There are several accommodation options available to students starting university: uni-owned halls; private halls; a shared house; or even staying at home.
Some options might be more suitable for you than others, but if you're starting uni this September and still haven't made make up your mind, maybe we can persuade you to choose halls (whether uni owned or private), with these 12 great reasons...
There are lots of ways to make new friends at uni, but with the majority of freshers choosing to stay in halls, it’s a great way to meet other first years from outside your course.
Whether it’s drinks in the hall bar or a spontaneous gathering in someone’s room, there’s always something fun going on in halls, so it’s the perfect place for party animals.
It’s not uncommon to miss your friends and family in the first few weeks of term, especially if it’s your first time away from home, but if you live in halls, it’s virtually impossible to stay lonely for long. In halls, you could be living with up to 6/7 other people in your flat alone, with several hundred people in the building as a whole, so there’ll always be someone around to keep you company.
It’s not only first years in halls – second year and even third year students often choose to remain in halls, and most of them will be happy to give you advice to help you find your feet.
Choosing halls doesn’t mean you have to learn how to cook, as most universities have halls that are fully catered. The kitchen isn’t always open on the weekend, but hey, that’s what takeaways are for.
Most private and uni-owned halls of residence have cleaners. Why live in a house you have to vacuum yourself when most halls employ cleaners?
Mice can be very cute, but they’re notorious for ‘borrowing’ your cheese without asking, and they never have any money for rent. University halls are covered by one of three property accreditation schemes, meaning they’re guaranteed to be free of mice and other creepy crawlies, as well as meeting all fire safety regulations.
If you’re not actually on campus in halls, you’re not likely to be more than a few minutes walk away, meaning you can roll out of bed straight into your lecture. Getting properly dressed is purely optional.
Rent in halls usually includes all bills, so you won’t have to choose between electricity and alcohol.
You won’t have to sleep in a rickety old bed in halls – university managed properties are regularly redecorated and old, worn out furniture replaced with brand spanking new things.
Halls life doesn’t have to mean 20 people to a floor and sharing a bathroom if you don’t want it to. Most unis let you customise your halls experience by choosing a room with an en-suite bathroom, or on a single sex or mature student flat.
If you want to live in halls but you don’t fancy sharing your immediate surroundings with quite so many people, there are halls which are split into self contained flats for only four or five people.
You’re bound to find a couple of people you love living with at halls, so when you’re ready to make the leap to living in a private flat or house, you’ll have some great mates to do it with. Hooray!
NEXT:
- Read student reviews to find more about specific uni halls