Sid's experience of living in Stratford One during their studies at Loughborough University London.

Hi, I’m Sid and I’m a current student at Loughborough University London. During my studies, I have been living at the university’s recommended student accommodation Stratford One, which has been a really good experience!

Living in Stratford One has made it easy for me to settle into university and make friends. In this accommodation you will meet plenty of students from different courses and universities across London. I really enjoy being around students my age and if you ever want to meet new people, it is much easier to do this in student accommodation than privately rented properties.

I feel completely at home living in Stratford One, and I have truly found a community here. The university has been great at providing “ice-breaker” events to help us meet new students and, for me, the fact that there are a lot of Indian students in my accommodation and the university have especially made it feel more like home.

Facilities and security at Stratford One

At Stratford One, I have a small ensuite room with an attached private bathroom. It is very cosy and serves all the needs a student could want! It comes with a study table, a comfy bed, and has lots of storage - it’s perfect for one person to live in. The shared kitchen is a large open space with a seating area, 2 fridges and freezers, 2 stoves and ovens, a microwave, 2 sinks and enough storage space for all 10 of us.

Stratford One has fantastic social and study facilities. I enjoy the game facilities like table tennis, pool, and foosball. I often enjoy using the gym, which is open for most of the day, and the cinema theatre room. There are also open rooftop garden terraces which encourages students to step out of their room from time to time and just sit outside and enjoy the fresh air – it's very relaxing!

In the accommodation, you also have study rooms and discussion rooms that are open 24/7 for students. This is very helpful during submission week and exam season! It’s been beneficial to have a separate space from your room to relax and study so you can get in the right mindset to concentrate on work.

Staff are supportive and are always there to help you with your requests. The security at Stratford One ensures students are safe and secure, for example, they check ID cards occasionally when people enter and make guests sign in and out when entering or leaving the building.

Commuting to campus and central London from Stratford One

The commute to campus is just a 15 minute walk across the bridge or through the iconic Olympic Park. You can also choose to get on the free 4 minute bus that stops right outside the campus. I’ve found the walk to campus to be beneficial for my mental health, as it really helps you to enjoy the weather and gets your day off to a brighter start.

In terms of connectivity, Stratford One is located next door to Stratford International Station, which takes you to St Pancras station in 7 minutes. You can also take a 15 minute walk to Stratford station. From there, it takes you less than 15 mins to reach Central London. The connectivity for both campus and central London is a huge plus point for Stratford One.

Shopping and restaurants near Stratford One

The Westfield shopping centre is a 5 minute walk away and is very convenient. There are supermarkets for groceries and several shops for any other requirements. They also have a cinema theatre for those interested where you can watch films with your friends.

Across the bridge is Stratford centre, which has even more shops, including cheaper grocery stores like Lidl, Sainsbury and Poundland. Both centres have restaurants to suit a wide range of international cuisines which are very reasonably priced.

Sporting facilities near Stratford One

Loughborough University is known for being the number one university for sports, and being a huge sports enthusiast myself, this was my always my dream university. I chose Loughborough University London campus due to its fantastic location and the ability to network within the sports industry. Living in Stratford One, it’s easy to get to the university, which means I can get involved with more opportunities on campus. I am now part of the Coach and Volunteer Academy which is a new sports committee responsible for all sport-related events at the university.

At the London campus, you are located on the 2012 London Olympic Park. Here there are fantastic facilities to play sports. I enjoy playing football here and at the hackney marshes nearby to Stratford One, which is where I play at the Sunday League every week!

Why I recommend living in Stratford One

I would definitely recommend Stratford One to future students at Loughborough University London. It is a great accommodation for its proximity to the university, ability to meet new people, connectivity to stations and to central London, and overall it has been a fantastic experience.

Even in my lowest moment where I sprained my ankle, my friends and roommates came to my aid and were there to help me. The Loughborough and Stratford One staff are very kind and willing to help wherever they can too. Living here in London has been a dream for me, and I hope to settle down in this area more permanently after graduation.