The Student Room Group

Would you share a room in halls in return for free food?

Poll

Would you share a room in halls, if it meant you got free meals and half-price rent?

The BBC is reporting that a number of first-year students have turned up to uni, only to find out they have to share a room in halls.

At Bristol University, first-years who were expecting a room of their own are instead sleeping in bunk beds with another fresher. To make up for it, they get free food and reduced rent.

What do you reckon? How important is your privacy? If you were told you could get all your meals for free and pay half the rent, would you be happy to share a room?
(edited 9 years ago)

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Reply 1
Most definitely not. I don't think that under any circumstances I would share a room.
Original post by shooks
The BBC is reporting that a number of first-year students have turned up to uni, only to find out they have to share a room in halls.

At Bristol University, first-years who were expecting a room of their own are instead sleeping in bunk beds with another fresher. To make up for it, they get free food and reduced rent.

What do you reckon? How important is your privacy? If you were told you could get all your meals for free and pay half the rent, would you be happy to share a room?


If it were someone I knew and liked, then I suppose so, especially with food and cheap rent. However with a stranger? No way. That would be so awkward and annoying I need my own space! I have enough difficulties sharing my uni kitchen with strangers lol.
Reply 3
Some people will be okay with it, others won't. But in any case, you can't be like, "surprise!"
No, I'd rather have I own room.

It's a while ago now that I went to university, but I was very please that all rooms were single rooms when I went. It was good to have some where to retreat to when you wanted time away from the busyness around you.

I feel sorry for the guys forced in to this situation and hope the universities involved sort things out for them quickly.
Reply 5
It's easy to see the bad in situations like these. But who knows? It may be awkward at first but you might even make a best mate before you've even settled in.

So many people on TSR complain that they're too demotivated to make friends. This is the push that these users need in my opinion. Of course it could all go pear shaped and the opposite could be true. It might be that you end up hating the person you're forced to share a room with. Although being in such a scary and volatile period of Uni. life the other person will undoubtably be in the same position as you, so this is unlikely.
I would feel really awkward inviting my boyfriend round if I had a roommate.
Why does the cynic in me say that the uni would probably make money out of having students share rooms? Even taking into account the discounted rent and free food, I am willing to bet the uni get more money than they would do from a single person paying rent for that room.

Regarding the actual issue, I really don't think its on at all. If you knew that it would be a shared room when you applied, then fair enough. But advertising single rooms and then doing a bait and switch and actually saying the rooms will be shared is really deceitful.

Personally if I had been in that situation I probably would have dropped out within the first day had the uni not been able to sort it out then and there.
I'd be livid tbh. Not a chance I'd go for that.
Original post by shooks
The BBC is reporting that a number of first-year students have turned up to uni, only to find out they have to share a room in halls.

At Bristol University, first-years who were expecting a room of their own are instead sleeping in bunk beds with another fresher. To make up for it, they get free food and reduced rent.

What do you reckon? How important is your privacy? If you were told you could get all your meals for free and pay half the rent, would you be happy to share a room?


Really really awkward, I wouldn't like this at all. Having to share with a complete stranger?????? No way hosea!!!!

I'm sure there would have been plenty of takers had the offer been put out there for people to choose - free meals and half rent would be a good deal for those not bothered with having their own space and hideaway.
No ****ing way. It would be pretty awkward every time you brought a girl back wouldn't it.
I shared a room when I did a summer working on the Walt Disney World programme in Florida. Their accomodation was very similar to halls. I had to share a room. However the rooms were big and we each had our own wardrobes etc. Americans seem very into sharing rooms. However if these rooms were meant for one person then they will be tiny. I would be so angry. Also if they are been given reduced food etc then surely all the rooms must be catered. Which in itself means they'll have almost double the amount of people going to the dining room and showers etc. It just sounds crazy. I would be so upset, not because I had to share a room, but because I wasn't told about it before hand.
I would have kicked up holy hell and I would not have stayed.

At Durham in Trevelyan College some students have to share, they told us at the open day that you have to change rooms each term and there is a draw to see who has to share! As if the accommodation isnt hideous enough the thought of ending up in a grubby and tiny shared room meant I didnt even bother applying to Durham.
If catered 24/7 including holidays and weekends then yes I would probably consider it. That is a massive saving, and you're only in halls for 9 months.
Not having that much money, I probably would have gone for a shared room anyway, but I think some people should have the right to have one of their own, e.g. ill students or students, for whom university is home (getting all your stuff in a shared room made for one is incredibly difficult, if you don't have a room elsewhere).
Never. I need my privacy.
Haha sharing a room seems awesome. It definitely is more company, and as long as the other dude doesn't steal my stuff, or mess up my bed, it seems like a very good idea :biggrin: Lower rent is good cause then you can spend more on food, and food is always good (hey that rhymes!)
I've shared a room for free food... It wasn't bad. After a few days you adjust. There was no real privacy issue because we weren't in our room the entire time and we had different schedules. It was a female-only dorm too so there wasn't the issue of boyfriends or anything (plus I was studying abroad :rolleyes:)
I have no secrets to be insecure about. If the roommate is clean and hygienic I'm all down for sharing
Reply 19
Wouldn't be that bothered about sharing a room that was meant for two people, but I wouldn't want to have a bunk bed in a room designed for one person.

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