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is it worth living in halls?

i'm looking at living in halls vs getting separate accommodation for my undergrad degree in modern languages. the universities i'm looking at are oxbridge, exeter, queens, ucl edinburgh, bristol, kings and durham. (yes i know there's a lot at the moment!) i was wondering if current students of any of these unis could tell me their experience of living in halls or getting separate accommodation and which one they preferred/why they chose the accommodation they did? Thank you in advance!

Reply 1

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post by PRM26

Hi there @PRM26,

It's great to hear you are considering applying to the University of Exeter! I'm now in my final year of university - I lived on campus in student accommodation in first year, and then in private for the following two years, so hopefully can help you weigh up the pros and cons!

It is fairly typical of first year students to live in student accommodation. I personally think it's a great way to ease students into independent living! In most cases, you will be placed with likeminded students, so it is a great way to get socialising and make new friends. As you're located on (or near) campus, it is easier to get to and from classes and lectures - this is especially useful as you get used to finding your way round! I found it was generally easier to engage with the people in my year, everyone is located relatively close together and there is a real sense of student community. I would also add that it was probably more convenient in terms of managing bills - I paid in three instalments, and everything was included in that payment (water, gas, electricity.) This sometimes isn't the case with private accommodation, which tends to complicate things a little more!
Safety was also really important to me in first year as I was adjusting to living in a new city - University security frequently patrol student accommodation and therefore gave me extra peace of mind.

A possible downside to student accommodation is that you don't get to choose who you share a flat with - this isn't necessarily ideal if you don't enjoy sharing a space with new people or if you already know people you want to share accommodation with.

I would definitely recommend taking a look at the student accommodation on offer if you haven't done so already.

Hopefully this has helped in some way - please let me know if you have any further questions!

Kitty
University of Exeter Student Ambassador