Frequently Asked Questions: Postgraduate Life
Here are some frequently asked questions relating to postgraduate life at Cardiff University. For further information, please see the Life section of our website.
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- As a postgraduate student, can I live in university accommodation?
- Is there much private accommodation available for students who want to live away from the main campus?
- I don’t know anyone else starting a postgraduate course in Cardiff. How will I find someone with whom to share a house/flat?
- How much are rent prices generally in Cardiff?
- Will I have to pay Council Tax as a postgraduate student?
- What childcare facilities are available to students at Cardiff University?
- What services does the University’s Graduate Centre offer?
- How does the Graduate Centre differ from the University Graduate College?
- What extra-curricular activities can I get involved in?
- How can I get to meet postgraduates from outside my academic school?
As a postgraduate student, can I live in university accommodation?
All overseas/EU postgraduate students are guaranteed a single occupancy place in University residences if they submit an online application and make a pre-payment in line with the deadline date relevant to that session.
Unfortunately we are unable to guarantee UK postgraduates a place in University residences. For further information on the guarantee of residences, University residences and associated residences fees, please visit the Residences web site.
For more information on how to go about finding private accommodation, please see our accommodation page in the Life section.
Is there much private accommodation available for students who want to live away from the main campus?
Yes. Cardiff is fortunate to have plenty of private accommodation which is available to students, particularly in the Cathays and Roath areas of the city. The list of private accommodation distributed by our Residences Office to postgraduate students in August this year, for example, ran to 16 pages in length! For more information about private sector accommodation in Cardiff, please visit the University Residences webpages. You could also opt to live in one of the four private halls of residence which have recently been opened in Cardiff: Victoria Hall, Allensbank House, Severn Point and Ty Point Haearn. More details are available at our accommodation page in the Life section.
I don’t know anyone else starting a postgraduate course in Cardiff. How will I find someone with whom to share a house/flat?
Our Postgraduate House Hunting event offers an ideal opportunity for new postgraduates to get to know a number of like-minded people with whom to look for shared accommodation. The event, held in late August each year, is specifically aimed at UK postgraduates and it includes social time, as well as time to organize viewings and check out the properties which are available to rent. The 2010 House Hunting Event will be held on August 18th - 20th; for information on costs and the activities included in the House Hunting package, please see the House Hunting Event webpage.
How much are rent prices generally in Cardiff?
Cardiff has competitive rent prices in comparison to many other university cities. For a room in a shared house 15 minutes walk from the Cathays Park campus, you should generally expect to pay in the region of £250 per month. For details on the cost of living in a private hall of residence, please use the links available on our accommodation page in the Life section.
Will I have to pay Council Tax as a postgraduate student?
If you are a full-time postgraduate student, you are not liable to pay Council Tax during your studies. Part-time students are still liable for Council Tax. If you are going to be a full-time postgraduate, you will automatically receive a Council Tax exemption certificate from the University in the November of your first year.
What childcare facilities are available to students at Cardiff University?
The University has its own daycare centre which is located centrally at 43-45 Park Place, virtually opposite the University’s Main Building. It provides facilities for Cardiff University students and staff, with priority given to the children of full-time students. For further information on the Daycare Centre please see their website.
What services does the University’s Graduate Centre offer?
The Graduate Centre supports our academic schools by offering additional resources of space, study and social facilities, workshops and events for postgraduate students. Most notably, these events include an induction programme at the start of each academic year to help new students find their way around the campus and the city, the Research Students’ Skills Development Programme and the ‘Starting Out’ conference. Please see the Graduate Centre website for further details.
How does the Graduate Centre differ from the University Graduate College?
The Graduate Centre is entirely separate from the University Graduate College. While the former provides study and social space for postgraduates, including an IT room, Reading Room and the Graduate Centre Café Bar, the latter was established to promote interaction between students and staff within and between different subject areas. In particular, the University Graduate College aims to strengthen links between researchers, most notably in research areas that cross school and traditional disciplinary boundaries. The University Graduate College also organizes intellectual and social events for postgraduates, from seminars to training sessions to postgraduate socials. Above all, the University Graduate College increases the level of support available to postgraduates, complimenting that provided by individual departments.
What extra-curricular activities can I get involved in?
Almost anything you like within reason! Please see the Students’ Union website at www.cardiffstudents.com for details on the Union’s programme of entertainment and multitude of clubs and societies.
How can I get to meet postgraduates from outside my academic school?
A good place to start is the Postgrad Welcome Week organized each year for new postgraduates. The event takes place at the end of September each year. For more information on this, please visit the Postgrad Welcome Week pages.
In addition, both the Graduate Centre and the Postgraduate Social Society run various social events throughout the year, with the aim of helping students meet others outside their academic school.
