Katie found Pritchatts House modern, quiet, and eco-friendly - great storage, social spaces, and a safe, friendly vibe made her first year feel just right.
Choosing the right accommodation is important in your first year of university, and hopefully I can help with your decision by telling you a bit about my experience living in Pritchatts House. In this blog, I am going to tell you about my time, experiences and reflections of living in Pritchatts Park Village.
Pritchatts Park is one of the three main areas for first-year accommodation at the University of Birmingham. The area tends to get overlooked as it is roughly a third of the size of The Vale, but it’s a great student village! It is located very close to the university - just a 10-minute walk away (and is closer than The Vale). This was great as it meant I didn’t have to wake up ridiculously early for my 9 am lectures, and I could easily get into campus.
The student village is beautiful and relaxing, with trees everywhere. There is also a shared space called the Hub right next to Pritchatts House, which everyone in the student village can use. It includes essentials like a laundry room and reception, but there is also a pool table and two big TVs that get used a lot. Even though it is a smaller village, there are still lots of socials hosted by the university and the guild, like a big Halloween event with free food and sweets!
I had a self-catered en-suite room in Pritchatts House, in a flat of 12 students. The building had been redone that year, so all the rooms and kitchens were very modern. The kitchen was modern and big enough for all of us, with lots of cupboard and fridge space. Me and my flatmates were good friends and did lots of things together in the kitchen, like parties and film nights.
My room had a small double bed which was fitted to the wall, so it felt cosy. My en-suite was small but had all the shelving I needed and a good fan, which meant my room never got damp.
My favourite thing about my room was the amount of storage space and shelving. There were shelves above my bed and on my walls, and storage under my bed along with a big cupboard.
Another great part of the room was that because it was redone as an eco-friendly building, my walls and windows were soundproof. This might not seem important, but I was always grateful for it if my flatmates were having a party when I had a 9 am lecture the next day! Along with this, we didn’t need the heating as much!
Even though Pritchatts Park is a smaller village, there are still lots of socials hosted by the university and the guild, like a big Halloween event with free food and sweets! The Hub, right next to Pritchatts House, is a shared space that everyone in the student village can use. It includes essentials like a laundry room and reception, but there is also a pool table and two big TVs that get used a lot.
The road from Pritchatts House to the campus is also well-lit and safe, even at night. For even more safety, there is security in the student village, and the reception is open 24/7 in case of any problems. The building also has a laundry room, a reception that operates from Monday to Friday, 9 am-5 pm, and staff (security and maintenance) that work 24/7. I always felt secure knowing that I lived in a safe environment.
In a typical day, I love going to the gym or taking part in one of our music ensemble rehearsals.
