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3.34 / 5
3.34 / 5
0.2 mi from University of Kent - Canterbury View map
  • 4 mins
  • 2 mins
  • 4 mins
0.2 mi from University of Kent - Canterbury View map
  • 4 mins
  • 2 mins
  • 4 mins

How do you rate Darwin College?

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Most helpful review

Its the cheapest thing so u get what you pay for. Its not bad decent room but you do share a bathroom and shower with 5 people and a kitchen with 10 so it does get very dirty.

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By member8121574
On 22nd October 24
verified Verified student
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Most helpful review

Its the cheapest thing so u get what you pay for. Its not bad decent room but you do share a bathroom and shower with 5 people and a kitchen with 10 so it does get very dirty.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
By member8121574
On 22nd October 24
verified Verified student
Read all reviews

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All the Answers You Need About Student Accommodation

What tenancy length do I need?

Some students choose to stay during the academic year, whilst others – particularly international students – require a tenancy that covers the entire year. You can also find student accommodation that is available for one or two terms, classified as a “short stay” on our search filters.

Should I stay in catered student accommodation?

This is totally up to you! Catered accommodation means you will be served meals at set times in a dining hall, and you’ll likely have access to fewer kitchen facilities than if you were to stay in self-catered accommodation.

What is a guarantor and do I need one?

A guarantor is a person who signs a contract to agree to pay your rent if you are unable to. Most university accommodation requires a guarantor, and this applies to both domestic and international students.

Will I need to pay a deposit on student accommodation?

Most likely, yes, you’ll need to pay a deposit. This will be refunded at the end of your stay as long as there is no damage to the room or property.

What bills will my rent include?

If you are staying in university-run accommodation or private halls, your rent should include any utilities such as electricity, gas, water, and internet. Students are not required to pay council tax, however you may need to fill in an exemption form so make sure you check with your local council.

What is purpose-built student accommodation?

Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) are residential buildings designed for students. They are often located close to campus, boast modern facilities, include all bills, and often have staff on site to assist residents.

Will my student accommodation be furnished?

Student accommodation is typically fully furnished. Your room should include at least a bed, clothes storage, desk and chair. You’ll likely need to bring things such as bedding and kitchen utensils, but we have a full list here of everything you’ll need.


Read Darwin College Reviews


Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member8121574 On 22nd October 24 verified Verified student

Its the cheapest thing so u get what you pay for. Its not bad decent room but you do share a bathroom and shower with 5 people and a kitchen with 10 so it does get very dirty.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member792566 On 13th October 23 verified Verified student

Realitvely good value for money, but is built like a prison and you will feel that. Socialising is probably one of the best places for it as you're forced to speak to others due to the way the kitchen is laid out but the rooms are like cells and if you are a light sleeper STAY AWAY, the doors slam very loudly and sound travels as the building is so old. If you don't mind that then you'll be fine

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Student Review: 3.1 /5
By member1239415 On 16th June 19 verified Verified student

It was value for money being one of the cheapest on campus. However there was absolutely no social space at all (except the kitchen) while other halls often had sofas etc. The cleaning was okay but they were often late on providing things like toilet roll etc. Social experience will be different for everyone depending on whether you get along with your dormmates or not

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member1039410 On 16th June 19 verified Verified student

Darwin College is an old building so it does have problems. The rooms are a reasonable size but there is no social area within the flat. The toilet and shower are separate which is nice. The plumbing for the shower is very good, but it is not as good for the toilet. The kitchen accommodates for 10 people and there is plenty of room for all of your belongings. Cleaners are inconsistent

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member638997 On 6th June 19 verified Verified student

One of the cheapest residence and was not very good quality. No social space except for an 8 person kitchen table for 10 people. Origins (bar) in the building which is great. I had an amazing time though

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Student Review: 4.6 /5
By member638873 On 4th June 19 verified Verified student

Parkwood is lovely. The house are nice and affordable. Now with Woodys, no need to walk to centre campus for drinks or a place to just chill or study

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Student Review: 2.1 /5
By member438807 On 2nd June 19 verified Verified student

I don’t actually live in halls just using what I know via my friend

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Student Review: 1.6 /5
By member638640 On 28th May 19 verified Verified student

Well old campus accommodation. Definitely needs to be refurbished.

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Student Review: 1.7 /5
By member1338357 On 23rd May 19 verified Verified student

Cheapest, but awful. You have to go outside to get to your ugly, small kitchen. Best aspect is it’s 2 minutes to get to the library. Receptionists have 1 nice, 2 rude. Cleaning is below average and cleaners are nasty. Ruby Tuesday has no sympathy for those that live in Darwin. Rooms are ok - sinks are rubbish and beds are tiny and uncomfortable (but they’ll replace the new Turing mattresses before yours because they spent more)

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member538234 On 20th May 19 verified Verified student

One of the older buildings on campus and is not in the best of shapes and is located far from the library. However, a good place to socialise.

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Student Review: 5 /5
By member438178 On 19th May 19 verified Verified student

Darwin is the worst hall in kent but I couldn’t find the other ones in kent in the option. Turing is best

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Student Review: 4.7 /5
By member438080 On 17th May 19 verified Verified student

The cheapest accomodation on Kent, it’s not a five star hotel, but it is what you’d expect given the price. Very social cause you will share kitchen with 10 people.

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Student Review: 4.4 /5
By member1338055 On 16th May 19 verified Verified student

Amazingly close to others and amazing internet but kinda prison looking!

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Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member438029 On 16th May 19 verified Verified student

It's cheap... you get what you pay for.

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Student Review: 4.7 /5
By member637997 On 15th May 19 verified Verified student

All of my friends lived in Darwin and I couldn’t ask for a better group. Cleaned weekly and nice size bedroom and kitchen spades

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Student Review: 2.7 /5
By member937138 On 16th April 19 verified Verified student

Horrible place to stay. The walls are so thin, you will never be able to sleep if other people in the house decide to talk on phone the entire night and laugh. The room has one store room and they might mention that they have iron room but that’s another store room with no electricity. There is 1.5 bath. One of them has the smallest sink ever, you can’t even wash your face without spilling whatever everywhere. The rooms aren’t of the same size, so maybe one of the rooms will be bigger than the other but you pay the same amount as the other person, which I feel is very very unfair. The mattress provided are hard as rock. The cleaning lady comes once in a month, and if you have dirty housemates like mine, you would rather take the job of cleaning the houses single day.

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Student Review: 2.1 /5
By member1136136 On 17th February 19 verified Verified student

Room: it depends a lot on your flatmates. People tend to play music very loudly with amplifiers. The walls downstairs/upstairs are literally vibrating. House parties and drunk people are very annoying. Kitchen: We are told that students themselves are supposed to throw away the rubbish but free-rider problems are foreseeable. People keep piling up the rubbish after the bin is full. Spiders and flies everywhere even in the mid-winter. Again, depending on your flatmates, some just never wash the dishes and leave them in the sink, leaving you with no place to wash your own. Emptied bottles on the kitchen table leaves you with no space to eat. People just hop onto the kitchen bench with their shoes on. Do clean it before you cook! Occasionally, people take your food in the fridge/ your cookware in your cupboard without asking. Bathroom/toilet: insect problems again. There is only one hook for you to hang your items in the bathroom. The cleaner always forget to give tissue rolls.

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Student Review: 2.9 /5
By member626572 On 25th May 17 verified Verified student

Darwin, honesty, is not the best place to live. For starters the rooms give off a prison cell vibe and is not comforting and did not contribute to the better enjoyment of my university experience. The cheap price is perhaps it's only attractive aspect. In relation to hygiene, the kitchens, of course, as were shared with 9 other people, we're dirty until being cleaned by the lovely cleaners, toilets were not ideal as they malfunction frequently. As advice to new students, I wouldnt recommend darwin if you are an anti-social person as encounters are inevitable. However Darwin is in a nice location and has a decent garden.

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Student Review: 1.7 /5
By member725049 On 13th December 16 verified Verified student

I live in Darwin Houses. The place is heavily under-maintained; paint peeling off the ceiling, every door so old that they make mechanical noises when closing, dirty walls, missing paint from sections of walls, insects in downstairs bathroom, some radiators don't turn on, damage to inside of fridge, yellow stained doors. The cleaners usually don't clean the bathrooms or shower even though they are supposed to. And over time, they become disgusting. You have to share with others too. The maintenance staff are the worst - I've been there 3 months and already spent 4 weeks without heating. Right now, there isn't a shower because it was flooding. They disconnected the shower from the mains and didn't give us an alternative. We couldn't wash. The neglect from the maintenance staff makes the place unbearable to live in and for £6,100 a year its an absolute disgrace. Do not apply to live here under any circumstance.

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By wbecod On 12th April 16 verified Verified student

One of the cheapest at the University of Kent. Very social college. Tends to be one of the most social at the uni. Kitchen shared by 10 and toilet and shower shared by 5. You have yo go outside to get to the kitchen. Not too much of a problem. The rooms are only single beds unlike more expensive accommodation. Great experience. Wouldnt have changed it.

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Student Review: 3.1 /5
By member621758 On 11th April 16 verified Verified student

Good rooms but only social area is a kitchen, and you have to go outside to get to your kitchen, which is small. On campus so good location and is good for social as its the most open accomodation and you can see everyone from other blocks. Cleaners are awful, hardly clean the kitchens and make reasons not to almost weekly, fine you for anything

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member421412 On 29th March 16 verified Verified student

Great socially but also has major problems with hygiene and management as it took 2 months for the toilet I share with 5 people to be fixed

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Student Review: 4.4 /5
By member1121410 On 29th March 16 verified Verified student

Walked into a lamppost just outside the accommodation, it was amazing. Stay away from g block, generally a really horrible place with horrible people. G3-3 gave me nightmares, a pit to say the least.

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Student Review: 4.1 /5
By member421408 On 29th March 16 verified Verified student

It pops off on a daily basis. Origins Restaurant alongside huge, basic student kitchens for up to 10 people. Who needs expensive sofa's and luxury kitchens? Best basic uni experience and its extremely cheap.

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Student Review: 2.1 /5
By member620720 On 17th January 16 verified Verified student

Had litterally no bathroom for 3 weeks while I was there. No one gave a s***.

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Student Review: 4.6 /5
By member419659 On 24th November 15 verified Verified student

Great for socialising, great sense of community and helps you make loads of freinds quickly.

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Student Review: 4.4 /5
By Review_uni#12 On 24th November 15 verified Verified student

Sharing a large kitchen was a great way to socialise with a lot of people. It made the experience worth the while. In Darwin college you have a small shower and bathroom, although it gets the job done as we need, I want luxury because I'm a fussy eater

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Student Review: 4 /5
By member919187 On 18th November 15 verified Verified student

Bad connection of WIFI in certain downstairs kitchens.

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Student Review: 4.1 /5
By member519122 On 18th November 15 verified Verified student

All uni accomodation is overpriced, but it's basic and thus cheaper yet you have everything you need. 10 people per kitchen means you meet a lot of people and don't feel isolated. Darwin can seem a little out of the way but that's because I'm lazy. Origins is the best bar, and it's right on my doorstep. Kitchen is a very good size and good social area. All round best value for money.

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Student Review: 4.6 /5
By iantilopi On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Extremely good bang for buck, a reasonably sized kitchen which gets cleaned regularly, fairly spacious rooms, and the best restaurant on campus a 30 second walk away.

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Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member718432 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Great social life, maintenance of flats awful

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member817724 On 2nd November 15 verified Verified student

One of the older buildings on campus, cheap and cheerful.

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Student Review: 4 /5
By member416616 On 11th October 15 verified Verified student

One of the hall that makes you feel like more of a community

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Student Review: 4.1 /5
By member1316462 On 7th October 15 verified Verified student

The room itself is quite nice, it has a large desk, shelving and enough space for your textbooks, clothes and other items. The internet here is fantastic, very fast and I haven't had any problems as of yet (touch wood). The kitchen is a great social space, especially as it is shared between yourself and nine other people, great for drinking games if that's your thing or just generally socialising. It's one of the cheaper forms of accommodation and is relatively good value for money. Although the accomodation is five people per floor (four others including oneself), with one toilet and shower between them this really has not been an issue. These facilities including the kitchen are cleaned weekly, possibly once or twice a week too.

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Student Review: 2.2 /5
By member97190 On 24th April 15 verified Verified student

Horrible layout and stupidly expensive. A nice room though.

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Student Review: 4.8 /5
By Moonrisejoker On 23rd April 15 verified Verified student

I think A part of me will always think of Darwin as my home. If you meet the right group of people its a perfect place to spend your first year. I don't want to go!

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member106643 On 23rd April 15 verified Verified student

Not too bad, weird having the kitchen outside from the rooms but sociable

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