When it comes to choosing where you’d like to live for your first year of university, you’ll find that there are plenty of choices to suit your individual needs.
Halls of Residence
Most universities will try to house first year students in their own accommodation, but it’s usually allocated on a first come, first served basis. So if you’re in the unfortunate position of rushing to find last minute accommodation, but you’re still desperate to get yourself in student halls, you need to get in touch with your university immediately to get your name on the waiting list. There are plenty of variations when it comes to halls; from 40 to 52 week contracts, to all inclusive accommodation with utility bills, Wi-Fi, and room maintenance. When you move in, you’ll usually have a team assigned to look after you and introduce you to your halls, and you will notice security patrols and CCTV.
Private Student Halls
If you’re craving halls of residence but didn’t manage to get a room, then private student halls could be the next best alternative. Housing thousands of students across the UK, private halls offer students the chance to mix with like-minded individuals from different universities, campuses, and courses. You’ll find yourself socialising with a wider variety of people, allowing you to expand your friendship group further than just your own university. In the same way as university-run halls, privately managed student accommodation is purpose built for students, offering similar packages to university halls – including utility bills, internet access, and laundry facilities. Typically, you’ll find that private student halls cost a little bit more than their university counterparts, but for the extra cost, you may have fancier facilities and access to onsite gyms, common rooms and maybe even a swimming pool!
If you were hoping for halls of residence but didn’t manage to get a room, then private student halls are your next best bet.
Shared Student Houses
There’s a high chance that if you don’t make halls of residence, you’ll be advised to by your university to live in a student house owned by themselves, or a trusted landlord. Typically, you’ll find yourself being placed with three or four different students in a student house, which will hopefully be within walking distance or a short bus ride away from your university campus. However, be aware that bills may not be included in your student house contract - so it’s worth double-checking your tenancy agreement before you sign the contract. There’s plenty of benefits of living in a student house over a hall of residence.
There’s much more privacy: As there’s less of you living together, there’s usually an understanding to not be harassed your housemates all of the time.
You choose the location: When searching for a student house, you get to choose where you want to live. That’s the beauty of it, you can shop around and find the best place for you.
You can find the best price: Similarly to finding the best location, you can look around and find a student house to suit your budget.
Lodgings
Strapped for cash? Lodging with a live-in landlord could be the answer. Choosing to live in someone’s spare room may sound daunting at first; living under someone else’s roof, abiding by their rules, and not mixing with students at your university. However, it does offer some major financial benefits to you. Typically, room lodging is often cheaper than living in a student house or halls of residence, and some landlords even offer hot meals with the rental price – a huge bonus if you’re busy with university and still need to get some good home cooked meals. However, if you’re hoping to host pre-drinks, crawl in at 3AM or have complete freedom, then lodging probably isn’t for you. Remember, you’re living in someone’s home and you have to respect that. If money is going to be a problem, lodging should probably be your first port of call.