St John’s vs City Centre

So not only have you decided what course to do and which university but now you’re faced with the decision of where you’ll be spending your first year.  In Worcester there are two options of accommodation, St John’s, the university campus and City Centre, with St John’s offering a variety of different priced rooms and city offering an en-suite extra.

Living in halls allowed me to be surrounded with other first year students and was a perfect way to embrace student life.  During freshers you’ll have people to go to the events with and explore the town and university with, and they’re lots of other students in the accommodation to meet.  For those who lack confidence it may be daunting to move away but it’s a great opportunity to make friends with those in the same position.

 

Youtube: universityworcester

When coming to which halls you wish to live in it’s important to consider which factors are most important to you. All the Worcester halls offer free internet access, gym membership, bills covered and 24 hours security and emergency maintenance.  Due to this on the open day I was considering factors such as: distance, and budget (also the possibility of an en-suite but I know that isn’t a priority for most).

Budget

City Campus: This campus only offers one type of accommodation, en-suite extra, which may be the most expensive rooms Worcester provides, but you’d be saving money on buses and taxis from town.  The accommodation provides a luxury feel to student living as it comes with an en-suite in each room, a tv (with a tv license) in the living room and a very large kitchen.

2019/20 – £165 per week en-suite extra

St Johns: St john offers a large variety of accommodations at different prices, so this will suit any budget.

• 2019/20 – £102 per week traditional

62 rooms, 56 being single study and 6 shared study areas, 8-10 students share a kitchen, 2 bathrooms and toilet facilities

• 2019/20 – £126 per week standard

4 to 6 study bedrooms in each flat, shared kitchen and lounge area.  There’s a bathroom, shower room with toilet and another toilet per flat.

• 2019/20 – £149 per week en-suite

6 study bedrooms per flat, en suite bathrooms with a shower and toilet.  Shared kitchen and lounge area.

• 2019/20 – £165 per week en-suite extra

En-suite in each room, a tv in the living room shared with 6 students and a large kitchen.

 

Distance

The majority of courses are based within St John’s, but degrees such as business and law are located around city centre.  You cannot be certain until you receive your timetable at freshers, but you may get a rough idea if you research what subjects the buildings offer.  It’s also important to consider where you’ll be spending most your time.  Even though it’s a 20-minute walk to the university from city centre you may find you’re constantly in and out of town for a part time job, shopping and nights out, in this case city centre may be a better suit. However, if you know you struggle to get out of bed in the morning or have lots of late lectures then St. John’s may be ideal.

City Campus

To the university: Around 20 min walk to the main campus in St Johns. Which may not

sound too bad, but your mind may be changed when you’re getting up for a 9am or when its tipping it down. However, it is just around the corner to the city campus.

Town: Right on the doorstep. This was my selling point as I wanted to have a part time job while at university and didn’t fancy walking to St John’s in my work uniform or after night shifts.  This also allowed me to save a lot of money on taxis and buses after a night out and it was only a short walk from the shops.

 

St Johns

To the university: Right on the doorstep.  Which is perfect for those who like a lie in.

Town: Around 20 min walk. Which may lead to spending a fair bit on taxis and buses, especially for nights out and weekly shops. This also may become an issue for those looking for a part time job. However, you will definitely be spending less money eating out, which I found myself doing regularly in city campus.

But you shouldn’t just take my word for it and book an open day so you can look for yourself.  If anyone has any questions about student halls or if you’re having worries about moving away, feel free to drop a comment or send me an email.

I’d also love to hear what you think of the blog so far 🙂