Student Only Swanston House

I’ve made so many friends here, and the staff are awesome. Patricia, Lokesh and MK are really nice to students. Best student roost in Belfast, and I love living here.

The location is good. That’s about it. If you have a heavy course load, living at Swanston can depend a lot on your neighbours because the noise rules aren’t properly enforced. They only kick in after 11pm, so there can be yelling, screaming and loud music right up to 10:59pm, even during exam season. If neighbours are disruptive, Swanston may give them a gentle reminder, but you might have to beg reception just to get that much. The noise can still carry on into the early morning. Friends have dealt with plenty of noise from the courtyard overnight. Their rooms are right above it, so when they open the windows, they also get second-hand cigarette smoke inside. The studio amenities are mediocre: a microwave oven and a noisy mini fridge. The stove fan is weak even at full power, while the smoke detectors are very sensitive and almost directly above the stove, so they go off often. The carpeted hallways and stairways are dirty and usually smell of cigarette smoke. If you like partying and don’t have much coursework or exams, it might be great. For someone like me, the opposite is true. It’s a nightmare.

Trish (Patricia) made my stay at Swanston much better. She always took the time to sit down and help me sort things out, whether it was an accommodation problem or a question I had as an international student. Some days she felt like a godsend, sharing kind or genuinely useful things I didn’t know about Northern Ireland. I’ve come to trust her, and I’m really glad Student Roost hired her. We need more people like her.

The events here are how I made most of my uni friends. They’re creative and fun, nothing like the usual student events, and I love living at Swanston. MK was the first person I met here. She makes a point of remembering people’s names and what they’re up to, which is great. I’d recommend this place to anyone.