Well…I never imagined I’d be attending LSE during a global pandemic! With the new academic term kicking off with yet another lockdown, I thought I’d give you guys a little insight into the accommodation I’m residing at. Keep reading if you’d like to know about the food, rooms, location and amenities that my Halls of Residence, Carr-Saunders, has to offer!
Location of Carr-Saunders
Carr-Saunders oozes convenience – well-placed in the central location between Fitzrovia and Regent’s Park, where most of our socials take place. Just off Russell Square and Tottenham Court Road, Carr-Saunders is just a 15-minute walk from the West End, Soho and Chinatown, where you can get some of the best bubble tea London has to offer at Biju Bubble Tea Room Soho or Cuppacha. If you’re like me and have an ironically unhealthy gym obsession, we have two that are extremely close to the accommodation. I exercise at PureGym which is closest to Carr-Saunders but there is also The Gym Bloomsbury which I’ve heard great reviews about as well. In terms of the ease of food shopping, we are located super close to all the mini-supermarkets including, but not limited to, Tesco, Lidl and Sainsbury’s. For shopaholics like myself, whom have ended up with multiple outfits and nowhere to wear them (but hopefully from summer things will be different), Oxford Street is a five-minute walk away.
Rooms
In relation to the rooms Carr-Saunders has to offer, there are typically four types of rooms available and they all have 31-week contracts. This basically means that you have to move out of the accommodation every holiday (Christmas & Easter) which isn’t too bad! Usually, the staff allow you to keep a small suitcase in the store room, although this is at your own discretion.
The four rooms that Carr-Saunders offer include:
- Single room (with a shared bathroom)
- Single room (with a queen-size bed and a shared bathroom)
- Twin room (with a shared bathroom)
- Twin room (with an en suite private bathroom)
I stayed in a single room with a shared bathroom (but I do wish I’d chosen a single room with a queen-size bed – those rooms are usually slightly bigger but you didn’t hear it from me!). Personally, I found the room facilities to be reasonable – it included all the basics a ‘studious’ LSE fresher could want, such as a desk, lamp and multiple conveniently-placed plug points for endless electronic devices.
You get a small wardrobe and three drawers to fit all of your belongings, including your own bedding (although, you are provided with a quilt and two pillows). In terms of packing, less is more. *Continues to ignore his own advice and overpack for Lent Term!*
Food
As Carr-Saunders is one of LSE’s catered accommodations, we are typically provided six dinners and one brunch per week in term-time. Usually, there are at least one vegan, vegetarian, halal and meat option, respectively, to cater to various dietary requirements. The weekly menu, usually posted in our Facebook group, offers food from various cuisines including Indian, Mediterranean, and Mexican, to name a few. On top of that, our Caterers also provide festive-themed menus for Christmas, Diwali and the Lunar New Year!
Amenities in the accommodation
Both the common room and basement have been closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, we did get the opportunity to use them in the Michaelmas Term. The common room has multiple sofas, a ping-pong table, foosball table, two televisions and a snooker table. The basement can also be used as a projector/cinema room, in which our Hall committee arranged social events for each floor. You are also able to hire the basement which, due to its empty space, can be used as a club. Additionally, we have a self-service laundry room with an iron and ironing board. I would recommend watching a YouTube video or a TikTok on how to use the washing machine, because if I’m being completely honest, I was baffled at first (or maybe you might be more domesticated than me)! Lastly, Carr-Saunders also has a small study room in which you have access to desktops and printers, perfect for those all-nighter, last minute essays!
Stay tuned for my next post, in which I’ll be giving you my very own review of my Michaelmas Term at Carr-Saunders! (P.S. for more information on Carr-Saunders, including a 360 degree tour, click here).
This post was written in late February 2021. See here for the latest UK government guidance on coronavirus. Find out more on LSE’s response to coronavirus here.
Super informative! Will definitely be picking carr Saunders next year!!
Thanks Dan! Great choice!
Amazing post! Quirky, fun to read and very informative! Well done Ramesh.
Thank you Sashina!
Such an informative post! Carr-Saunders sounds like a great choice for accommodation!
Thanks Janvi!
Loved it! Very informative and giggled a little too. Good one mate.
Thanks Ana, glad you enjoyed it.