Sciennes Reviews

Truly not as bad as some reviewers make it out to be. From what I've heard there have been problems with cleanliness a few years ago, but now Sciennes is great. My room is bigger than I anticipated and I can store everything in there; The common room is used by lots of people to just socialise and the RA's organise a few events a week. Location-wise it's great. It's not that far of a walk to George Square or Pleasance, and it is still decent if you study at Kings. When you get a Just Eat cycles subscription you will find that there is a bike station in the street. My biggest complaint is the wifi speed. It just sucks. It does not even work on my laptop, so please make sure that you can plug an ethernet cable into your laptop.

Sciennes is potentially on of Edinburgh’s worst halls. Each block has around 8-10 flats in, however the blocks are small and with only 4 people living in each flat it is very isolating. The RA’s made pathetic attempts to get people to socialise by treating us like 5 year olds and hosting ridiculous activities in the common rooms. The location was good but not very central. The cleaners were very friendly but inconsistent. They rarely turned up on their assigned days. This becomes a problem when you live with filthy individuals who fail to clean themselves let alone up after themselves. For the 212 students living in sciennes, 3 tumble dryers & 3 washing machines simply isn’t enough. I can’t think of time when i entered the laundry room and one of the machines, if not 2/3, wasn’t out of order for some reason. The bedrooms are very small and basic, however the flat overall is also very basic with only one communal area which has a lingering smell. £626 a month for this is a absolute con!

Value for Money - everywhere in Edinburgh is expensive but this accommodation has everything you need for a decent price. Location - it's literally a 5/10 minute walk from George Square campus. Hall management - No complaints. When repairs were needed they were done promptly. Cleaning - Cleaners are lovely and for the most part fellow students don't leave rubbish lying around. Common Room - They got a new common room a few years ago with a pool table, table tennis, tv etc. It get's used fairly frequently. (Hold a Sciennes Pres there) Social Experience - Everyone was generally nice and up for a chat. Never met anyone who didn't have good intentions, although international students can sometimes be reluctant to join in. Internet/Wifi - General Internet on your phone will suck but that just comes with the joys of being in Edinburgh, lots of places get limited service. Connection via ethernet is perfect but the wifi can sometimes play up. It's not as grim as people make it out to be.

Overflowing garbage bins outside residence entrance Entrance door way used as a toilet Heater in kitchen not working Cheapest sheets and bedding

Common room isn't used much, but it's easy to make friends with other flats when you bump into people. and the warden's great!

I am currently in my second year at saw mill, while it does not necessarily carry the cheaper price tag as some other halls do, the rooms are generally ( from seeing multiple other flats) quite good condition as everything only opened last year (2014) Internet speeds are quite good with an option to upgrade for £90, however, as someone who's course requires him to be watching plenty of on-line content, along with constantly downloading different pieces of software, I don't think this is necessary in the slightest. There are instances of course where the network might go down but unite are incredibly fast at fixing any issues relating to the INTERNET or any other concerns with your flat. In short - for a first year wanting some of the nicest accommodation around- It is definitely worth it. However in second year, I would recommend getting a cheaper place as the higher cost comes with a sacrifice on food budgets etc.