Swansea University - FAQ's For Undergraduates
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New Undergraduates
Frequently Asked Questions
- When do I apply for accommodation?
- When will I hear where I will be living?
- Am I guaranteed a place in residence?
- Am I guaranteed a place in my preferred residence?
- When should I arrive?
- What is included in my room?
- What is the situation with Internet and telephones in rooms?
- Can my parents sign my residence contract if I am away travelling?
- I'm not sure how to complete the Direct Debit for Residence Fees
- Can I bring my car?
- If I sign a contract for University residence am I committed for the full year?
- What happens if I am not happy in my room?
When do I apply for accommodation?
Students holding Firm offers will be able to make an on-line application from May onwards. If you are holding Swansea as your Insurance option you will not be sent information until UCAS advise us that you will be taking up this option.
It is not possible to apply on-line until you have Firmly Accepted an offer at Swansea.
When will I hear where I will be living?
If you have an Unconditional offer you will receive information in late July. If your offer is Conditional on examination results we will not confirm your accommodation allocation until your place at Swansea has been made unconditional. For most students this means late August, though Insurance candidates and those entering the University via Clearing will not receive information until September.
Am I guaranteed a place in residence?
Please see the section Accommodation Guarantees.
Am I guaranteed a place in my preferred residence?
We cannot guarantee a place in a specific residence even then some residences are over subscribed so this is not always the case. While the majority of students with Firm offers are housed in either their first or second preference, this is not the case for every student.
The self-catering accommodation at the Singleton Residences is always significantly oversubscribed, and students making this their first preference should think carefully about their other choices too.
The information on our eligibility explains more about this subject.
When should I arrive?
The designated arrival period for your place of residence will be included with the Offer Letter, which will also tell you where to collect the key(s) for your room.
Please see Arriving at Your Accommodation.
What is included in my room?
Bed , 
Desk & Chair, 
Wardrobe,
Bookcase / Shelf & 
NoticeBoard
All Halls have:
Microwave**, 
Ironing Board, 
Fridge / Freezer,
Kitchen Bin & 
Dustpan & Brush.
**Excludes Block B&C at Ty-Beck house
What will I need to bring:
Bed Linen / Sheets, Duvets / Blankets, 
Towels,
Crockery & Cooking Utensils***.
*** Many student wait until they arrive to buy cooking equipment such as Kettles and Toasters as they can be bought at reasonable cost from the local supermarket and they often just split the cost.
What is the situation with Internet and telephones in rooms?
Wireless broadband Internet connection to the University network is available at the Singleton Residences, Hendrefoelan Student Village and Beck House There is no additional charge for residents to use this system. Students will require a PC that is wireless enabled to access the service and must register their computer with Library and Information services. See the LIS website for more information. This facility is primarily for academic computing requirements.
All single student rooms in university residence have telephones that also provide a modem Internet connection for leisure computing.
When you arrive you will be given your own personal telephone number, and a voice-mail facility. Calls to other students in University residences and to the University's own internal network are free. Other calls can be made by means of a card with a PIN number which you can credit from your bank account, or by using pre-paid cards which can be bought at the University. The system is operated by ntl. Visit their website for more information, including tariffs and how you can connect to the Internet from your room. The LIS web pages provide further information about bringing/buying your own PC.
The ntl system also provides a TV point in each room and in shared kitchens, so good reception is always assured.
There is also free Internet access for students in Open Access PC Labs on campus.
I'm not sure how to complete the Direct Debit for Residence Fees
The most common queries we get about the direct debit are:-
Can the payment be made from my parent's bank account?
Yes. But make sure that your name is entered where the form asks Student Name
What should go into the Student Reference after ACC?
This should be your 6-digit (i.e. 123456) student number that is given at the top of your letter from admissions.
Can the payment come from any type of account?
It must come from a British bank account that can accept BACS transactions. Check with your bank if you're not sure.
For more information please see our Fees Information.
Can I bring my car?
Parking is available for students at Hendrefoelan Student Village and Beck House. However, it is not possible for students to park on the Singleton Campus.
Students living in the Singleton Campus Residences are NOT able to bring cars, as the only parking available is off-campus. It is not necessary to have a car to get around Swansea, as bus services are frequent.
If I sign a contract for University residence am I committed for the full year?
Yes, you have signed a legal contract that runs until the end of the academic year.
It is only possible to release you from your residence contract in one of the following circumstances.
- You cease to be enrolled as a student at the University
- There is another student not already in University residence available to take over the room
- You have medical circumstances that render the accommodation unsuitable for you. (You will need to supply evidence of this.)
If you are considering moving out of residence you are strongly advised to contact Residential Services before signing a contract with another landlord.
What happens If I am not happy in my room?
If you want to change rooms within your current residence, or move to another residence, or are not happy in your accommodation for any reason then you should come to the Residential Services and complete a Transfer Request form, see Transfers and Waiting Lists for more information. If the situation is more serious or then you can request to talk to someone in private who will be able to listen and advise you.
Transfer requests cannot be submitted in the first week of session. When a room which may be suitable becomes available, staff will contact you by phone or email. You will have an opportunity to look at the new room before deciding whether to move.
Sometimes it is possible for transfers to be done within a few days, and usually within a couple of weeks. However some students may wait several weeks, or even months, if no suitable rooms become vacant.