What could be better than living five minutes away from classes and with your best friends next door? The answer is nothing really. But moving onto campus for the first time with so many options and pending decisions can seem a bit daunting. So, here’s how to choose the best accommodation for yourself without losing your mind:
The difference between most accommodation options is your room, meal preference and price. So, follow these steps to prioritise what’s most important to you.
- Make a specific list of what you want or don’t want in your room. Ask yourself:
- Do I need storage space?
- Do I want a mini fridge?
- Do I prefer air con, fan or natural air?
- Do I need heated flooring?
- Do I need enough desk space to always study in my room, or will I study in the library too?
Also consider whether you’ll want to stay on campus during university breaks and holidays, so you only pay for the weeks you need.
- Weigh up the pros and cons of being catered or self-catered:
- Cooking for yourself means packing kitchen things too, but you can feed yourself whatever you like and save money
- Being catered for means no hassle with bringing cooking utensils and more time to study or socialise, but cost adds on and you have limited food options
- Compare the prices of the accommodation options that satisfy the list you made, with your meal preference. Check if you:
- Come under your budget
- Need to make a compromise for a cheaper room
- Still have money to spend on other uni essentials e.g. textbooks
Once you’ve worked out what’s important to you, you can compare your list to the accommodation options available at your campus.
Planning and organising will help you feel in control instead of overwhelmed. To consider factors like location, you can also book personalised campus tours. For further enquiries or information contact Student Central.
