Inside Bluebell
Every time I tell someone that I live in Bluebell, I get one of two reactions. The first, notably from our friends at Rootes, laugh and tell me that my double bed and en-suite bathroom are not worth the social suicide of the ever- locking doors and “quiet” flats. The second is a more subtle derisive look, from our friends at Jack Martin/Arthur Vick, who appreciate that it is nice not to have to share a shower with anyone else, but are smug in the fact that they can walk and talk to anyone they like without feeling the pressure of having to unlock a door.
I am sick and tired of people telling me how much “Daddy” must have been put out by…
It is clear that the perception of Bluebell isn’t what I expected it to be when I got here. However, I wouldn’t change it. Behind the “We Twerk for Pizza” signs that most of you have probably seen and the beanbags that litter the open plan kitchens, I can assure you that it isn’t the snobbish prison that everyone seems to think it is. In fact, it is the opposite. Like every other accommodation, there are all different types of people and it doesn’t matter how much money they have or why they chose to live here. It matters that we are all here together and are trying to make the best of it.
I am sick and tired of people telling me how much “Daddy” must have been put out by the fact that I pay more than anyone else to stay on this campus. The fact is we all earned our place here and my reasoning behind choosing Bluebell was that if I am going to stay on campus for a year, then why not stay in the best accommodation that I can? Some of you may think it is overpriced and isn’t worth the money, but when you walk into your room after a heavy night of circling and find a clean, personal bathroom and a huge bed to collapse onto, you realise it is money well spent.
Like every other accommodation, there are all different types of people
Life on campus can be difficult at times and I have realised that the quiet periods that I spend in my room, away from the noise of the kitchen and anyone else, have actually kept me sane in the last eight weeks. I really love living here and that is why I ran for and became Bluebell President last week. It is going to be my job to change the way that people think about Bluebell this next year and really engage with those of you who think that this isn’t one of the best places to live on campus. So come at me, bro.
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Header Image Courtesy of: Warwick Accommodation
Comments (7)
Is unlocking a door too much pressure for you to handle then?
Is not unlocking a door something you feel is worth being smug about?
If you are trying to show Bluebell isn’t elitist then you are failing massively.
I, like most students who aren’t Freshers I imagine, have heard absolutely nothing about the social-side of living in Bluebell. When one hears ‘Bluebell’, I think the main issue for most is that it’s SO expensive that unless your parents are in the lowest wage bracket (so you get maximum loans/grants/university bursary) or they have enough money to fully support your living costs, it is just not feasible to consider living there. Which is the case most students are in. If you’ve got it, enjoy it, but don’t expect attitudes towards the accommodation to change as you are very lucky (some may say privileged) to be living there.
What about the fact that is inordinately difficult to make friends within Bluebell if you don’t happen to get along with your flat? You have the lottery of 8 people and as Bluebell is renowned for being antisocial anyway it’s very likely you could end up in a flat where everyone had already made other friends in Orientation, or didn’t want to socialise. I far less about the expense of Bluebell than I do about the dire situation you can end up in with flat mates. I was lucky in the fact that I had plenty of opportunities to establish friendships elsewhere but I would never recommend Bluebell to anyone.
What about the face that the annual rent is more than the total money received from student finance for some people?
I was going to say the same…it’s about £400 more than maximum loan for English students, so they do have to have additional funding (don’t know for other nations and parts of the UK). Bluebell and Sherbourne represent a big problem UK universities face: the need to wring as much money out of rich students as possible just to keep afloat. This means that the majority of students, both from home and abroad get the crumbs. Consider the fact that we haven’t constructed a new hall with shared bathrooms since the LATE 80S! ALL construction during the lifetime of the non-gapyearing undergraduate population has been towards getting more money out of students, and I think that’s fundamentally wrong.
But of course, not the fault of the Residents of Bluebell! I actually sympathise, as back in the day the same things were said of the Freshers of Heronbank, though it didn’t cost *quite* as much.
How about the fact that for some people the annual rent is more than the total amount of money they receive from student finance?