An accommodation site right in the heart of Salford University, you are sure to meet people from all over the world and make new friends with ease whilst staying here, you will also love its proximity to some of the university and student union services. Horlock Court is due to be replaced by the new student residences in September 2015, you can read about that here.

The Location

Yes indeed the location, never again will you have to plan your mornings because this accommodation is slap bang in the middle of campus. You can set your alarm for 8:45 and have no problem attending your 9am lecture, maybe even swing by the Students' Union shop (which is in the same building) for a cheeky cereal bar. Let’s not forget that you are directly opposite the Students' Union which houses an array of services including the advice centre, student activities and the brand new bar/café!

The Transport

Salford University is very fortunate to have two main modes of public transport right on its doorstep. Chapel Street has a wonderous amount of buses running along it; I would wager the frequency of buses to Manchester is every 3-4 minutes.  Salford Crescent is the campus train station and is on the main line to Manchester, trains frequent every 10 minutes or so and it is incredibly cheap which is always nice. Don't forget to get your railcard.

The Courtyard

Horlock has peculiar architecture in the sense that there is a huge courtyard built atop the Students' Union shop and is frequently used for outdoor gatherings. There are benches and green bicycle storage boxes that I once drank a beer funnel from an overly excited American student who had climbed onto it, good times. During September this area will be full of students wanting to meet other students so get involved!

The Americans

As I slightly alluded to earlier Horlock court houses American exchange students every year, they are tremendous fun and it is 100% worth your time speaking to these guys as they are from a completely different culture, you may learn a thing or two from them. I spent a week long field trip in Dale, Wales with them and wish I knew them before the trip as they went back to the states shortly after.

The Construction

You are coming at a time of change for the University and they are constructing two new buildings at either side of Horlock Court so this is a fair warning regarding the noise during 9-5. The building opposite the Library is the Gateway Project  and the buildings opposite the Students' Union are the new accommodation blocks that will replace Horlock Court, Castle Irwell and Constantine Court in September 2015. You can read about those on the University website here.

The Security

Whilst all the accommodation at Salford does have 24/7 security, the campus is constantly patrolled by the security team so you won’t have to worry about being safe here. That doesn’t mean you should leave your belongings around the place unchecked because that would just be silly. The security team at Salford are exceedingly nice so they won’t mind a quick chat with you, maybe ask to see their control room as it is really quite impressive.

The Green Space

Sadly, during the construction period we have temporally lost the field opposite the Students' Union which was fantastic but there are still pockets of green space around the campus that you can enjoy. Peel Park is something every student should check out, it was the first public park in England when it opened in 1846 and it is located behind the University campus.

The Sports Centre

You are approximately 2 minute walk from the University Sports Centre so there’s no excuse when it comes to exercise, it houses a gym, swimming pool, sauna and many other things so check it out. You also get a whole year membership for £20 which is stupendously cheap for what the sports centre offers in return. Take advantage of this offer.

The Bedroom Size

Yes - you will be living in a shoebox for 8 months but it’s affordable and perfectly liveable, if you approach university properly you won’t be spending much time in your bedroom anyway. The kitchen and living areas and much larger and communal gatherings frequently happen so don’t lock yourself away in your room all year. Make it your home, put posters on the wall, use all the flyers during Welcome Week to plaster the walls, make a collage with all your new housemates and pin them up.

Thanks for reading.

Alex studied at Salford for 4 years, graduated in 2013 and in the same year went on to start his 1st sabbatical year as Vice President for the Science and Technlogy College. Alex is currently in his second term as Vice President until July 2015. Author: Alex Thorp Email: vpst-ussu@salford.ac.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorpussu Twitter: https://twitter.com/SalfordVPST