Britten House

Britten House

For my study abroad experience, I opted to stay on campus in a dorm. I was placed in Britten House with an ensuite room shared with eleven other students. Each bedroom in our flat has a bathroom and we all share the kitchen. My room is carpeted with wood shelves, a small drawer, and a wardrobe. I have one window I can crack just a bit and a very effective blackout curtain. It is located on central campus, a close walk to the university union and bus stops. But beyond the specs, Britten House has been a great way for me to meet people. 

I chose an on-campus accommodation because I wanted it to be easier for me to assimilate on campus by having met other students. People in different flats have had different experiences, however. Some have reported seeing their flatmates occasionally but never really talking to them or knowing their names. This is not the experience for me, everyone in the flat is friendly and everyone knows each other's names and what room they are in. To help in the name-learning process we put Scrabble-themed stickers with our names to decorate our doors. I have enjoyed getting to know everyone in my flat and have had one-on-one conversations with nearly everyone. Sometimes they are loud late at night and the kitchen is rarely ever clean, but I got very lucky to be put in such a great group of people. They all are wonderful in their way and are all from different areas of the U.K. I like hearing about their stories from home. I am a senior about to graduate from NAU but the Britten House is a freshman accommodation, so the people in my flat are ages 18-20. 

My room

The flat itself is nothing remarkable; it is a typical freshman accommodation. However, I did stay in the nicest accommodations at NAU, such as the Honors dorm and Skyview, so I think my perspective may be skewed. The kitchen is like one that would be in a restaurant. There is a microwave, a grill, toaster, and stove hobs. There is not a full sized oven, which I typically would use to cook at home. There is a large table and each person has their own locker for their food.

Kitchen

I like that I have my own space to retreat to at the end of the day. I especially like having my own bathroom even though it is very small. Being on-campus and within walking distance definitely is a plus too. I find myself doing work in the library a lot because it is easily accessible. I love cooking at home but do not cook at all here. I have one pot, a spatula, fork, knife, spoon, plate, and a coffee cup. I did not want to buy any kitchen tools knowing I would leave them three months later, it was not worth it. Instead I tend to eat on campus or buy food from the SPAR. I do miss my apartment at home. Living with only two other roommates makes it easier to stay clean. Our apartment also has a great view overlooking the forest. We have a TV and a couch with a full kitchen.