Please be aware if you request and accept a room in a female only flat you are agreeing to the following; that you will not invite or allow access to any male visitors into the flat. This is because many female students choose these areas for religious reasons. Male university staff will still have access though to carry out inspections, cleaning, room inspections and maintenance work, for example.
Please do not ship your belongings ahead of your arrival. If you need to send items then please make sure they will arrive AFTER you do. We do not have enough storage space to keep items for weeks before you get here!
Please do not ship any perishable food items. We have had countless parcels delivered to the college filled with mouldy, smelly and inedible food. You should easily be able to purchase all the foods you prefer and want in Lancaster or surrounding areas. Please make sure your family and friends do not send food to you either!
When you arrive at the College, go straight to the Porters’ Lodge (reception) to collect your keys. You will need some photo ID such as a passport with you. The lodge is manned 24hrs and located on the ground floor of House 10, on the main College Square.
If you wish to access the internet and collect a letter to enable you to open a UK bank account, you should go and see the Residence Officers (in the reception building)
Once you have settled in to your room, one of the first things you should do is fill in your INVENTORY form. The form is vital as it allows you to show exactly what is in your room and the condition it is in. This form should placed in the box in the reception area of the college.
During the year, if you need to report a fault such as a light bulb needing replacing or your central heating not working, you should do so through the facilities webpage HERE…
What’s Supplied?
For more pictures of accommodation click here…
In your kitchen there will be:
Fridge (usually 1 shelf per resident)
Freezer (usually 1 shelf per resident)
Electric Cooker (with oven, grill and hobs)
Toaster
Kettle
Microwave
Cupboards (for storing food, utensils, plates etc.)
Table and Chairs (1 chair per resident)
Rice cookers and coffee machines ARE NOT supplied, but can be purchased locally so please don’t bring them with you. Once you’re here and you’ve met your flatmates it may be easier (and more sensible) to purchase one between you to be shared.
There is no separate kitchen in Studio accommodation.
In your room there will be:
A desk with desk chair
A bed (you will either need to buy a bedding pack from us or buy bedding from town when you arrive)
A sink (standard rooms only)
Bookshelves
An en-suite (not in standard rooms)
A wardrobe
A telephone (free internal calls, for external and incoming calls you’ll need to set up a contract)
An network point (where you can connect your computer to the University network)
Studio rooms have all of this plus a kitchenette area (electric cooker/grill/hob is replaced with combi microwave cooker and electric hobs)
Living Together
Nobody likes rules, but when you’re living in close proximity to other people and sometimes sharing facilities with them, you need to be extra aware of how your behaviour effects them. You can find the college rules in full here…
Here is a brief summary of the sort of things people have the most difficulties with and some tips on how you can avoid being a bad neighbour:
- Door slamming is a problem in some of the residences, especially in the warmer months when windows are open – our advice (especially after 10pm) is to allow doors to close fully each time you go through them, a moment of your time will be most appreciated by a sleeping neighbour.
- Loud conversations at night between two or more people either on Skype or in person can be very intrusive on people’s sleep time. We advise using a headset (rather that speaker and mic) on Skype and taking any late night conversations or studying to the common room
- Sharing storage space in the kitchen (cupboards, fridges and freezer) will not be an issue as long as it is shared equally, simple really!
- Cooking and eating utensils being used by others without permission of the owner can be a real irritant and pretty disrespectful if the owner is vegetarian and you are not (for example). We advise always asking first.
- Borrowing food without asking first is definitely not on. We advise always asking first and always replacing it quickly!
- Inviting friends over for a meal without letting flatmates know in advance is one of the biggest causes of friction in communal flats. We advise always informing other flatmates of your plans and not eating as a group in the same kitchen more than once a week.
A little thought goes a long way, so just remember that you all have equal rights to a living environment which will aid you in achieving the result you want from your degree. And if you are having any problems at all then do not hesitate to contact the Porters (93194 from your internal phone) and the Deanery.
