Central or King’s: Which is better?

Is King’s really all that bad? And is Central really all it is cracked up to be? We all know King’s is miles away, but does it have better services, or is it just the rural backwater that all Central students know it to be?

Appearance/Setting :

KB is bloody miles away

Although slightly ruined by the monstrosity that is Appleton Tower, Central has its fair share of aesthetically pleasing buildings whilst King’s seems to be made up almost entirely of Appleton Tower-esque buildings.

Alongside this, King’s is set in what is practically rural farmland, with a walk to match. A friend described it as “depressing and exhausting”. Words which describe the aura of misery which hangs around the King’s rather well (although this could be down to the chemical aromas wafting from the labs). However, it’s worth pointing out that there are pockets of woodland scattered between the buildings, so it’s not all metal and stone. Although Central has the Meadows and George Square gardens, so it’s not really a competition.

Winner: Central

Study Areas:

King’s absolutely smashed this category, simply by having bean bags in one of its buildings. A concept which simply wouldn’t work in somewhere as busy as Central, their presence is a perfect addition to the chilled-out vibes of the scientists. A bearded mathematician described them as being so good that he ‘missed a lecture because he was asleep on one’.

The fact that there were actually available computers in the library, and lots of them at that, also meant that King’s soared way above Central on this category. Another plus point was that there were no megalomaniac assistants or card scanning devices to be seen, meaning that you can get in and out of the building without being told off or setting off any embarrassing alarms.

Winner: King’s Buildings

Haven’t seen these in George Square

Food and Drink:

At KB, The Magnet Cafe is bloody impossible to find, and the others are dull.  Cafés in KB are mirror images of Central cafés but with less people. The only difference is the chairs, with their luxurious scarlet coverings. Sufficient but boring, and definitely not competition for Teviot’s library bar and nachos.

Winner: Central

Peaceful yet eerie

Toilets:

You laugh, but it’s more important than you think – after all, it’s the one place we all go to. Plus we all know how important a strong flush is.

Incredible

King’s really came into its own on the plumbing front. Compared to the bog-standard toilets of Central, the James Clerk Maxwell building possessed a gleaming set of spotless cubicles and a walk in shower that put most to shame.

Winner: King’s

Conclusion:

In reality, King’s doesn’t quite live up to the horrors stories of those who frequent it. It is an eyesore, clashing against the autumnal avenues of Victorian houses, but like its cafés, it does its job. I am sure that behind the glassy eyes and complaints lies a deep affection for the endless corridors, cosy study spaces, and chemical contact highs.