Student halls are ideal for some students, especially those who have just moved to the area and are beginning first year at University. It provides the opportunity to really experience the student lifestyle and meet many people in the same situation, however if you are already friendly with people from your course or University, are no longer a fresher or would prefer a smaller more private environment to live during your University time then student housing is the option for you. We teamed up with Lancaster based student housing providers, Yellow Door Lets, to look at why student houses prove more popular than student halls!
Living with friends or other individuals from your course at University is definitely the preferred option over living in student halls. Student halls are often small and minimally furnished and you are provided with communal areas such as the bathrooms and kitchen which you could end up sharing with several other students you are unfamiliar with. Although this is to be expected especially when you first arrive into the University environment, after a few months it becomes troublesome and you miss your easy home lifestyle. All of this can be avoided by accommodating yourself in a student house. Along with choosing where to locate yourself in houses situated with easy access to University buildings, you are also given the choice of who to live with and can make crucial decisions as a group. If you are a fresh starter and you have chosen to find a student house, there are always groups of people with spare rooms or other individuals in the same situation you can live with so this rarely becomes a problem.
As I mentioned earlier, student halls are often equipped with minimal furniture usually with your room consisting of a single bed, a desk, chair and a wardrobe and unless you are willing to pay a higher weekly price, the size of the rooms are small. The majority of rooms in student houses are furnished with a double bed, and with the size of the rooms generally being more spacious you have more freedom to create a personal space which feels more homely. Although there will be communal areas such as the kitchen and bathroom like in student halls, the amount of others you will be sharing with is far less and cleanliness is far more manageable. A big advantage of living in a student house, especially if you are living with friends, is the living room area where there will be a television and a comfortable space to socialise keeping your bedroom separate and private if you wish.
It is often thought that student housing is the more expensive option over living in student halls however this is rarely the case and you can often save money. Student houses are available where bills are included in the weekly price often including your internet bills and television licence so extra costs will not come as a surprise to you and funds can be planned more efficiently. In any student town there will be many places you are able to rent from, so research and shopping around is always important in order to find the best house for you and your friends at a price which is suitable. If you previously lived in halls you will see a huge difference once you have moved into your student house not only with your independence but also your freedom and quality of living, and it is much easier to both socialise and work with a better more personalised living environment.