11 - Blantyre
| Grade: 2 | Living Room: No | Basin: No | Network: Wired and Wireless | CUDN Access: Yes | Floor: Ground |
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| Year | Comment |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Pretty decent for a grade 2, half of the window stares straight at a wall but you can still see some of the car space, grass and whatever (for anyone nosy you can see anyone coming and going on their bike too). The lamp is very bright but can effectively be dimmed by pointing it somewhere else... just be careful it doesn't fall off the desk because it's not very secure. You can often hear if people are still in the common room, especially if people are playing FIFA late at night. The noise didn't really bother me but if you're an early bird you might want to avoid that. Also the walls are pretty thin, so you can hear anything happening in the corridor and the room opposite (12). Birds can also be annoying early in the morning as the windows aren't very good. I had to stick wads of paper in the gaps to stop them rattling around when it was windy. The fridge is pretty small but I prefer it to a bigger fridge because it doesn't make any noise. The desk is easily big enough to work/eat on with enough drawers to store random stuff in like pads of paper and notes. There are a few shelves as well to store books/cereal/more random crap. The wardrobe is alright but it would be nicer if it was just a bit bigger. The closet is a good size for me but I don't really have much to hang so it might not be suitable for someone who relies on smart shirts and trousers all the time. Other furniture provided includes two chairs (one slightly higher for use at the desk, one slightly lower for chilling in if you ever have friends in (although given the room size that's probably unlikely) or maybe for reading in. I use it to store my dirty clothes. There's also a fridge table like in every room. The pin-board gets half-covered when the door's open which I assume would be annoying if anyone ever used the pin-board for much. The most annoying thing is the new mirror they installed because apparently everyone has to have one. While some rooms in Blantyre will have a reasonably-sized sink mirror or perhaps a floor-length wardrobe mirror, all room 11 now has is a rather pathetic head and shoulders mirror on the inside of the wardrobe. However the way the wardrobe opens means that you have to be awkwardly standing in a small square in the corner of the room to actually use said mirror (so usually you can't even see much because the light doesn't get there). The bed is standard 6'3'' size, there isn't room for a bigger bed if you need one and if you're any kind of tall you'll constantly hit your feet on the wardrobe (or the headboard). I made it more comfortable with a mattress-topper, I imagine it's not great without one, but most of the beds are the same anyway. It can be a bit creaky so if you choose to engage in wild lewd behaviour I suggest you go to their place. Also because the room across the corridor (12) will be able to hear everything going on. The wired internet is very good most of the time, the wireless not so much, but it's significantly better in this room than in the other parts of Blantyre, e.g. near the housekeeper it's pathetic and on the room 10 side of Blantyre you can actually get "Uni of Cam" with a slightly stronger signal than eduroam or EmmaBlantyre (still rubbish though). If you're a messy person, the room can feel a bit cramped sometimes, but it is more than adequate for a grade 2. The toilets/sink/bath (if you ever use the latter) are very close and two kitchens are reasonably close as well, including one of only two in Blantyre with a combi. In terms of temperature, the biggest difference is usually just whether or not the curtains are open. The windows can be a bit draughty in that respect, but I've never found the room particularly cold except when I'm up at about 3am rushing some work only wearing a t-shirt up top. I'm yet to experience summer in the room but given that the east is blocked by half of Blantyre I assume the room won't get too bright or hot. All in all it's pretty much what you'd expect from a grade 2, maybe slightly better. By far the worst thing about it is that it's in Blantyre which is so far away from everything (unless you're the kind of person who walks to lectures in which case you're probably fine). It can be nice to have a large group of people you know so close together though, even if it's slightly detrimental to work ethic (trust me on that one). Last comment: We recently got a flat-screen TV for the common room. Just saying. |
| 2008 | Nice room - really big for a grade 2. Big South facing bay window, so plenty of natural light - you may want to bring an extra lamp, as the main light isnt the brightest. Bathroom and nice kitchen just around the corner. this room is above the common room, so if you're really noise sensitive, you may not want it. In practice, the common room isnt used much / loudly. Very good for the price |
| 2006 | A great value room that I really love and would recommend choosing. The view is not that bad (you can just about see some of Blantyre's back garden and spy on people as they go to get their bikes from the bike shed). South east facing so plenty of light especially in the mornings although the curtains are dark enough for sleeping in. Furniture includes a bed, cupboard, desk, fridge on table, chest of drawers and two chairs. Pale green walls (painted this year) and blue/green carpet. Picture rail useful for hanging posters etc. During the day the room is very quiet although it can get quite noisy if there are a lot of people / loud music in the common room which is below. Blantyre in general is a fantastic place to live with plenty of bathrooms, kitchens, a common room / TV room, friendly housekeeper and only a 10 minute walk from college. |