In my first year at the university, I stayed in Polwarth House; the lowest-priced accommodation building available, at £88 per week.
I shared a thin hallway, one bathroom and an extra shower room, and a small kitchen with three other students. There was no common room, although the kitchen was enough for all of us to comfortably hang out in.
The bedroom was spacious; containing a 3/4 bed and a desk that stretched from the medium-sized wardrobe to the wall. There were more than enough plug sockets, and plenty of space to fit my drying rack and guitar. The sink area was small, but I could always use the one in the shared bathroom if I needed a bigger area. Compared with other similarly-priced accommodations’ bedrooms, I feel like I got my money’s worth out of it.
Everyone in the building was very sociable and friendly, and it was easy to get to my friends’ flats from my own. Most of my close friendships were made at flat parties in Polwarth. It is worth saying that it can get pretty noisy on the weekends – and the noise can carry – but any issues can be sorted out by phoning campus security. I found that a good pair of noise-cancelling earbuds was enough.
If you are a student looking to save money, and don’t mind the occasional party above you, I can’t recommend Polwarth enough.