University of East Anglia Guide 2020: Accommodation & Environment
All first year students, who live more than 4 miles from UEA are guaranteed accomodation...All accomodation at UEA is self catered, however it makes all halls very friendly and kitchens make great social areas...There are 10 halls of residences, eight of which situated on campus, one adjacent to campus and one in the city centre.
Accommodation policy: All first year students, who live more than 4 miles from UEA are guaranteed accomodation. Likewise, all international students are guaranteed accomodation. You can make a request to get into university accomodation in your second/final year, but there is no guarantee you'll be granted it.
Facilities: All accomodation at UEA is self catered, however it makes all halls very friendly and kitchens make great social areas. Kitchens are all equipped with a toaster, grill, hob, fridge, freezer, microwave oven and cupboards for each person. Only some halls have proper ovens though, which is a slight drawback (these tend to be the newer, ensuite halls). Most halls also have common rooms that you can use at your leisure and also pre book them if you want to hold a party or social in them. All bedrooms have a bed and matress, desk, chair, desk lamp, 2 drawer units, shelves and a wardrobe. In halls with shared bathroom facilities, each room has a sink (apart from Mary Chapman, Orwell and Wolfson).
Residences: There are 10 halls of residences, eight of which situated on campus, one adjacent to campus and one in the city centre.
Mary Chapman - the only accomodation not situated on or next to campus. It's just outside the city centre, and comprises blocks of flats sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities between about 6 people.
Waveney Terrace - the biggest accomodation block on campus, and is infamous for being party central. Depending on which story you believe, Waveney was built according to the plans of a Swedish prison, and at one time had the largest corridor in the country as it was possible to walk from one end right to the other (though now it's been split up). On each corridor in Waveney there are 12 single rooms and one shared room, with communal bathroom and kitchen facilities.
Orwell and Wolfson Close - two small blocks situated at the end of Waveney Terrace, but are set out as houses shared between 5 people, sharing a kitchen and bathroom and also a small communal living area in each house.
Norfolk and Suffolk Terraces - the famous Ziggurat accomodation blocks (they look like pyramids made of building blocks!). They were designed in this way so that every room and kitchen had a view onto the meadow and broad. Similar to Waveney each corridor shares a bathroom and kitchen between 14 people.
The Village - situated just across the road from the main campus and provides a quiter community than on campus. Split into several courtyards and houses, each block contains flats shared between 8 people. Kitchen facilities are shared, but each room has its own shower pod (in which its possible to be on the toilet, whilst having a shower and brushing your teeth!). The Village also has its own launderette so you don't have to drag your stuff all the way onto campus.
Nelson Court and Constable Terrace - these two halls are essentially the same in layout on the inside, but different buildings - Constable is a long building, Nelson is set out more in a courtyard - and are on opposite ends of campus (Nelson is near the union facilities looking onto the broad, Constable is towards the 'back' of campus near the Sainsbury Centre). Each are split into houses which are shared between 10 people. The rooms in Nelson and Constable are fairly large, and have their own ensuite bathroom. Unsurprisingly, they are the most expensive accomodation on campus.
Colman House - the newest addition to the university residences, Colman house is a very posh looking, and is the same rent as Nelson and Constable. You get ensuite for your money, and a large room (although apparently not quite as large as Nelson and Constable), and also the privilidge of being the most enviable accomodation on campus. Colman is set out in flats of 10 people, with a large shared kitchen.
Private sector: As most students, aside from first years, live off campus, housing is plentiful. Each year around March time the university holds a housing week, where they give talks about renting and distribute lists of available houses from university approved landlords. Most students live in the 'Golden Triangle', which is area enclosed by Bluebell Road at the university end, and Unthank and Earlham roads which run from either end of Bluebell Road and join in the city centre. Some students also live further down on the Dereham road, although this is a dodgier area, and no buses run between here and the university, meaning you'd have to walk in everyday. Rents vary, but for a good condition house you should be expecting to pay between 200-230 a month.
Environment
UEA is a campus university, built in the 1960's. There is some 'award winning' architecture, and the campus was originally designed so that no building was more than 10 minutes walk from any other building, and although the university has expanded considerably since then, they have tried to keep with this original idea. UEA also boasts a large broad (thats a lake to non-Norfolkians) and meadows which are an attempt to make the campus look nicer (but only succeed in the summer or in the snow!).
Architecture: Most of the university is built in drag grey concrete (apparently paint and bricks hadn't been invented in 1964). The famous pyramid like Ziggurats of Norfolk and Suffolk terraces are now listed buildings, even though they are built in concrete! The campus does not look very inviting in the grey winter mornings, but the atmosphere more than makes up for the less than aesthetically pleasing buildings!
Local area: The uni is quite safe, and being a campus doesn't tend to have too much crime apart from petty theft.