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Day 15: We reviewed the SS Great Britain study space and felt very catfished

a solid 9/10 for aesthetics though


Unless you've been living under a rock this exam season, you will have seen the anonymous Bristruths library reviewer.

The mysterious poster reviewed 15 study spaces at UoB (if you discount the 'Your Moms Bedroom' guest review) over 14 days, and gave us all the average ratings we never knew we needed.

However, one place may have been inaccessible or a bit of a stretch for our library critique; The SS Great Britain.

Although it is not formerly a University of Bristol study space, second and third year history students were offered it as 'somewhere quiet to revise' during the exam period.

The gesture from the History Department sparked some controversy amidst tensions over lack of study space within the university. We saw this as an opportunity to avoid the morning rush in the ASS and get our sea legs on.

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So, here is our review of the SS Great Britain, à la bristruths:

Location: 2/10

Ok, lets be honest, out of all the spaces the Uni could have offered it really is not the most accessible. It is just over a mile walk from Tyndalls Avenue, and that's only if you get the £1 ferry across the Avon. If not, its a good 30 minutes walk from campus.

Also, having read our invitation wrong and falling for the hype, we felt catfished when we arrived and realised that the library is not actually situated on the boat.

Aesthetics: 9/10

If you were looking for a pretty place to revise, this definitely fits the bill. It has window seats with views looking out on to the Bow of the SS Great Britain, and a mini art gallery adorns the walls of the mezzanine level where we revised.

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Books: 3/10

A good selection of books downstairs, however they are only useful if you are specifically revising the SS Great Britain. Also, because of their selection of original documents, you are not allowed hot drinks in the library. This led to me chugging my boiling hot tea upon arrival.

Layout: 6/10

Very wide desks with plenty of working space, but have had to knock a mark off for the lack of legroom. Good range of sockets, but only if sat next to the wall.

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Eye Candy: 5/10

The library had about three students in when we went and mainly attracted the older generations, so there was not much range for this score. However, it is open to the public during they day so who knows who might wonder in…

Noise: 5.5/10

Although it was promised to be a quiet space, the librarians spoke quite loudly and the public visitors brought the noise up intermittently. Headphones were needed.

Temperature: 9/10

No qualms about the temperature, perfectly temperate.

Work Ethic: 7/10

There were not many students around to get you in the zone, but it was quite easy to get your head down.

The SS Great Britain Library: 5.8/10