[PearlyWhites]

(Original post by RollerBall)
Yes, you can get just under 7 grand a year if your household income is ~£15k a year. If you do non-tested/£50k+ you get the bare minimum which is £4987 (Living in halls, in London. ~3700 outside of London). I literally just did my student finance.

So I saved roughly £10k by moving out then. That's not bad. Anyway, have a fun time at uni!!

[SteveAreTee]

If you're sociable you will have no problem at all.

[bec88]

i think it all depends on the person. perosonally i wouldn't have liked living at home but i have plenty of friends who do and still have a great time.

for me being in halls is all part of the uni experience and its a great way to make a close group of friends in your 1st few days when you're a bit lonely and worried about everything. if i'd have stayed at home i would have clung to my friends rather than mixing with new people and i wouldn't have gone out as much because you don't have people nagging you to go with them if you're at home.

i live off campus now i'm in my 3rd year and i find that i don't find out about a lot of stuff that goes on, socials etc because they're only promoted at campus but that could just be my uni being lazy.

[christykai1049]

HALLS definitely!

[TomH999]

Im getting just over £5000 from finanace,
loan= £4,450
grant= £950

not including the tuition fee

plus im not living in london, going to york. thought i was going to be gettin like £3,500 from my loan but some how got a grand more..

[Kellybaby]

DEFINITELY live in halls - the pros pretty much outweigh any cons you could think of

[Tefhel]

Definitely go for halls. That is a no-brainer for me. One of the reasons I turned down the London uni I got an offer from is that they didn't guarantee accommodation. My parents were like "Oh you can stay at home!" - I'm sorry but commuting 1hr there and 1hr back, and coming back home to my very irritating family just like I've done everyday for school for the past 13 years is not something I could stomach at all. I cannot wait to move out, if I have to stay at home any longer I may have to jump out of a high window!

Not to mention the fact it will be harder to make friends as you have to get back home and don't mix in halls with anyone. I'm sure you could make it work if you tried insanely hard. But tbh I wouldn't bother. It'd just be nice to have that independence, because I don't want to be one of those people that goes back and moves in with their parents for 5 years after uni.

[Botticello]

(Original post by TheSownRose)
At twenty-five minutes away, is it really worth moving out in the first place?

If they hate it then yeah. I was at home this year and hate the travel, and lack of independence. The walk uphill plus the 25 minute train journey is 15 minutes and it grinds you down to the floor. My social life is atrocious and academically I've suffered. I know some people get by and are good going to the library after lectures and commute but I'm not like that.

[blueshoes123]

I'm staying at home, but i'm only three roads away so i don't think i'll miss anything. And i stayed in halls for a bit last year and hated it. I think i'll have to put more work in to make friends, but i'll just make sure i stay on campus a lot and get involved in things. The uni has an off campus society which will probs help too.

But yeah, like someone said, it sort of depends how you get on with your parents or whoever you live with too. My parents work a lot and pretty much leave me to do my own thing, but if your parents are going to be stopping you from doing things or are going to treat you like a kid, then it might be better to move out.

[BuckMan]

Im also debating this constantly. I live in Brighton and im going to sussex uni. Ive got until the end of the month to decide if i should go for the halls or not, im just worried about it being a stupid idea staying in halls despite being 15 minutes away by car.

[TheSownRose]

(Original post by BuckMan)
Im also debating this constantly. I live in Brighton and im going to sussex uni. Ive got until the end of the month to decide if i should go for the halls or not, im just worried about it being a stupid idea staying in halls despite being 15 minutes away by car.

If you're only fifteen minutes away by car, IMO it seems a bit pointless to move out - I know people in university accommodation that are more than fifteen minutes away from the centre of campus.

[BuckMan]

(Original post by TheSownRose)
If you're only fifteen minutes away by car, IMO it seems a bit pointless to move out - I know people in university accommodation that are more than fifteen minutes away from the centre of campus.

thats if i buy a car.
If i wanted to get a bus it would be well over an hour.

[michellebangle2]

So, i'll be starting university in september, Liverpool, which is about 1hr 20 drive, or 30mins on the train

had it in my mind to move to halls,
but, the past 4 months have been a major change already, i have moved in with my boyfriend of 2 years and we're renting a house together, i'm having the time of my life, and it feels a shame to leave him, and the house we've worked so hard on, to go live in the city in a room by myself? (i'm 19, he's 22)

reading forums though, and Q&A, the halls are a major part of uni life.. yet, isn't the main enjoyment of halls moving out for the first time and having freedom to have your own place and do your own thing? which i now have with my boyfriend? -

just opinions on the pros/cons of house with BF vs Halls - fyi, he isn't influencing the decision at all, he leaves it down to me as to what i choose, its my education, - i just can't help wondering if what i have right now is equal to the 'experience' of halls?

also, money wise, living here i can keep my job/save rent money, and not spend as much on clubbing/inner city life? -

[TinFish]

If you wanna expand your social circles considerably then get halls. That also being said I'm sure some honest time apart from your boyfriend will do some good.

If you can't afford it just be safe and live with b.f.

[Stay-Beautiful]

Personally I wouldn't have changed my 1st year at uni one bit - I found that living in halls I was free to go out and socialise and not have to worry about getting back home and I doubt that I would have made as many friends if I had stayed at home (about 1hr 15mins away) which I thought was the main enjoyment with halls. I travelled home at weekends to keep my job.

I moved in with my boyfriend-at-the-time once I moved out of halls.

That was me however, you might save money and get more studying done while living at home, it just depends what you want out of your first year. Good luck!

La xx

[michellebangle2]

So, i'll be starting university in september, Liverpool, which is about 1hr 20 drive, or 30mins on the train

had it in my mind to move to halls,
but, the past 4 months have been a major change already, i have moved in with my boyfriend of 2 years and we're renting a house together, i'm having the time of my life, and it feels a shame to leave him, and the house we've worked so hard on, to go live in the city in a room by myself? (i'm 19, he's 22)

reading forums though, and Q&A, the halls are a major part of uni life.. yet, isn't the main enjoyment of halls moving out for the first time and having freedom to have your own place and do your own thing? which i now have with my boyfriend? -

also, money wise, living here i can keep my job/save rent money, and not spend as much on clubbing/inner city life? -

i don't wanna be someone with no friends? although i'm socable? just asking will i miss out on THAT MUCH through living with boyfriend and commuting -?

OK, SO EVERYONE SAYING 'HALLS ARE A MAJOR PART..' I NEED YOU TO EXPLAIN WHY?? BECAUSE I'LL MEET NEW PEOPLE? IS THAT THE SOLE REASON TO DROP EVERYTHING I HAVE HERE, AND MOVE THERE? OR ISIT MAJOR CAUSE OF THE FREEDOM/NEW PLACE, ETC. WHICH I ALREADY HAVE?

[loz957]

Stay and live with your boyfriend.

[54m]

I would say go in halls for the first year even if you don't the second and third years.

[hurricanedrunk]

stay with him.
im starting winchester school of art in september, me and my bf live 2 hours away
our plans were for him to come up and get a job here.. only thing being, he cant start looking til august and my accomodation deadline is 1st august...
either i risk it and hope to god he gets a job in winchester so we can live together
or apply for halls, be stuck in a 39week contract and just wait til my second year to move out of halls and in with him

it sucks

[louboutin*]

I'm not trying to sway you either way on your decision but I would say the main reason why I enjoyed halls so much was the community aspect of it and meeting new people, having freedom in my own flat didn't bother me so much. During the first few weeks the main people I socialised with were those in my flat and building.Personally I found getting to know people off my course really well took a while because I had limited opportunities e.g. a short walk to the few lectures I had. Having said that I do have great friends on my course but I would say it took a month or so before we properly started going out together and stuff. So for me I would say living in halls was so great because the opportunities it gave me to meet new people- the friends that I've made in my flat are people I hope to never lose touch with I also think that if I had to commute I would feel quite left out of the whole uni lifestyle-being able to go out with friends on nights outs, chiling at their flats or just go shopping togther would all take much more organisation if you commute.

All that being said though I can see the positive side of your current situation as you are obviously in a happy relationship, and the money aspect is a big plus point because living in halls is so expensive. At the end of the day you probably have to decide what kind of uni experience you want, and if you do commute just prepare to put more effort in and be v.sociable and you will be fine