u/Pusitiamsuk

Hey r/UoN,

I’m heading this September for an MSc in Computer Science. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around accommodation, and after going to a pre-departure event, I think I might need to readjust my approach.

Up until now, I was only looking at options within a 15-minute walk of campus. However, a few people mentioned that for a Master's degree, you don't necessarily have to be physically on campus every single day and that a huge portion of my workload would be independent learning, so I might be spending way more time in my room than I initially thought. Because of this, I'm open to looking a bit further out at places that are closer to the city centre.

I've shortlisted these four options:

• Vita Student Station Street
• Study Inn Talbot Street
• Student Roost Trinity Square
• Collegiate Nova

If you've lived in any of these, what is the actual living experience and general vibe like there?

For the CS postgrads out there, how accurate is the schedule advice? Are you actually spending fewer days on campus, or should I still factor in a heavy weekly commute?

Also, if there’s anything else that I should know (as an incoming CS postgrad, not strictly accommodation related), please feel free to share!

Thanks for any help!

Hey everyone,

Heading to UoN this September for MSc Computer Science and I'm stuck trying to pick a place to live. I have a very specific technical concern that isn't answered anywhere on the official accommodation sites, and I'm hoping past/current residents can chime in.

Because of the machine learning coursework, I sometimes need to leave my PC running in my room during the day to train models while I’m away. I absolutely cannot have the electrical supply to my wall sockets randomly shutting off when I leave, otherwise I risk losing my data or bricking my hardware.

I know a lot of newer UK student accommodations use eco-features that kill the power when you leave, so I need to know the reality for these specific places:

• Triumph House (Study Inn): This place seems to be heavily key-card based, so is there a slot by the door where you have to leave your card to keep the room's electricity running? If you take your card to leave the room, do the wall plugs stay live? Also, as a bonus question: I read a review saying that during the summer, the heat inside gets unbearable because the large windows only open a tiny fraction and lack blinds/curtains. How bad does the temperature actually get in the rooms?
• Riverside Point (Unite Students): Do they use key-card power slots or motion sensors for the room's power? Also, bonus question: do they still lack an elevator, or has that been updated?
• Deakins Place (Student Roost): I've seen reviews mentioning bathroom light timers that turn off every 5 - 8 minutes and motion sensors that detects if you're in the room. Do these sensors kill the power to the wall outlets if you're gone for a few hours, or does it just affect the lights and heating?
• Morris House (Unite Students): Although their studio rooms are currently fully booked, but if anyone has insights into their room's electrical setups for future references, that would be amazing as well.

If anyone who has lived in these buildings could let me know how the room outlets behave when you're not physically inside, it would save me a massive headache. If they all use automatic power-offs, I'll have to scrap the walking-distance list and look at city centre options instead.

Also, if there’s anything else that I should know (specifically as an incoming CS postgrad), please feel free to share!

Appreciate any insight you guys have!