Student blogs

It’s Beit as in bite not Beit as in bait

Don’t worry, I was calling it “Bait” right until the moment when my hall senior greeted me on move in day and I’d just made a fool of myself by pronouncing it wrong for months! My time in halls this year has absolutely flown by. Do I feel like I made the most of my time here? Probably not, but with 3 weeks left I look forward to enjoying the benefits of living in such a prestigious and lively area in the heart of London. I’ll split this post into 2 sections what I’ve liked and disliked about Beit, and what to consider when choosing halls.

I am in love with the life at Beit because:

• It’s on the main South Kensington campus2 minutes away from most departments, including campus eateries and the 24/7 library. Short commutes mean a better chance of getting into lectures even after a night out and thus more productive use of time
  • Convenient to get to Ethos, Imperials onsite gym, pool and sports hall
  • Ability to use the library through the night and not worry about getting home
• Location
  • Hyde park (our extensive back garden) is super convenient for a quick walk or run, or even a picnic in the summer

    

     

  • The hub of South Kensington is just a five minute walk away, whether to use the station to get into town, or to get food from one of the many cafes and restaurants in the area
  • Museums on our doorstep meaning you can visit throughout the year and by getting there early can avoid queues
  • great night bus connections into/ out of central London after nights out (the N9 is a saviour)
  • Bedrooms on the east floors have views of the Royal Albert Hall, so you get a front seat to all of the red carpets of the awards
  • and film premiers
• Union in our building
  • Having the union in the same quad means you’ll never have to worry about how to get home after sports night
  • Convenient access to curly fries (strongly re
  • commend) and plenty of other good but not money burning food
  • Many societies are based out of the union so its always quick to get somewhere
  • Feel at the centre of life at Imperial

• It’s one of the largest halls
  • Plenty of people to meet means you have ample opportunity to find “your people”
  • Flats of 10-12 people means you don’t always see the same people but it’s also small enough group that you all become
    genuinely good friends
  • It’s a very social hall with two large common rooms that can be used, and many hall-organised predrink events with free alcohol
  • Lots of events including BBQs, free cake, ice cream and film nights, karaoke and free breakfasts every Sunday
  • Offers 4 types of rooms: single and shared ensuite and single and shared with shared bathrooms
• My only qualms about Beit would be:
  • noisy on sports nights till 2am, so often you have to se the library to work on louder nights
  • It’s not one of the new purpose built halls, but still much nicer than other halls I’ve visited in Imperial and other universities

 

What to remember when choosing accommodation

• Price – Consider what you can actually afford, as on top of halls you’ll have other expenses such as food, clubs and societies, going out and travel. For halls that require a commute it’s worth considering the cost of taking the tube each day.
• Sharing a bathroom – Bathrooms get cleaned nearly everyday so would it be that bad to share a bathroom?
• Whether you’ll have the motivation to commute in or will you only come in if you live next door
• If you think you’ll do a lot of clubs, especially sports or performing arts its great to be near the main campus so you can get back easily after training/matches which can end late
• Do you want to get some fresh air and exercise and walk through the park each morning? If yes then consider Pembridge and Wilson in Notting Hill and Paddington respectively as commutes both involve a short 15 minute walk through the park

Wherever you get to live next year I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as everyone I know has enjoyed their halls this year, whether it was their first choice or not!

I’ll leave you this ridiculously cheesy welcome video to the life at Beit from this year’s Hall Seniors