HOUSING VS LIVING IN HALLS

Where you choose to live is a very important aspect of university life. For many, it’s the first time living away from home, and it’s a great time to gain some independence with the added bonus that you can live with your friends. With all the accommodation options, there are of course, pros and cons to each which are vital to consider before signing any contract. Here’s a short guide to the major advantages and disadvantages of private housing in comparison to living in university accommodation.

PRIVATE SECTOR

Choosing Who You Live With

Firstly, if you’re living in the private sector, it’s highly likely that you’ve completed your first year of uni and you’ve now chosen to live with the friends you’ve made. This is one of the biggest pros of living in the private sector: you can choose exactly who to live with and then find a flat or house with the right number of bedrooms. Private housing allows you to choose how many people you live with, which can hopefully help avoid personal issues down the line.

Comfort

As well as this, having lived in both halls and private accommodation, I can say that having a living room is a major plus point of living off campus. It means that the kitchen is not the main communal area, and sofas are far more comfy than the plastic kitchen chairs provided in halls. Plus, private accommodation can feel far more homely than a university flat!

Prices and Budgeting

When living in university halls, there can be set prices for all accommodation, which may not suit everyone’s budgets. Therefore choosing somewhere to live off campus can be a great advantage, as you can look specifically within your price range. The costs of private accommodation can differ greatly, with the average, according to the Guardian, costing around £65 per week plus bills. It is always worth checking how much uni halls would cost per week in comparison to the prices estate agents or landlords offer in order to determine which type of housing is best suited to your budget.

Bills

Sorting out bills and converging usage of appliances can be excellent practice for the future when you permanently live in your own house or flat – experiencing the responsibility of bills can be highly beneficial. It’s likely that you’ll have the freedom to decide on your broadband provider and set up payments with them, as well as paying monthly water, gas and electricity bills. Consequently giving you a well-rounded experience of bills and budgeting.

UNI HALLS

Location

One point to consider is where in your uni city you want to live. It’s likely that private accommodation will be further away from university buildings than halls are, so you may have to leave earlier for lectures, or you could run up daily public transport or petrol costs. Check that using transportation to get into uni fits in with your budget, and if it doesn’t then perhaps living in halls would be a better option.

Bills (again)

Bills are a very important area to consider when you’re choosing whether to live in halls or otherwise. It’s likely that bills are included in the price of your halls accommodation, which can be a weight off your mind and you don’t to worry about your usage from a financial perspective. When living in the private sector, you pay for what you use, and when sharing with others this can cause arguments if you end up living with someone who constantly forgets to turn off lights or appliances.

Easy contact with the uni

When living in halls the points of contact for help are generally easily accessible, for example porters or security staff are often on hand to help with a situation when needed. This can be a major advantage if something goes wrong and you need it sorted quickly: often they can react faster than a landlord or estate agents would do.

Getting the full uni experience

Living in halls can be seen as a student rite of passage. You’ll meet a lot of people and it’s likely to be where you begin your uni life, meeting your flatmates and getting settled into living away from home. For first year, living in halls is almost ideal, but after that, when you’ve had the experience, many students find it’s time to find somewhere more homely to live with the friends you’ve made in first year.


There are pros and cons of living on and off campus, in the private sector and in university owned buildings, and one may fit in with your lifestyle and budget more than the other. Ultimately, take some time to research what is best for you, as each option offers something different and each can be a great experience!
http://hub.endsleigh.co.uk/2013/december/shared-accommodation-or-halls-of-residence/