Hi!!
I'm an Australian who is currently planning an exchange for September 2027, and UOB is my current first preference. My friend and I are looking at accommodation for while we're here and are torn between self-catering or catered options.

I'm curious as to what people think is the best. Is it worth the extra ~£1000 (~$2000 AUD)? We're trying to keep costs down as we're going to be travelling before and after our exchange, but are open to saving extra if it's genuinely worthwhile.

What do the meals look like, are they even good? Do you spend less per week if you self-cater? I don't know how much groceries cost on average in the UK, but I've heard it isn't great. Could we survive off meal deals and too good to go (are these even cheap options??)? Any advice is well appreciated x

I'm coming to Bristol in January as an exchange student from Australia and am currently choosing my accommodation. I've heard North Village is the most social which is definitely the most important thing for me.

I'm keen on self-catered as I'm a picky eater but worried that this might impact making friends if mealtimes are very social and I don't want to miss out on anything so could switch to catered accom if that would be better.

My current top picks are:

1. University Hall
2. Baddock Hall
3. Hiatt Baker

Do most people make friends in their accommodation or do you make friends from joining societies etc?

I would appreciate any tips! Thank you.

Hey people I have just got my offer from Bristol for studying physics. Physics is always been my passion and I have 4Astar perdition in math fm phy and cs, 99999999876 in gcse with 6 in language, 7 in literature and 8 in history ( international student). I am wondering how competitive is physics community at Bristol as I would like to go to a place with more than half people smarter than me. I know it might sounds weird but my current school is so relax lol.

I’m 21 years old from Aus and keen for a good time. Any suggestions on which is the best accom. They recommend university residence. I am open to anything - main priority being having a good time.

hi title. i am not very smart and i did not do a-level further. tried to keep up week1/2 and couldnt and now ive literally done nothing since for linear algebra. possible to catchup during reading week? otherwise i think its lowkey over. i get all the intuition bs like i intuitively understand the lectures but im just struggling with the volume of content. thanks!

Originally said i was bored (which is half true) but got removed by moderators so i’m gonna say depressed.

ATP should i js quit uni?? I’ve been getting worse ever since starting, don’t wna put tmi but a person can probably assume what a depressive person might do… i hate everyday that passes, esp sundays bc i feel the loneliest. i don’t wanna treat this as venting either. Js unsure if it still takes time to settle in or if i’ve alrdy f-ed my uni experience cus every1 else seems decently okay.

Struggled w mental health from secondary, accessed some resources here but it’s more so my environment that makes me feel so isolated n whatnot. I’ve joined societies (informally) n go to events whenever they have them on, i have some friends but dont know any1 from my accom/flatmates since i came late and im in a studio w my own kitchen so less interaction ofc.

Maybe uni isn’t for me idk. would appreciate any advice or legit anything like similar experiences

Fyi ik i post a lot here but like lowk reddit is for posting anyway, js pls don’t be harsh. a person is acc js tryna cope

Okay I just went to a badminton social session and tell me why everyone there was good 😭 Me and my friend were complete beginners and had to warm up for ages before we could get a slight rally going. There was also no organised rotation and it felt like we’d waste everyone’s time if we asked to join and we can barely hit it 😭😭

Is this common??? Will it gradually get better the more we go to sessions? Felt the social part was limited but we did manage to talk to another person though.

Hi,
I’m looking for someone to take over my studio at Durdham Hall. It’s a really good studio, but I’ve had to move in with a friend, so I can’t keep it anymore. Let me know if you’re interested!

Hello. I am surveying if anyone that is a full time student would like to replace my tenancy. Dual-occupancy is allowed.

It is a self-contained studio with a cooking induction, a microwave, an en-suite bathroom and a mini fridge.

It is very near to uni of Bristol, just 15 minutes on foot. There is Sainsbury’s, 2 minutes walk from the accomodation.

The accomodation is also well connected with other places within Bristol. With clifton down station is just around the corner and clifton down station bus right beside Sainsbury’s.

Overall, on foot, it only takes
2 minutes to Sainsburry’s and Clifton Down Shopping Centre
3 minutes to Clifton Down Train and Bus Station
12 minutes to the Down
15 minutes to University Of Bristol

The rent is 247.93 per week.
Dm if interested

For context, i’m a math student, and don’t get me wrong i still think maths is cool and i enjoy it outside of anything university related, but GOD do i absolutely hate my degree and everything about it.

The lecture notes for math are absolutely atrociously written. Considering they’re for students, lecturers will write them like we have 10 years of experience in postgrad mathematics. Plus in lectures they’ll explain them superficially and expect us to get their explanations as if we understand what’s going on inside their own head. God forbid you miss a lecture, the notation slop, condensed notes will be absolutely ridiculous to even begin understand, and the lecture recordings will most likely be shambles too.

I tend to use textbooks on modules to actually understand, but after a lecturer told me that the notes are written to be student textbooks i was dumbfounded. Some things on the course aren’t covered by textbooks so that makes it sm more irritating. Everyone i’ve spoken to in my cohort has told me they use AI to some degree to help them understand these notes or learn since they’re so badly written.

My friends in Oxford, Imperial, Durham who are doing maths always go on about how good the lecturers are and it just makes me hate this degree even more. Honestly, i tell people not to apply Bristol maths since its fucking impossible to understand. I tell them lectures are useless and it’s all 100% self learning. They’re better off going to a different uni or just reading a self learning textbook than coming here

Seeing my friends from other courses understanding everything from lecture explanations or notes without needing secondary resources makes me so envious man 😭.

One lecturer i had last year, whose lectures were fantastic made me enjoy this degree but other than that i hate it with passion.

Perhaps i’ve only had bad lecturers, or perhaps its just a skill issue which yeah ntd then. But i seriously needed a place to vent this frustration oh my god.

Hi everyone, i'm a first yr student in UoB and i feel like i've tried everything these past 4 weeks. I'm in the tennis soc (which is a lot of fun! but only when i was playing), chem soc, and I've tried going out to clubs too but i fear it's just not for me. I got unlucky with housing so I had to go private with flatmates who are in their 3rd year; as sweet as they are, I am struggling to find the point of my life in uni rn. I think I just haven't made the right friends and it's really making me sad in the sense that yeah I have people to sit with during lunch and lectures, but I'm not particularly friends w them to the point i'd tell them my secrets and go out with the,. Anyone have tips? thank you.

I just got accepted for access to bristol biomed for the autumn series. Does this still make me eligible for guaranteed interview for medicine and dentistry for this years applicartion cycle?

Every time I go even into a social study library, I still feel bad if I'm talking on a teams call. Is there anywhere you can go thats more private for calls and stuff? Thanks

Every year I think about making this post and this is the first time I’ve remembered to do it. Fellow students, please remember that you only need to be wearing your ID lanyard when you’re actually on site at uni. Wearing it the rest of the time is essentially wearing your full name and what you do with your days on your chest like a label. Would you tell a random stranger on the street that information? Probably not.
For extra points, the lanyards that say you live at the expensive private halls of residence are a placard to say that you have money and you’re probably new to the city. Put it in your pocket!

(I’m a mature student and in my old workplace we had regular training reminding us not to wear our work IDs outside of the office, so I’m primed to notice this stuff)

I’m a first year in aerospace and I feel so blank in every lecture while I feel others are genuinely able to understand, the home lab isn’t giving accurate recordings 😂, design is okay while you’re in the lesson but the second I step out and try myself I’m blank, and mechanics… no words. Idk if anyone’s on the same boat, but this is so demotivating

Hey super lonely and bored , would love to catch-up for any socials !!

are any other mature students finding it difficult to make friends? i feel like i interact normally enough with the cohort and i have no problem sparking up convos, but i feel like such a black sheep. a lot of the students i come across are lovely but idk i haven’t been in education for a while and im finding it harder to pick up concepts which seem obvious to others. i feel so stupid, and even when i’m confident enough to contribute in tutorials it falls flat and it’s so embarrassing agghhhsjjsjsnd

i’ve spoken to people and everyone is nice enough but i’m struggling to make friends, and it doesn’t help that everyone is literally crazy smart. i feel so stupid and boring and lonely. i find it so hard to connect with the 18yr olds, im only 23 but i literally feel SO unc and unfunny and lameeee i hate it omg i just wanna connect with someone ANYONE !!!!

i feel like a loser

hi all,

thinking of applying to Bristol for med but I’m from a working class background and wondering if its a sensible choice to make. I’d get max maintenance loan and eligible for 2K bristol bursary but I’m aware cost of living esp accom in Bristol is rlly expensive so would it be worth it to apply considering my financial situation?

thank you!

hello im in a city centre accommodation right by the campus, self catered, lovely flatmates, en suite etc etc. has anyone got a self catered accom in north village that they are attempting to leave and would be willing to swap? my accom is 10.7k but worth it for the facilities (gym, study rooms, karaoke, tv rooms, pool table etc) but i need to be near the sports complex. thanks

So I'm an American student and was curious what the Brits (and other foreigners) would say about how best to handle people talking on quiet floors of the library. I seem to often be next to groups of two or more incessantly whispering to each other. I often wear headphones but sometimes I feel I shouldn't have to. A week or so ago, I told someone who was blithely talking on the phone (def not whispering) to take it elsewhere (i mean there's a floor expressly for talking). But I haven't said anything to people who are engaging in constant, quieter talking with each other. I've noticed no one else has either. I certainly don't want to come off as the ugly (and uptight!) American. Maybe it's just me.