Preparing for your move into Junxion

Junxion is by far the best of all the student accommodations (there is a chance I’m biased). It is closer to uni than many of the halls, right opposite the library and in perfect view of the student union bar and nightclub – this is useful for spotting any spare seats outside when it’s hot, and keeping an eye on the queues for the Engine Shed.

It might seem a long way off now, but the summer after your A levels goes SO quickly, and before you know it, you’ll be moving into halls. These are a couple of pointers to help you prepare for moving into Junxion, and a bit of advice that I’m glad I had.

You can move into Junxion earlier than term starts

I went to visit and get my keys with my mum before term started, which was really helpful as you miss the crazy panic of the ‘official’ moving in day, when everyone from Courts and Brayford Quays will be moving in. I got to check out my room, dibs the kitchen cupboard I wanted, and have a look around before it got too hectic. It also helped me write a list of things I needed to bring back up with me when I moved in for real – it made the whole process a lot smoother.

The kitchen

The kitchens are pretty sparsely equipped. You have a TV, two sofas, a table, a fridge and an oven, but beyond that, they’re pretty empty. I would suggest getting in contact with the accommodation office to see what is supplied and what you’ll need to bring yourself. I managed to find my flatmates on the Junxion freshers page before I moved in, which helped us organise who was going to bring what, and what there was left still to buy.

Your room

The rooms are small but really cosy, and come with a bed, chair, shelves, desk, bin and an en-suite. The beds are about 4ft beds, so they’re slightly smaller than a double. DO NOT buy a loose bed sheet though – the beds are up against the wall and difficult to manoeuvre. Fitted sheets will work just fine and make everything so much easier.

You might want to buy a mirror of some kind too – there is one in the bathroom, but it’s nice to have a full length one. I was lucky enough to have had someone stick one to my wardrobe door, but my other housemates weren’t so lucky.

Extension leads are also a must! The plugs in the rooms are quite tricky and awkward, especially if you want to have a bedside light and plug your laptop and phone in all at the same time. They were handy to have around and enable you to move things around, without having to worry about where you’re plugging everything in.

Bathmats! This may seem strange, but the bathrooms are pretty small, and quite humid. You have a fan in there and everything, but without a bathmat, the floor will stay constantly wet. You can hang it up on a towel rail once you stop using it to stop it getting dirty, but it’s an item I was really glad I bought.

Requesting your room

This is by far, the best advice I found about moving into Junxion. You can request your room. A lot of second and third years move back to halls, so some freshers can end up with them. On the day you get accepted to your halls, you can phone up and request to be put into a flat full of freshers, or any year depending on what experience you want. I was also warned against facing the atrium, which is the smoking area and can get pretty loud at night. A lot of people don’t mind these things, but I was on the bottom floor and my housemates often complained about people banging on their window, or their rooms smelling of smoke. Luckily, I’d read this advice, and had already requested a room facing away from the atrium.

Finally, be excited! Freshers is an amazing time of your life, and living in Junxion will certainly contribute to making it the best year of your life.