University Hall

I started my time at University Hall (Towers) planning to apply for RA, but by the end I couldn’t wait to leave. I met some awesome people I can’t wait to keep as friends, and others I hope I never see again. A few unexpected, unpleasant things happened to my friends and floor, and whenever we went to the hall for help, upper management handled it badly in one way or another. Jacob Waitere, the area manager, said the N word in front of some of my mates. When someone had an ambulance called for them, he held up his hand as we tried to speak to him and walked off. He also refused to help someone who almost died, saying, “we're adults now, and can sort ourselves out.” Both receptionists were absolutely lovely and helped more than anyone else. They both deserve a raise. The other management staff were kind of useless. My 10 y/o cousin could’ve run a hall for 550 people, many of them leaving home for the first time, better than they did. The hall had the potential to be a great place to nurture and develop students. But overall, incompetent management and RAs acting more like police than a support network meant it fell short in every aspect. My Rating, 💩/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve had some experience with a few Akl halls. Uni Hall is great for first years, probably the best choice if you want to have a successful first year.

There’s plenty to do here, with events and useful amenities that made student life enjoyable. Reception and management were reasonable with me, though they seemed stressed at times.

From what I’ve heard about other halls, this is one of the better quality ones. It can be pretty strict about the rules, mostly because it has a smart-student reputation to maintain.