Can’t decide where to live next year?
 
The Students Union knows how confusing it can be deciding where to live at University... so many options and such little time to decide!

So we have asked students to write about their experience of living in halls and what they really think to help you in your decision making! These people have been living there every day and night for the past year so they know their stuff!

Halls review

Quadrant hall by Waseem Hafiz

The best thing about living in Quadrant Hall is that it's close to the university, shopping centres, and railway station. The library, student's union and gym are about 15 minutes away by foot. Because the halls are catered, breakfast and dinner are served from Mondays to Fridays. You never have to worry about finding food for lunch or over the weekend because there are plenty of shops nearby. The kitchens don't have ovens or stoves, which means that meals would need to be heated using a microwave.  Although the showers are shared, there aren't any problems when taking turns to use them. The communal areas are cleaned on week days by the friendly staff. The rooms are a decent size and include all the essentials a student would need, from desks to sinks. There are approximately 100 residents, which mean’s that there is diversity, but also not too many people. The food varies from day to day with healthy and vegetarian options. The internet is average and can sometimes become slow. The attentive security officers work during the afternoon and through the night, which means that the halls are very safe. The post lockers for all residents are on the ground floor near the TV lounge, canteen, and laundry room. If any large parcels or letters are delivered, they usually have to be collected from Priory Hall.

20 Holyhead road by Chantelle Arrowsmith

20 Lower Holyhead Road is a big house with 20 bedrooms. There are two kitchens, one big kitchen (3 cookers, 3 fridges and 3 freezers), and a small kitchen (1 cooker, 1 fridge and 1 freezer), and a lot of cupboard space, all of the cupboards have locks on them. However, because there are so many people living in the same house the bigger kitchens tend to be quite messy, i.e. people leaving their washing in the sink etc, and not wiping the surfaces after they have used them. During the winter months the heating is always on, however you can control the heating in your own room, when the weather starts to warm up the heating is on for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours at night. The internet is of good quality for browsing etc, but not the best for watching videos online. The house is about a 10 minute walk from the university campus, and an even shorter walk from the town centre. Like all university accommodation you are allowed guests, overnight guests are allowed to stay for two nights only, and must be booked in, which can be done online, if guests are not staying overnight then they must leave by 11pm. There is a large communal area where housemates can go, which means the house can be quite social.

Lynden House by Matt Sturgess

The bedrooms and kitchen area are quite spacious with plenty of room for more than one desk and other large items. Storage in the kitchen area is adequate, and a fridge to be kept in the bedroom may be needed. The communal area outside is large and well maintained, with plenty of room for sports and large gatherings. Unfortunately, students are forbidden from parking in the car park and have to leave their cars parked in the street.
I recommend that students don't name this as a place of residence when taking out a vehicle insurance policy, even though the area is quite peaceful. Both Coventry town centre and Earlsdon are within easy walking distance, although the bus station is a 20 minute walk away. Maintenance can be quite slow, and if you contact Derwent if you have any security/noise issues then expect a response time of more than 2 hours. On site security is poor at best (even though CCTV is present), as the warden is only present on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the day, no security is present at any other time. One of the best points about Lynden House is that visiting hours for guests is quite lenient, and there is no prior procedure required to sign anyone in.

Priory Hall by Ana-Maria Cotofan

Getting to Priory Hall might be an adventure. I lived in G block, and I have to say I was lucky to be here, rather than J block. The size of the room is just enough for one person, the storage space is a bit small, but once you've settled in, the picture becomes better. I liked that there was always hot water and the common facilities were cleaned regularly. On the other hand, the heating was poor and because of the windows being old, the wind would make it even worse sometimes. Despite the less favourable parts, there are some aspects which make it worth choosing Priory Hall for first year. One thing is that it is very close to everything you need: university, shopping centre, pubs, clubs and nevertheless the coach/bus station. Secondly, it's time saving not having to cook for your self, while the food is acceptable and definitely more than enough. Least but not last, you get to meet many people here. I certainly don't regret living in Priory Hall this year.

Barras Lane by Beverly Mettle

Living in Barras Lane which is a University owned house has been very good. This was my first time leaving away from home and the experience was really good. Barras Lane is within walking distance from the campus and it offers accommodation for up to 12 residents. It’s a self catered accommodation that offers 2 twin rooms and 8 single rooms. It has a large communal room where you can entertain your friends and also a very large kitchen with everything included from fridges to cookers and toasters so cooking and preparing food is not much of a hassle. My housemates and I spent a lot of time socialising in the kitchen and the common room. There is also communal cleaning where a cleaner comes in once a week to clean the communal areas, such as the kitchen, bathrooms and common room.
Living in Barras Lane also came with university accommodation benefits such as free sports membership which meant I could register with the gym and also frees repairs and maintenance, there is also free internet facilities. Barras Lane is really close to the city centre and the main shopping complex in the city centre. The best thing about living in Barras Lane for me did not have to worry about paying bills, like electricity, heating and water bills because they are all included in the rent, which you pay 3 times a year if you set it up by direct debit. This worked effectively for me as it made money management much simpler and I did not have to worry so much about paying my rent every month.

Callice Court by Remo Notter

Callice Court may not be the cheapest option for accommodation; however it is probably the one where you get the most value for money. Callice Court is only about 2-5 minutes away from the campus which makes it very attractive compared to other places. Callice Court is very safe and the staff working at the reception are friendly and willing to help if required. There is also a big common room with a large flat screen TV and sofas so you can hang out with your friends and make new ones. It is also a great benefit that you can invite your friends whenever you want without filling in any forms or asking for permission in advance. The internet speed for next year's students will be quite fast which is another important issue in a student's life. I do recommend Callice Court for everybody who wants to have some of the mentioned benefits and who is willing to pay a little more for all that surplus.

Singer Hall by Rach Pardner

Thinking of moving into Singer? Don’t think again!
Singer Hall is extremely close to everything you need, being a 15 minute walk to the city centre and only a 5 minute walk to the main uni buildings. Perfect for those who love hitting that snooze button more than once!! With Sainsbury’s located just before town, you won’t have to worry about carrying your shopping for miles and straining those arms...and don’t worry...there are also convenience stores just a few minutes away for when everywhere else is closed and you have ran out of midnight munchies or used that very last piece of toilet paper!!!
Singer is extremely sociable and a great place to meet new friends for life. You will find that a lot of people on your course will be living in singer too so it won’t be long until you know the people in their block as well as your own!! Surprisingly, you may also get chatting to new people when getting your washing done in the launderette, based in the main Singer Hall Reception. Whilst living in Singer, you don’t need to worry about running up your internet usage as this is free!! So work away all day and night. Don’t miss out on your free gym membership for the year either. The uni’s sports centre is just a few minutes walk and allows you to set yourself a workout in the gym or take part in classes...a great way to break up the revision!! During the summer, take advantage of the sunshine and hit the grass with your blankets and revision books!!
Living away from home, for most, will seem quite scary...but don’t worry!! You will feel right at home in singer’s spacious individual rooms and you can guarantee you’re safe. Singers security keeps you in safe hands and numbers are available to ring at any time should you need to for any reason.
Overall, Singer Hall Self Catered accommodation is a fantastic way to live that independent life many of you have been waiting for. Improving your cooking skills, making new friends, partying and of course studying can all be part of your uni experience whilst living in Singer!!

Singer Hall by Amy Yaroslaw

I would definitely recommend living in Singer Hall in the first year. The room sizes are good, there’s enough room for storage and clothes, and you have enough room for cooking and storing food in the kitchen. There’s also a lot of facilities close to Singer; the gym, library, shops, takeaways, the town centre and most university buildings- which is great when you’re late! 

The communal areas of the accommodation are cleaned regularly (if not too much!), and in my experience, the cleaner was really nice and kept on eye out for my flatmates and me. It’s good that’s there’s always a team of security on standby to let you in if you forget your key but there is unfortunately a charge for this. The security staff are generally really helpful. We have however had a couple of problems with maintenance. Our boiler has a habit of switching its-self off; when we report this in the morning, it is usually not fixed until the afternoon. Consequently this means no showers and no heating for a while in winter!

I think your experience of living in halls definitely depends on the people you live with. My flat mates were really lovely so we all had a fantastic year together. However, I know of others whose flat mates are inconsiderate. I think the risk of living in halls with people you don’t know is worth taking- you could make fantastic friends with people you wouldn’t normally meet. If you do have a problem you can ask to move (spaces come up through out the year) or simply always spend more time with other friends! Occasionally noise levels can be annoying if you’re lacking sleep- the walls are very thin! However, you learn to sleep through anything! During the period of exams the noise level has dropped so it is hardly a problem anymore. There are times when I have felt cold in my room as the heating is turned off during certain hours in the week, but it is on all weekend.

I do think Singer is majorly overpriced – and think there are several areas, such as the amount of cleaning that occurs, where they could cut down order to reduce the fees they charge. Nevertheless, I would seriously recommend living here in your first year. There’s no restrictions on times to eat, the location is a major advantage and there’s a real sense of community from everyone who lives here. I have loved living here and have met some great friends because of it.

Raglan hall by Emma Curtis

In my first year at Coventry University I lived in Raglan House. It's in a quiet location and all the rooms are en suite both of which were important to me. The rooms are a good size and well turned out. The en suite bathrooms are also nice with great showers! The kitchen/lounge area has good facilities and decent cupboard space. They call come with a toaster, kettle and microwave. You don't need to buy them. Raglan House isn't the best place for socialising, especially if you find it hard to make friends because the flats are very private, but if you like peace and quiet, Raglan is the place for you.