You have managed to get a place at the university and the next thing you need to do is find accommodation.
The good thing is there is a wide range of options when it comes to where students can live and study, which is way better than before when there were limited options.
Where you live in the first year of your studies is going to depend on your situation. You will most likely stay in the university halls if you got into your first-choice university, and it can either be catered or non-catered. If you got your second choice, going through clearing, or applied late, you might have to consider other options. It is going to depend if there are any halls available.
You don’t need to panic. Below are some tips that will help you find the best Bournemouth Student accommodation.
Knowing who to contact and get in touch
The first thing you need to do is contact the accommodation office so you can see if there are any rooms left. Even if the uni was your first choice, there are some factors that might prevent you from getting accommodation in the uni, such as your parents living within a certain radius of the school. This is a common thing in London institutions.
There are some universities that have partnered with private hall providers, e.g., Downing Students, and they can help you out. You can also talk to the student housing service of the university to help and advise you.
Thinking about living preferences
If you are not living in the university’s accommodation, you will most likely have to find somewhere that is close to campus, unless you are okay taking a bus, walking, or riding to school. It is also a good idea to know the living situation you are comfortable with – are you okay sharing the bathroom with others? How many people are you comfortable living with?
If you don’t want to live in a dorm or share a kitchen with other students, then you can check out private halls offering shared flats or studios so you can live alone or with one or two people.
Ensuring that the student loan is going to cover the rent
The type of accommodation you choose is going to determine your rent. The area of the country is also going to determine how much you pay in rent. The most expensive place is London, which is not surprising. The North East follows London in terms of rent costs. It is a good idea to do a little research on the most expensive and cheapest places for students in the UK. Keep in mind that the cost can change year to year.
Checking the length of the contract
Different accommodation providers have different contract lengths – there are some offering a 41-week contract while others offer 44-45 weeks (this is common for private providers). You might have to pay more for the latter, but it is good because it means you can hang back over the summer and spend time with your friends before completing the exams.
There are some universities that are not going to let live in the halls after the first years, but private halls let you live there as long as you want.
Checking what is included in the rent
When you add up the costs, check and see if extras have been included. Some will provide you with gym access, high-speed internet, onsite laundry rooms, and content insurance and the costs are going to be included in the rent. CCTV security is found in most of them, which gives you peace of mind.
Finding your flatmates
You might be happy to wait till you get there and see who you are going to be living with. There are some who want to know their flatmates so they can be sure they are living with people sharing similar interests.
There are tools you can use like the uni accommodation forum or uni Facebook groups. This makes it easy to find like-minded students you are happy to share your flat with. There are some institutions that have an intranet which makes it easy to know people taking the same educational course as you.
You will have peace of mind when you find your own flatmate and it makes things easy when you move into the accommodation. You will find it easy to settle into the new surroundings.
