Phillips. Natalie is an undergraduate at King’s, studying Classics.

Great Dover Street Apartments – better known by its abbreviation GDSA – is without a doubt the best King’s residence. If you’re a medic or studying any course that means your lessons are primarily at Guy’s Campus, then it’s the best location. Walking to Guy’s will take you around 10 minutes, so you’ll be able to make all your lectures on time. Even if you’re based at Strand – which I am- then not only are you able to walk there in around 30 minutes or less but you also get to take in the sites. Walking across Waterloo bridge as the sun sets or on a sunny day – that’s an unbeatable view and the perks of being at King’s.

Great Dover Street Apartments

One of the great things about Great Dover Street is its location. GDSA is located in Borough, with the station being only a few minutes away it is really well connected. London Bridge station is also only a few minutes away so travelling around London has never been easier. Another perk is that Borough Market is also nearby, so if you ever fancy strolling through for delicious food or other amenities then you can do so with easy. It can get a little crowded at times, but that just goes to show how popular it is, and you wouldn’t want to miss out. Being so close to London Bridge, you also get the amazing view of The Shard. If you’re lucky (like me), you’ll be able to see The Shard from your room at GDSA. It isn’t difficult to find fun activities to do or new restaurant to try out with there being so much nearby.

GDSA Common Room

Staying at GDSA gives you free access to the onsite gym. Not only is that great, but you also get off-peak access to other King’s gyms located around London, such as the one at Waterloo. With great facilities available to you there’s no reason why you wouldn’t take advantage. You can easily organise your schedule to include a quick stop to the gym and enjoy the rest of your day. GDSA also has a common room that offers free printing to all its residents – which is really helpful if you didn’t bring a printer to your new halls. The common room also has two TVs and access to Netflix so you and a group of friends could hang out and enjoy watching all the latest shows available.

Post contributed by Bianca B. She is an undergraduate student at King’s, studying International Development.

Out of the residences available at King’s University of London, Wolfson House stands out through comfort, cosiness, and affordability. The residence also benefits from an ideal location, right across the street from London Bridge station and right next to Guy’s Campus. You can live comfortably and easily get where you want, all for a good price – seems like the perfect package. However, an essential part of living in student halls is the community and the people you meet. Throughout my stay at Wolfson House, both as a resident and as a Community Facilitator, I have come to realise the importance of this aspect and the key influence ResiLife has in improving it.

In Wolfson House, the reception, the manager’s office and the common room are all near each other, making it easy to communicate and maintain a good relationship with the staff. It goes without saying that everyone is very helpful but being able to talk daily with the staff truly creates a different atmosphere and makes you feel different about the place you live in; it makes you feel more ‘at home’. Kitchens are shared between either 13 or 5 people and it is quite easy in most cases to build beautiful friendships. The events held weekly and the special events organised on different holidays or different occasions are an amazing opportunity for students to get together and find an excuse to leave their rooms. In Wolfson House, Art Night is by far a favourite. The residents can either paint, make collages, or even practice calligraphy in different languages.

Although at first it may seem like a disadvantage, I believe the smaller, cosier common room available at Wolfson House is a better fit for the residence. Equipped with board games, books, a pool table, and a popcorn machine for relaxing movie nights, the charm of Wolfson House lies in the quiet and warm atmosphere. More than this, there are events organised outside of the building that the residents can attend, such as the Silent Disco that took place earlier in the year, meaning that the residents at Wolfson House can easily enjoy the best of both worlds, when the quiet gets a little too quiet. One of my favourite events was the Halloween Night. The atmosphere was friendly and happy, and we brought in a lot of ‘scary’ treats and lots of face paint. Everyone had fun creating their preferred designs and choosing the music for the night, laughing and chatting away in little groups.

Why Wolfson House? With its homey appeal and relaxed atmosphere, Wolfson House can be an ideal substitute for ‘home’. With events catered for everyone, there is no need to worry if you’re too shy to come up to your flatmates, as the cosy common room downstairs is the perfect excuse and will make it easier to bond – just give it a chance!