- Percentage of First Year Students in Halls:
- A significant proportion of students arriving at Dundee are local and prefer to stay at home, thus 90
%
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- Accommodation Details:
- University accommodation is a mixture of university owned flats and five halls of residences. Belmont Hall, West Park, Wimberley, Peterson and Seabraes each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Students in their first year at Dundee who request a place in halls before the deadline will be reserved accommodation.
In terms of proximity for students on the main campus, Belmont, Seabraes and University owned flats are ideal. For students on the medical campus, Wimberley is more convenient, the site, purpose-built for students, consists of 35 houses, accommodating 210 residents. Each house is a self-contained unit and consists of 6 small single bedrooms, a kitchen, shower room, toilet and lounge or sitting area.
West Park and Seabraes offer the best range of facilities with en-suite accommodation and room phones in West Park Villas. Belmont is located centrally on the main campus, adjacent to the University Institute of Sport and Exercise, squash courts, tennis courts and Swimming pool and yet is only 10 minutes walk from the City centre. The Students Association and the Chaplaincy Centre are also close by.
Most complaints centre on the quality of food in catered accommodation, the difficulty of adequate compensation under hall insurance (Private contents insurance is cheap and highly recommended), and Peterson rooms being far too small.
It should also be noted that Peterson is strictly non-smoking.
In terms of cost, university hall accommodation is relatively expensive with few able to justify the premium. However, University flats are incredibly good value if gross costs are taken into account. The facilities tend to be better maintained and many have found it to be an incredibly shrewd choice.
Private housing is in abundance, and rents are particularly cheap for the UK. To avoid unscrupulous landlords, use the University’s own residence office. Flats and houses vary substantially but most are very spacious, in good areas.
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- Accommodation Prices:
- University Owned
Catered: £78 pw. (37 weeks)
Self-catering: £55 pw. (37 weeks)
Private
Don’t pay anymore than £55 basic rent. The going rates are between £40-£50. Student landlords tend to be a cheap option, unlike landlords who advertise particularly cheap / discounted rents who have proven to be rip-offs.
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- Local Area:
- The main campus is a short walk from the City Centre. Architecturally, there is a mixture of old, new and poo. The psychology department’s extension has been completed but the Students' Union building is proof that architects have a sense of humour.
The city overlooks the beautiful River Tar. Recent developments near the University include a revitalised cultural quarter and the Overgate Shopping Centre. Dundee isn’t exactly a tourist magnet so prices (and wages) tend to relatively low.
The local area is in the lowest insurance band rating, and this is just one reflection of the success of council-police community safety initiatives. The city itself is kept relatively clean and is generally calm.
Regular bus services are part of a good transport system. The close proximity of students to the town centre and the campus means that there is never too far to travel. Commuting between cities is best done by train and the railway station is conveniently close to the main campus. There is an airport with daily flights to England for those who really want to escape.
Socially, clubbers will benefit from the saturated market. Mardi Gras is the premier nightclub in Dundee, however, there are several others that prove popular amongst students. The Union’s Mono venue hosts the nationally acclaimed and deservedly phenomenally successful DoThisDoThat! night.
Live music has also been revitalised, triggered by the two pubs- The DogHouse Bar and the West Port Bar who have scooped some of the best up-and-coming talent. Classical music aficionados will be delighted by the Caird Hall Concerts and outstanding jazz concerts can be found at the Rep and DCA venues.
There are a few upmarket venues in Dundee. Amongst the most impressive are Dundee’s Rep Theatre, Cul-De-Sac, DCA and Yates. Yates is particularly affordable. In fact, most pubs seem to compete directly with the Students' Union, offering better pints and better value.
Like all city centres, Dundee has it’s fair share of places to eat out. For students, the best value will be found at Leonardo’s, Cul-De-Sac’s and the pubs. The Globe, West Port and Doghouse are very welcoming towards students.
Dundee is not a big city, however, it has successfully laid claim to the best aspects of living in one.
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