Student accomodation in Glasgow

Dear Reader,
Once you get your confirmation letter for the MBA program, the next biggest question is where and how to find accomodation in Glasgow. Well, there are the following two options:

1) Staying in the university halls (hostels)
2) Finding a private accomodation

Each of the above mentioned options have their merits and de-merits. Let us explore them in detail.

1) Staying in the university halls
Strathclyde Business School provides 4 choices to students who want to opt for university accomodation. The choices are as follows:

a) James Goold Hall: This is the most expensive accomodation (check with the university accomodation service for current rates) and available only for single students. However it is also the most comfortable. Each person is put up in an apartment with 4-6 rooms. So you would have a room for yourself but would share a common lounge and kitchen in the apartment with 4-6 flatmates. Each room is ensuite (attached toilet, shower and wash basin). The rent is inclusive of all bills (electricity, gas heating). This is also closest to the university (about 4 mins walk!) and within a complex called the Campus Village. So if you not a morning person this is the best place to be if are to be in class by 9AM.

b) Andrew Ure Hall: This is second to James Goold in terms of cost. Its only for single students and again each student would have a room in an apartment with 4-6 flatmates but the rooms are not ensuite. So you would have to share the bathroom, kitchen and lounge. Usually there are two bathrooms in each apartment. It would take about 15-20 mins to reach the university depending on how fast you walk and you would need to tackle a steep uphill climb (till you discover the lift system! ask around when you join classes and you would know what I am talking about). The rent is not inclusive of bills. This place however houses the most chilled out people and is the best place to stay if want to party hard. Me and my batchmates used to party here almost every weekend. We even had a resident DJ and a fancy speaker system which we bought by pooling in money! And ofcourse there is the all purpose shop named Chowdhury's just across the road for anything from calling cards to the yummiest biryani in Glasgow.

c) Patrick Thomas Court: This is the cheapest of all the university accomodations and once again is for singles only. The rent is not inclusive of bills and rooms are not ensuite. However some room sizes are bigger than the other two accomodations. It would take almost the same time to reach the university as from Andrew Ure or maybe 5 mins more. This place is good for those who want to study hard since it is really quiet! We did have occassional dos here but its definitely my first option to party.

d) Accomodation in Cumbernauld: This is only for students with family and is in the form of a furnished flat (usually 2 bedrooms). However Cumbernauld is about 30 min away from Glasgow by bus. So you need to get up really early to attend classes! The cheapest way to travel is by taking a monthly bus pass with a student discount. Its very quiet and comfortable for families and even has schools nearby which is useful if you have kids.

In each of the first 3 accomodation facilities there are separate flats for guys and girls. So if your mom is scared of you getting naughty...this should give her some peace of mind.
If you are uncomfortable staying in a hostel, the other option is to find a private accomodation. Following is a lowdown on how to look for the same:

2) Finding a private accomodation
Finding a flat in Glasgow is quite easy especially if you are booking it for 11 months. When I joined my MBA program, I got my private accomodation sitting in Kolkata! The rent depends on location and number of rooms. A furnished 2 bedroom flat in central glasgow should cost between £500-£650 plus bills. If you prefer to stay away from city centre then you might get a better bargain. Try to book by early July since closer to the joining date (in September) it becomes difficult to find a flat. Also make sure that you take the flat till November of the next year. Even though you would finish dissertation by mid-September, graduation happens only in early November. So unless you have your contract till then it would be really difficult to find a place to stay for a month or two waiting for graduation. No one wants to give out flats for such short occupancy. A private accomodation can be a good alternative if you are with family and don't want to stay as far as Cumbernauld. Also if you are single and share the flat with one or two more guys it becomes quite cost effective. A private accomodation definitely gives more freedom.

The university has a website called Private Accomodations Database (PAD) which lists all landlords screened and approved by the university. Its a good place to start house hunting. You would need a username and password to access the site which can be obtained from the university accomodations office after you have a full offer for admission. The other good site is http://www.gumtree.com/.
Tenants in UK need to pay Council tax to the government every month. However as a student you are exempt of Council Tax. To get the waiver a letter needs to be collected from the University Registry and submitted to the Council Tax office in Glasgow. Details of how you can collect the letter will be given in your welcome pack during your induction.

The contact details of university accomodation service is as follows:
Heather Robertson
Admissions Coordinator
University of Strathclyde
Graduate School of Business - Admissions Office
Phone number - 00 44 141 553 6049
Fax number - 00 44 141 553 6162