Calling any NATS students @ Hurn

[Bucking Bronco]

Hi

My girlfriend is at the final stage of selection for NATS Trainee ATCO. Now not wanting to tempt fate and count chickens and all that but...

if she gets onto the course what is the gen on accommodation?

I realise you get £100/wk living expenses for the 18 month course and people tend to start off in B&Bs for the first month then rent.

where everyone likes to live?
what's the typical rent you pay?
what's the typical rental term, 6,12 or 18 months?
is there much to chose from to rent in the area?
what are the chop rates on the course and is it at every stage on the course or just at the end?

Thanks and good luck with your courses...

Cheers

BB

[bored@work]

BB

I'm speaking as a former bournemouth renter, not a college student but here's my tuppence worth:

where everyone likes to live?
it'd be nice to live in Sandbanks, Dean Park or somewhere, but more affordable and still nice is anywhere roughly town centre on the bournemouth side of Holdenhurst Road - e.g Charminster has a load of well priced rentals. Some parts of Boscombe are getting better too.

what's the typical rent you pay?
I rented in Bournemouth for 2 years and with myself and another sharing a 2 bed flat in a nice part of town (Dean Park) we were paying 625 a month by the end. I wouldn't have paid much more but it was a nice location. In Charminster the going rate for a 2-bed is 500-650 depending on the flat and how close to centre of town. Alternatively you can get digs in some old bints house for maybe 60 a week. You can get a nice room in a shared flat for <300 a month.

what's the typical rental term, 6,12 or 18 months?
generally any multiple of 6 months if through an agency.

is there much to chose from to rent in the area?
How fussy are you? I was very fussy initially and it took me a fair few viewings to find something nice. Charminster has a fair lot simply cos it's big.

Best bet is a B'n'B for the first while then buy The Echo on a Thursday if you want digs or a room in a shared flat. Once you're there a while and make some mates get a flat in town.

as it happens i'm going to be renting my flat in bournemouth in September so if you're interested..........

cheers
B@W

[WX Man]

I'm looking to move to Bournemouth in September. Commuting up to the airport every day for an ATPL course at BCFT (= I'll be looking at 6 months renting). If anyone fancies looking for something together or signing over their contract to me, please say so!

[Bucking Bronco]

Bored at Work

Thanks for the heads up, have just got to wait to see if the missus gets in now. Once/if she does think we'll have to pop down from the big smoke to have a look around. Only thing though is she's very fussy and if she doesn't find something "suitable" bets are she'll be twisting my arm to buy us/her a place down there; from what you say though there should be lots of choice.

Cheers

BB

[bored@work]

this is sort of an ad, but also sort of trying to help here... honest. :O

anyway, if you're interested, i'm renting my 2 bed "luxury apartment" from September. It's my own pride and joy but I work for those dodgy europeans now so don't need it.

2 bed flat, 1 of 5 in old converted house, close town centre, all brand new, wooden floors etc, decked patio, GFCH, shower, all mod cons, fully furnished with sweden's finest, ORP, all that jazz. 625p/m for 6 month contract, 600p/m for a 12 month contract. bargain.

if your missus is fussy then this'll suit her nicely. not keen on the landlord though...

B@W

p.s if this ain't allowed just delete it.

[Phantom99]

I have just finished Aerodrome 1, and from my experience almost 75% of students, sorry trainees, stay in B&B to begin with, but often get tired of it and want to move out.

I stayed in a house with another trainee in Bearwood (about 15 mins drive to college) with a landlord, bills included but up to us to feed ourselves, for £50/wk.

There were a few people staying in flats or self contained annexes paying from £50 to £100 /wk, and I am moving into one for ADC2.

After the summer there will be a lot of summer holiday accomodation available, one of the best agencies is Bournecoast Holidays.

Give me a shout if you need any more info.

[leni]

hi

ive just finished my training in bmth. a lot of trainees use bournecoast holidays as they do short term lettings. they work out more expensive per month but trainees prefer to let in 3 monthly intervals in case they have to hold between courses.

often people will have a b+b booked for about a week on westby road and when they go for their induction week, they will decide to get a house or flat then sort it when they get to bmth. if by the end of induction week u havent anything sorted, the college will help u. id definitely recommend sharing with other trainees if ur not going to move down with her.

she may not be at college for 18 mths tho as the course structures are supposed to be changing soon and if she is applying now she'll probably not be going for a while yet, so the course could be shorter by then.

tell her good luck.
:D

[catcslave]

as nobody else answered this bit...
there are three sorts of assessments, written, verbal and practical (called summatives). written exams tend to be in the middle of every course, summatives are at the end of every course, works out about every three-four months i think(except for the second aerodrome course, where there used to be two lots, but this changed recently so not sure about that now).
you start the college of knowledge with two lives, fail any exam and you go back to the start of that course (which will probably involve holding at a unit for a couple months).fail again and you're more than likely out of a job. luckily for some of us, you do get two goes at each written and verbal exam.
its a lot of work, but worth it!
good luck to your missus
:ok:

[Barnaby the Bear]

Isn't it two lives if they believe its worth a second chance!:E

[LostThePicture]

I think you'd have to be pretty obnoxious to get "the bullet" after your first failure. I went through the college fairly recently and I never saw it happen.