When you know you are going to go to university, it is easy to get ahead of yourself with the excitement of it all. You just got the grades you need, you’re excited about freshers week, partying, meeting new people, independence. And so you should be, you are going to have the time of your life. However, it is important to remember you have a lot to do before you can relax and get into your new student life. There are lots of decisions to make, one of the most important ones being your accommodation. This is a huge decision as it will dictate the kind of experience you are going to have over the next year.
Not all students opt to live in the halls of residence. Often students will move into halls for their first year and then meet friends and move into shared accommodation with them in their second year. However, that isn’t a path you have to take. There are lots of options for student housing St Andrew University regardless of which stage of your degree you are at.
University Halls Of Residence
These are managed by the university and are possibly the easiest option for a first year university student. You can make lots of friends, are usually close to campus and have your independence but without some of the added responsibilities you get with renting like bills.
The possible downsides to the halls of residence are the fact you don’t have any idea who you are going to be living with, which means you could have a good or bad experience. You won’t necessarily get the halls you have chosen as your first choice. You will also be living near loads and loads of students, not just a few in a house, which means lots of noise, lots of mess and plenty of action!
Student Living Complex
A student living complex is like the halls of residence, but it is owned by a private company. If this is something you are looking into, have a look at what you will get for the money you pay, if utilities are included, and what benefits there are to choosing the complex. Complexes like these will often provide the same advantages as university halls like good locations and included perks like WIFI, but they might also be a bit more expensive and also have the same cons as university halls as well.
Private Rentals
You may prefer not to go into halls at all and go straight into renting a private home. It may also be the case you have had to do this because you couldn’t get a place in halls. Either way this option can be very appealing as you get to choose where you are going to live and who you are going to be living with. You get full independence, flexibility and more of an intimate shared accommodation experience in comparison to halls. The downside to this option is the fact you will probably be further away from the university campus and you will need to learn how to budget – fast.
Staying At Home
If you are going to university in the same city you already live in, you may want to consider not moving out at all. This means you will save money and will be able to avoid many of the common struggles of living away from home. The downside to this is the fact you won’t be pushed to meet new people and will have to make more effort to socialise. You also miss out on gaining new independence.
It Is Going To Be Great!
Remember, no matter which option you choose, you can always change it after your contract is up for renewal or if you choose to live at home and find friends you want to live with after your first year. With halls you might be able to apply to move if there are issues with those you live with or with anything breaching your contract. Basically, if it doesn’t work out there is support available for you. However, the chances are it will work out just great and you’re about to have some incredible, memorable years ahead of you.