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Accommodation

FAQs for Undergraduate accommodation

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Please click on the questions below for information;

Answers

Q: I have accepted a place at the University. When do I apply for accommodation?

A: We will email you all the information you require usually in the June before you enter the University.  We will ask you to go online and make an application by 31st July.  Applications will all be made online.  If you will be away at this time and wish another member of your family to make the application for you please make sure that the University has an up to date email address.

Q: Do I need to tell you if I have a disability which affects the type of accommodation I require?

A: Please make sure that you mention with your application any medical or any other condition which needs to be taken into account in the allocation of your accommodation.   You should indicate such requirements when you make the application, even if they would not apply if you were allocated a room in a hall of your choice. Only information provided at the time of application, along with written confirmation from a medical practitioner or other professional body, will be taken into account by the Halls Office in the allocation process. All medical information provided will be treated confidentially.  Even if you have already been in contact with the Disability Adviser in relation to special requirements due to a disability/health problem you must still include information and supporting medical evidence when you make your application.  If you forget to tell us anything important we may not be able to change your allocation at a later date.

Information about disabilities is used only to determine the allocation of suitable accommodation. There is no guarantee that suitable facilities will be available. We would encourage students with disabilities, including “hidden” disabilities, such as epilepsy or diabetes, to contact the disability advisor on Tel. 44 (0)1248 382570, textphone 44 (0)1248 371811, or e-mail aos805@bangor.ac.uk. The advisor will be able to discuss any support requirements you may have, as well as your eligibility for additional funding.

Q: I am holding an offer from Bangor University as my insurance choice. Should I still make an application?

A: Please make an application by 31 July.  If you then decide to come to Bangor we will already have the information we require to process your application. If you wait until after your examination results to make an application we will not be able to guarantee to find you a room.

Q: Do I need to pay an application fee?

A: All applications for accommodation from international (for fees purposes) students MUST be accompanied by a £300.00 accommodation application fee deposit.  This fee must be paid by bank transfer or by credit/debit card – when you make an application. Full information is available when you make your application online. 

PLEASE NOTE

  • If you decide not to attend Bangor University or if you change your mind and do not require accommodation you must inform the Halls Office in writing (this includes email) by 7 September 2012 at the latest. 
  • All rooms allocated are offered on the understanding that you will stay and pay for the room for the entire occupancy period as stated on the Residence Agreement On arrival in Bangor, when you have taken up occupancy of the room, your application fee will be retained as a deposit and prepayment of fees. 

If you fail to cancel your accommodation application by 7 September or if you fail to take up residence once allocated a room you will forfeit your application fee/deposit.  You should note that allocated rooms are only held for 4 days after 23 September 2012 – see condition 2.2 of the Residence Conditions.

Q: I hope to come to Bangor during the summer months to study on a pre-sessional English language course at ELCOS. Do I still need to make an application for accommodation for September 2012?

A:  Yes you do need to make an application.  Any accommodation you are offered at the University while you are studying on a pre-sessional course will be for the duration of that course only.   You MUST make an application online via this website if you want University accommodation for the academic session 2012-13. The room you will be allocated for the 2012-13 session is very unlikely to be the same room that you live in while attending a pre-sessional course.  The Halls Office will contact you at the end of the summer vacation to explain the procedures involved in moving to your new room.  You must remember to reply to all letters that are sent to you and to check your University email account regularly.

Q: Do I need to let you know that I will be living at home?

A: No, this is not necessary. Please just ignore all the information you receive about University accommodation.

Q: What if I do not wish to live in a University Hall of residence?

A: Halls of residence only offer study bedrooms for the full academic year. We encourage you to opt for a place in halls, but some students, such as mature students or students with families, may need to rent privately. The University’s Student Housing Office is separate to the Halls Office and keeps a database of private accommodation and provides information and assistance.

Tel: 44 (0)1248 382034
E-mail: studenthousing@bangor.ac.uk

Q: Does the University provide any accommodation for families?

A: The University is reviewing the provision of family accommodation.  Please contact the Halls Office for further information on halls@bangor.ac.uk

Q: Does the University provide any accommodation specifically for mature students?

A: Each year the University reserves a small amount of accommodation for those students requiring a quieter environment.  We will give details on our website of which hall has been designated as such. These may be particularly attractive to mature students but not exclusively so.  It is possible that these rooms may be oversubscribed and therefore we can not guarantee that we will be able to meet your request.

We will do our best to indicate to all residents in these rooms that we expect a quieter environment but all residents should appreciate that no form of communal living is entirely silent and it is very difficult to define ‘quiet’. It will always be noisier than living in your own home. In addition it is not always possible to regulate the amount of noise coming from outside the hall or corridor which may be beyond our control.

Q:  Will you acknowledge my application for accommodation?

A: When you have submitted you application online you will receive an email acknowledging your application.  If you do not receive the email then please check that you have submitted your application correctly.  If in doubt please telephone the Halls Office on 0044 (0) 1248 382667

Q: You have sent me accommodation information but I have decided to defer my place at the University?

A:  Please ignore the accommodation information.  We will contact you again in the June prior to your year of entry.  However we would suggest that you contact the Admissions Office (01248 382018) to ensure their records are correct and that they understand you are deferring your place.

Q: When I receive my exam results do I need to tell you that I am definitely coming to the University?

A: The Halls Office is advised automatically by the Academic Registry of all the entrants to the University.  If you have made an application for a room we will begin to process your application as soon as we hear from the Academic Registry that you have an Unconditional Firm (UF) place at the University.

Q: I hope to come to Bangor with a friend – can we apply for rooms together?

A: You are able to give us the details of ONE friend when you make an application.  You will need to know your friend’s full name and Bangor University Admission number as well as your own.  However we can not guarantee that we will allocate you together.  It is essential that you BOTH mention that you wish to be placed together.  If only one of you makes the request it will be ignored.  Experience tells us that it is often best NOT to ask to be allocated a room near a friend.  You are more likely to make new friends and have new experiences if you (like most other new students) are on your own. Each year we experience students who have asked to be placed near a friend or partner and part way through the year they no longer wish to be in this position and there is often very little we can do to alleviate the situation if we have no spare rooms available.  Please think very carefully before you ask to be accommodated near a current friend or partner.

Q: Can you guarantee me a particular type of room?

A: The University guarantees that it will offer accommodation to all single first year undergraduate students commencing their first year in Bangor who make their application by 31st July 2012.  When you make your application we will ask you to choose up to 3 halls in which you would like to live.  We make every effort to allocate accommodation according to your preferred choices but this may not be possible if the halls you prefer are oversubscribed. When this is not possible we use your stated preferences as a guide to the type of accommodation you would prefer.

Q: How are rooms allocated?

A: We will do our best to offer you a place in a type of hall for which you have applied.  However this is not always possible and fluctuations in demand from year to year make it impossible to predict which halls will be oversubscribed.  You may sometimes be offered accommodation for which you did not state a preference. Rooms are not allocated until a student’s place at the University is confirmed and no rooms are allocated until early August.  Applications are prioritised in the following order of admissions category.

  • Unconditional Firm
  • Conditional Firm
  • Conditional Insurance
  • Clearing

Within each category the date on which the application is received by the Halls Office is also taken into account.  The date your offer becomes Unconditional is also very important in the allocation process. 

New undergraduate students are guaranteed accommodation in a hall of residence but certain residences will inevitably be full by the time the later applications are processed.  Some residences fill up very quickly indeed and no student in any category is guaranteed a place in a particular residence.  If you make a late application (after 31 July) we can not guarantee you a room and it may be some time before we can tell you if any rooms are available.

We do find however that most Bangor students enjoy living in the accommodation they are offered whatever their original preferences were.

Q: I have not received any information about accommodation yet?

A: Prospective students will usually receive accommodation information before the end of June inviting them to make an application.  If you are a late applicant to the University you may receive accommodation information at a later stage.  If you are worried because you have not received the information you should email the Halls Office halls@bangor.ac.uk QUOTING YOUR UNIVERSITY ID NUMBER for further advice. Information about accommodation is always sent out by email so please check your email and ensure that the University always holds your current email address.  You may always email the Halls Office to update your email address.

Q: I am a late applicant/ clearing applicant to the University. Will you still guarantee me accommodation?

A:  If you are a late applicant or a Clearing applicant we would ask you to make an application as soon as possible. We can only guarantee that we will find you a room if the application is made by 31 July 2012.  However it is quite likely that we will still have rooms available for students who make applications after this date. Please remember that we will not be able to tell you immediately if rooms are available and that there may only be a very limited choice of rooms remaining.

Q: You have not told me yet where I am going to live?

A: We do not normally allocate ANY rooms until early August and the vast majority of the allocation work takes place after the A level results in mid August.  You will not be allocated a room until your place at the University becomes unconditional (UF).  This is an extensive exercise and you may not hear anything from us until early September or even later.  Please ensure that you are checking your email frequently at this stage because we will be asking you to reply to us very quickly confirming that you want the room allocated to you and we will be asking you to pay a deposit. If you do not reply within the stated timeframe the room you will have been allocated may be given to another student. If you are going away on holiday please make sure you still have access to your email and to the internet. Please also check that you made your application correctly and that you received an acknowledgement email from us when you made your application.  The University can not be held responsible for applications that were not made correctly.

Q: What will I need to do when you tell me where I am going to live?

A: In August or September you will be sent an email asking you to log on to our web site once more.  You will be directed to details of your Residence Agreement which will tell you your room number, hall of residence and the costs involved.   Please read all this information correctly.  Do NOT accept your Residence Agreement without reading it completely because it is legally binding.

Please note:

Students who agree to take accommodation owned, leased or managed by the University are accepting a Residence Agreement which becomes legally binding. Students who are not sure about entering into the Residence Agreement should take advice before signing. STUDENTS SHOULD READ THE RESIDENCE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE PREPARED TO AGREE TO THEM BEFORE ACCEPTING THE RESIDENCE AGREEMENT. The Residence Agreement is governed by English law which international students may find is quite different to the law which applies in their own country. You can view the Residence Conditions online at www.bangor.ac.uk/accommodation and follow the links for Essential 2012-13

When you have read and understood the Residence Agreement and Residence Conditions you should give your consent online.  You will then be asked to pay a deposit of £300.00. International students who have already paid an application fee do not need to pay another deposit. You may pay the deposit by credit/debit card or arrange to make the payment by bank transfer.  If you do not pay a deposit you will lose your room.

Q: What happens if I’m not happy with the accommodation I’ve been offered?

A: We can usually only make you one offer of accommodation.  However if you are not happy with where you are living when you arrive in Bangor you can put your name on a transfer list for a different room if one should become available.  It usually takes a while to settle in to your accommodation so once you arrive you should give it some time before putting your name on the transfer list.  Applications for the transfer list can only be made AFTER the first two weeks of session (the date will be advertised in the Halls Office).  You can not make an application before you arrive nor on the day of arrival.

Q: Can I be released from my Residence Agreement to move into the private sector mid semester or to return to live at home?

A: No, this is not usually possible. You will have accepted a Residence Agreement for the entire academic session. See residence condition 5.3 at  www.bangor.ac.uk/accommodation and follow the links for Essentials 2012-13

Q: Are my belongings insured?

A: The University has arranged basic contents insurance for students living in hall of residence with Endsleigh Insurance and the premium is automatically included in the price of the room.  You may view this policy at any time and you should ensure on arrival that it provides the cover that you require and that you extend it as necessary at your own cost.

Q: Will there be a telephone and internet connection in my room?

A: The University does not provide telephones in any room.  Internet connection is provided in all of the rooms and the cost for this facility is included in the Hall fees.

Q: What Should I Bring With Me?

A: Student bedrooms in all universities have limited storage space. We recommend that you bring only those things you consider essential. If you do forget anything there are plenty of shops in Bangor.  Remember that in some accommodation you may have to clear your room completely at Easter so don’t bring anything that you can not take home again easily. Some key points are listed below:-

  • No bedding is provided but bedding packs (duvet, duvet cover, sheet, pillow and pillow case) can be purchased on arrival. Students allocated to en-suite bedrooms will need a shower curtain which can be purchased on arrival.
  • Electrical appliances over 1 year old require a Portable Appliance Test Certificate.
  • We regret that no storage space is available for surplus belongings, large luggage or for belongings needing storage during the summer vacation.
  • Students will need to bring pots, pans, cutlery and crockery with them, as these are not provided.

A sense of humour, tolerance towards neighbours and a willingness to try new things, including starting conversations with complete strangers, are all useful.

Q: Can I bring a TV?

A: You may bring a television but you will need your own licence.  We can not guarantee adequate reception in all our buildings and we do not usually provide aerial connection.  An internal aerial will almost always be necessary. Many students choose to watch TV through their PCs but please remember that a licence is required if you are watching live TV.  More information on the range of streaming television services available on ResNet can be found here.

Q: Can I connect items such as games consoles, media players and other networked devices to ResNet?

A: In most cases yes.  Details of how to connect additional devices to ResNet alongside your computer are available here.

Q: Can I bring my goldfish, cockatoo, snake, hamster?

A: Pets of any description are not allowed in the residences.

Q: Can I bring my car or bicycle?

A: A limited number of car park permits are available for on-site parking. Otherwise parking will be on the street, often some distance from your residence. Some storage for bicycles is available BUT bicycles must not be stored within residences, including your bedroom.

Q: Is there anything I cannot bring?

A: Yes there are a few things that are not allowed:

  • Do not bring heaters, candles, oil lamps, incense sticks, cooking appliances or fridges for use in your bedroom. You may bring a small fridge for medical reasons only.  Please contact the Halls Office directly for permission.
  • Do not bring weapons of any sort – not even replicas.
  • Do not bring furniture, e.g. beds, wardrobes or armchairs – they will not fit!
  • Pets, of any description, are not permitted.  This includes fish.

Q: What if I am a student from the School of Healthcare Sciences with non-standard semester dates?

A: Please read the section on our website for Nursing Students.  We can usually only allocate Students from this School to one Hall of Residence which will remain open for the whole of the year when required by nurses and midwives.  Occasionally if there are no vacancies in this hall it is necessary to allocate these students to halls which will close for the summer vacation.  Alternative accommodation will then be found for nurses and midwives for the remainder of their study period.

Q: How do I pay for my accommodation?

A: You will have to pay a deposit of £300.00 when you accept your Residence Agreement.  Please read Residence Condition 2.2 - see www.bangor.ac.uk/accommodation and follow the links for Essentials 2012-13 - for full information regarding this deposit.   You must pay the deposit to secure the room reservation.

You may pay the rest of your accommodation fees in full on arrival or at registration, or in instalments. You will have an account with Bangor University and all accommodation fees and tuition fees will be charged to this account.  Most students choose to make payment to the University in three instalments.  Full details will be sent to you by the Academic Registry in your Welcome Week Diary when you are accepted to the University and may also be found on the Finance Office website

Q: What are the arrival arrangements at Bangor for September 20121?

A: With your Residence Agreement you will receive instructions for your arrival in halls of residence. Arrival in Bangor will be on Saturday 22 September OR Sunday 23 September, and you will be advised of your arrival day when you are allocated your room. Please note it will not be possible to choose your arrival day. Please arrive on the day specified and follow the instructions regarding routes into Bangor and parking. The arrival of over 2,000 students, even over two days, is quite an event for Bangor so please be patient and follow the directions of our staff. We will do our best to get you settled in as quickly as possible. 

Q: Can I arrive earlier than directed in my arrival literature?

A: No. We are sorry but the halls will not be ready for arrivals prior to 22/23 September.

Q: Can I arrive later than stated on my arrival literature?

A: As long as you have paid your £300.00 deposit we will hold your room for you for 4 days after the start of session – until 27 September 2012.  If you are arriving later than this you MUST inform the halls office or you will lose your room and your deposit.  Fees are payable from the start of the Residence Agreement in all cases.

Q: Can I send my luggage in advance of my arrival?

A: Please do not send anything in advance of your arrival at the University. There are no storage facilities available.

Q: Are there any storage facilities at the University?

A: No. We are sorry but it is not possible to offer storage during any of the vacations.

Q: Are visitors allowed in the Halls of Residence?

A: Students are responsible for the conduct of any invited visitor to the residence. One overnight guest is permitted up to a maximum of 2 days in any period of 7 days.  Residents are expected to consult with their flatmates and neighbours before inviting guests and all guests must be registered.

Q: My parents are bringing me to the University. Is there anywhere they can stay?

A: If you or your parents wish to stay in North Wales before or after your specified arrival day please contact North Wales Tourism on +44 (0) 1492 531731 or www.nwt.co.uk for details of Wales Tourist Board approved accommodation.

Q: Is there any help available if I have problems?

A: Residences have Senior Wardens and Wardens on call to help you. In Welcome Week there are also student peer guides to assist you. The Halls office can help with any problems with your room or fee payments. Peer guides and members of the Warden’s team will be available when you arrive.

Q: I have more questions – where can I get further information?

A: Please contact the Halls Office directly.

ALWAYS QUOTE YOUR UCAS NUMBER OR UNIVERSITY ENTRY NUMBER WITH YOUR ENQUIRY