Living in city accommodation as a postgraduate student

Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. Two minutes. Three minutes. Four minutes.

These minutes are important, and I will explain why shortly. But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Mercy Martins. I am a Nigerian doctoral student at the University of Bath. I live in one of the University’s city accommodations called Cleveland’s Building, and today I would like to share my experience of living there.

It would be easy to tell you only the best things about Cleveland’s Building and all my wonderful memories, but I do not think that would be a critical enough perspective. I am aware that people read posts like this to prepare themselves for studying at the University of Bath, and as an international student, I feel it is my responsibility to share a more honest perspective so that you can prepare well. However, whether city accommodation is the right choice ultimately depends on who you are and what you are seeking from your student experience.

Cleveland’s Building was, overall, an amazing place to live. The spaces were what I would describe as student friendly. Every piece of furniture had a purpose and was designed to maximise student living. I particularly loved the shelves and the very long tables, which were extremely useful. However, the building does not have a lift, and it can take some time to understand the layout, especially the different blocks. On the day I arrived, it took me about seven minutes to figure out where my room was. After that, I gradually understood the layout.

As an international doctoral student, the accommodation became a place where I could meet people and find my footing. I attended a few ResLife events and often worked in the common room. Yes, there is a common room where events are hosted, and where you can watch television as well as study. However, the best part of the experience was my flatmates. I lived with five flatmates from Britain, Barbados, Senegal, India and Hungary, and then there was me, the Nigerian. We lived together for one year. During our first week, we were given a box by ResLife that showed us how to cook pesto pasta. While that did not go very well, not my fault at all, it gave us a reason to bond. We cooked together, played cards, and slowly built friendships. Life abroad can be boring and frightening, but living in city accommodation gives you the privilege of not living far from the university while still having a social life. Now I will return to the numbers I mentioned at the beginning.

It takes me ten minutes to walk to a gym and leisure centre from my accommodation. As someone who loves swimming but never properly learnt how to swim, living in the city enabled me to take up that hobby and finally learn. It takes fifteen minutes from my accommodation to reach the heart of the city centre, where the train station, bus station and the University of Bath city building are located. That building is a place where you can read and study, and the area also has shops from most major brands. This is fifteen minutes of slow walking, and many people can get there in twelve.

It takes two minutes to walk to the bus stop that takes me directly to campus in under fifteen minutes. It takes three minutes to walk to Tesco to do my shopping. It takes only four minutes

to reach the Holburne Museum, where events are regularly hosted. It also has one of the best coffee shops in Bath, and the location itself is beautiful. Bridgerton was filmed there. From my window, I can watch the beauty of Bath unfold from dawn to dusk. I found a place for myself in the city. I made friends, learnt from other cultures, and became more deeply integrated into university life.

Living in city accommodation did not just give me a room, it gave me a sense of belonging