University of Bradford
Bradford
Making a home away from home: living in student accommodation
Hey, I'm Lucy and I study BSc (Hons) Marketing at Bradford! In this blog, I'll share my fave things about campus and why I love living here. 
There range of facilities on campus that makes living in student accommodation easy and convenient. From catering to all your studying needs to maintaining a fulfilling social life, Bradford has it all.
City living
I think the bonus of living on campus was that I was a short distance away from the heart of the city centre. It only takes me around 15 minutes to get to the centre. It has some incredible places to eat and shop and it also has a public library which is free, and easy to join!
The Broadway shopping centre has so much to offer with not just shops but a cinema and food court as well.
Facilities
The J B Priestley library is just a stone's throw away and is open 24/7 which means that no matter when you want a quiet, focused space to do assignments, it is always available with easy access.
To go with this, your lectures and timetabled lessons are all in the same place as where you live. You can basically roll out of bed and into your classes (I think this was the selling point for me)!
Social life on campus is unmatched, especially with the University bar being open every day and a club night on a Wednesday. The bar has all the classic pub games, as well as fresh pizza and themed nights like quiz night and karaoke.
In the same building, are the SU (Students' Union) spaces which means that there’s no reason not to pursue your passions and interests, and meet new friends while doing it.
Unique Fitness is only a 5-minute walk away which makes keeping active simple and straightforward. The gym offers a membership which includes various classes and a pool to satisfy any wants or needs you may have. The spaces are also used to host union sports, with everything from netball and badminton to American Football.
Balancing independence
Independence was always something I looked forward to when moving out of my family home. It can be difficult to manage things that you may not have had to manage before, but having a space that is all yours and being able to decide what you do with it is a really liberating experience.
I get to make my own decisions about how I live and when I do things. If I need to do something, there is no one to stop me or question me about doing it. This means that it’s much more straightforward to get things done.
A budget is something I see people stress about a lot. If you put your mind to it, it can allow you to do way more than you would think.
It's much easier to decide what I can spend, where and when because I know exactly what is coming in and what I need to spend it on and then how much is going out.
By managing my weekly spending, I can choose what items I spend my money on in my weekly shop. For example, where I feel happy to spend a bit more and where I would rather save money. This allows me to decide for myself and have my decisions mean something in what I can afford to spend on luxuries and joy.
Dining
My favourite part of living in student accommodation is having the ability to choose what to have for my meals – no more coming home and feeling that disappointment when you see the slow cooker on the side. I can decide what I want to eat.
To save money and time, I like to bulk meal prep because I’m a slow cook and don’t enjoy cooking every single night. It ensures that I eat a balanced diet and don’t eat plain pasta and cheese every single day!
Studying
The library has lots of spaces for studying, as well as having all of the physical resources right there. The spaces vary so you can pick the most effective and comfortable one for you with some being light and spacious and others being more social and open plan.
In my room in particular, I have lots of storage, to keep everything I could ever dream of to study with and I have a really big desk so there is space for whatever studying I need to do. While I don’t like to use this very often because the library is so close, I tend to use it to do any last minute work or use time when it isn’t worth going to the library.
Personalising my space
To make it enjoyable to stay in my room, I personalised it to my tastes. I am always getting compliments on how I decorated and it wasn’t that expensive to do but it really elevated the room.
I first chose a colour scheme, which in my case was pink, green, white and gold and then I picked out flower pots, cushions and blankets that tied into the theme and that did the job.
I also used a photo printing app to print lots of photos of my family and friends - this made the room really cosy and helped it feel like home. I think this is the most important part of decorating your room, you have to enjoy being in it because it is your space.
Overall, student accommodation is really affordable and a cost effective choice to make. It can be made into whatever experience you choose by using the facilities available to you.
Discover more about accommodation at the University of Bradford.
What are your top tips for making your uni room feel like home?
There range of facilities on campus that makes living in student accommodation easy and convenient. From catering to all your studying needs to maintaining a fulfilling social life, Bradford has it all.
City living
I think the bonus of living on campus was that I was a short distance away from the heart of the city centre. It only takes me around 15 minutes to get to the centre. It has some incredible places to eat and shop and it also has a public library which is free, and easy to join!
The Broadway shopping centre has so much to offer with not just shops but a cinema and food court as well.
Facilities
The J B Priestley library is just a stone's throw away and is open 24/7 which means that no matter when you want a quiet, focused space to do assignments, it is always available with easy access.
To go with this, your lectures and timetabled lessons are all in the same place as where you live. You can basically roll out of bed and into your classes (I think this was the selling point for me)!
Social life on campus is unmatched, especially with the University bar being open every day and a club night on a Wednesday. The bar has all the classic pub games, as well as fresh pizza and themed nights like quiz night and karaoke.
In the same building, are the SU (Students' Union) spaces which means that there’s no reason not to pursue your passions and interests, and meet new friends while doing it.
Unique Fitness is only a 5-minute walk away which makes keeping active simple and straightforward. The gym offers a membership which includes various classes and a pool to satisfy any wants or needs you may have. The spaces are also used to host union sports, with everything from netball and badminton to American Football.
Balancing independence
Independence was always something I looked forward to when moving out of my family home. It can be difficult to manage things that you may not have had to manage before, but having a space that is all yours and being able to decide what you do with it is a really liberating experience.
I get to make my own decisions about how I live and when I do things. If I need to do something, there is no one to stop me or question me about doing it. This means that it’s much more straightforward to get things done.
A budget is something I see people stress about a lot. If you put your mind to it, it can allow you to do way more than you would think.
It's much easier to decide what I can spend, where and when because I know exactly what is coming in and what I need to spend it on and then how much is going out.
By managing my weekly spending, I can choose what items I spend my money on in my weekly shop. For example, where I feel happy to spend a bit more and where I would rather save money. This allows me to decide for myself and have my decisions mean something in what I can afford to spend on luxuries and joy.
Dining
My favourite part of living in student accommodation is having the ability to choose what to have for my meals – no more coming home and feeling that disappointment when you see the slow cooker on the side. I can decide what I want to eat.
To save money and time, I like to bulk meal prep because I’m a slow cook and don’t enjoy cooking every single night. It ensures that I eat a balanced diet and don’t eat plain pasta and cheese every single day!
Studying
The library has lots of spaces for studying, as well as having all of the physical resources right there. The spaces vary so you can pick the most effective and comfortable one for you with some being light and spacious and others being more social and open plan.
In my room in particular, I have lots of storage, to keep everything I could ever dream of to study with and I have a really big desk so there is space for whatever studying I need to do. While I don’t like to use this very often because the library is so close, I tend to use it to do any last minute work or use time when it isn’t worth going to the library.
Personalising my space
To make it enjoyable to stay in my room, I personalised it to my tastes. I am always getting compliments on how I decorated and it wasn’t that expensive to do but it really elevated the room.
I first chose a colour scheme, which in my case was pink, green, white and gold and then I picked out flower pots, cushions and blankets that tied into the theme and that did the job.
I also used a photo printing app to print lots of photos of my family and friends - this made the room really cosy and helped it feel like home. I think this is the most important part of decorating your room, you have to enjoy being in it because it is your space.
Overall, student accommodation is really affordable and a cost effective choice to make. It can be made into whatever experience you choose by using the facilities available to you.
Discover more about accommodation at the University of Bradford.
What are your top tips for making your uni room feel like home?
Original post by University of Bradford
Hey, I'm Lucy and I study BSc (Hons) Marketing at Bradford! In this blog, I'll share my fave things about campus and why I love living here.
There range of facilities on campus that makes living in student accommodation easy and convenient. From catering to all your studying needs to maintaining a fulfilling social life, Bradford has it all.
City living
I think the bonus of living on campus was that I was a short distance away from the heart of the city centre. It only takes me around 15 minutes to get to the centre. It has some incredible places to eat and shop and it also has a public library which is free, and easy to join!
The Broadway shopping centre has so much to offer with not just shops but a cinema and food court as well.
Facilities
The J B Priestley library is just a stone's throw away and is open 24/7 which means that no matter when you want a quiet, focused space to do assignments, it is always available with easy access.
To go with this, your lectures and timetabled lessons are all in the same place as where you live. You can basically roll out of bed and into your classes (I think this was the selling point for me)!
Social life on campus is unmatched, especially with the University bar being open every day and a club night on a Wednesday. The bar has all the classic pub games, as well as fresh pizza and themed nights like quiz night and karaoke.
In the same building, are the SU (Students' Union) spaces which means that there’s no reason not to pursue your passions and interests, and meet new friends while doing it.
Unique Fitness is only a 5-minute walk away which makes keeping active simple and straightforward. The gym offers a membership which includes various classes and a pool to satisfy any wants or needs you may have. The spaces are also used to host union sports, with everything from netball and badminton to American Football.
Balancing independence
Independence was always something I looked forward to when moving out of my family home. It can be difficult to manage things that you may not have had to manage before, but having a space that is all yours and being able to decide what you do with it is a really liberating experience.
I get to make my own decisions about how I live and when I do things. If I need to do something, there is no one to stop me or question me about doing it. This means that it’s much more straightforward to get things done.
A budget is something I see people stress about a lot. If you put your mind to it, it can allow you to do way more than you would think.
It's much easier to decide what I can spend, where and when because I know exactly what is coming in and what I need to spend it on and then how much is going out.
By managing my weekly spending, I can choose what items I spend my money on in my weekly shop. For example, where I feel happy to spend a bit more and where I would rather save money. This allows me to decide for myself and have my decisions mean something in what I can afford to spend on luxuries and joy.
Dining
My favourite part of living in student accommodation is having the ability to choose what to have for my meals – no more coming home and feeling that disappointment when you see the slow cooker on the side. I can decide what I want to eat.
To save money and time, I like to bulk meal prep because I’m a slow cook and don’t enjoy cooking every single night. It ensures that I eat a balanced diet and don’t eat plain pasta and cheese every single day!
Studying
The library has lots of spaces for studying, as well as having all of the physical resources right there. The spaces vary so you can pick the most effective and comfortable one for you with some being light and spacious and others being more social and open plan.
In my room in particular, I have lots of storage, to keep everything I could ever dream of to study with and I have a really big desk so there is space for whatever studying I need to do. While I don’t like to use this very often because the library is so close, I tend to use it to do any last minute work or use time when it isn’t worth going to the library.
Personalising my space
To make it enjoyable to stay in my room, I personalised it to my tastes. I am always getting compliments on how I decorated and it wasn’t that expensive to do but it really elevated the room.
I first chose a colour scheme, which in my case was pink, green, white and gold and then I picked out flower pots, cushions and blankets that tied into the theme and that did the job.
I also used a photo printing app to print lots of photos of my family and friends - this made the room really cosy and helped it feel like home. I think this is the most important part of decorating your room, you have to enjoy being in it because it is your space.
Overall, student accommodation is really affordable and a cost effective choice to make. It can be made into whatever experience you choose by using the facilities available to you.
Discover more about accommodation at the University of Bradford.
What are your top tips for making your uni room feel like home?
There range of facilities on campus that makes living in student accommodation easy and convenient. From catering to all your studying needs to maintaining a fulfilling social life, Bradford has it all.
City living
I think the bonus of living on campus was that I was a short distance away from the heart of the city centre. It only takes me around 15 minutes to get to the centre. It has some incredible places to eat and shop and it also has a public library which is free, and easy to join!
The Broadway shopping centre has so much to offer with not just shops but a cinema and food court as well.
Facilities
The J B Priestley library is just a stone's throw away and is open 24/7 which means that no matter when you want a quiet, focused space to do assignments, it is always available with easy access.
To go with this, your lectures and timetabled lessons are all in the same place as where you live. You can basically roll out of bed and into your classes (I think this was the selling point for me)!
Social life on campus is unmatched, especially with the University bar being open every day and a club night on a Wednesday. The bar has all the classic pub games, as well as fresh pizza and themed nights like quiz night and karaoke.
In the same building, are the SU (Students' Union) spaces which means that there’s no reason not to pursue your passions and interests, and meet new friends while doing it.
Unique Fitness is only a 5-minute walk away which makes keeping active simple and straightforward. The gym offers a membership which includes various classes and a pool to satisfy any wants or needs you may have. The spaces are also used to host union sports, with everything from netball and badminton to American Football.
Balancing independence
Independence was always something I looked forward to when moving out of my family home. It can be difficult to manage things that you may not have had to manage before, but having a space that is all yours and being able to decide what you do with it is a really liberating experience.
I get to make my own decisions about how I live and when I do things. If I need to do something, there is no one to stop me or question me about doing it. This means that it’s much more straightforward to get things done.
A budget is something I see people stress about a lot. If you put your mind to it, it can allow you to do way more than you would think.
It's much easier to decide what I can spend, where and when because I know exactly what is coming in and what I need to spend it on and then how much is going out.
By managing my weekly spending, I can choose what items I spend my money on in my weekly shop. For example, where I feel happy to spend a bit more and where I would rather save money. This allows me to decide for myself and have my decisions mean something in what I can afford to spend on luxuries and joy.
Dining
My favourite part of living in student accommodation is having the ability to choose what to have for my meals – no more coming home and feeling that disappointment when you see the slow cooker on the side. I can decide what I want to eat.
To save money and time, I like to bulk meal prep because I’m a slow cook and don’t enjoy cooking every single night. It ensures that I eat a balanced diet and don’t eat plain pasta and cheese every single day!
Studying
The library has lots of spaces for studying, as well as having all of the physical resources right there. The spaces vary so you can pick the most effective and comfortable one for you with some being light and spacious and others being more social and open plan.
In my room in particular, I have lots of storage, to keep everything I could ever dream of to study with and I have a really big desk so there is space for whatever studying I need to do. While I don’t like to use this very often because the library is so close, I tend to use it to do any last minute work or use time when it isn’t worth going to the library.
Personalising my space
To make it enjoyable to stay in my room, I personalised it to my tastes. I am always getting compliments on how I decorated and it wasn’t that expensive to do but it really elevated the room.
I first chose a colour scheme, which in my case was pink, green, white and gold and then I picked out flower pots, cushions and blankets that tied into the theme and that did the job.
I also used a photo printing app to print lots of photos of my family and friends - this made the room really cosy and helped it feel like home. I think this is the most important part of decorating your room, you have to enjoy being in it because it is your space.
Overall, student accommodation is really affordable and a cost effective choice to make. It can be made into whatever experience you choose by using the facilities available to you.
Discover more about accommodation at the University of Bradford.
What are your top tips for making your uni room feel like home?
Are you allowed to have your friends in your room who are not from the same university for few days?
University of Bradford
Bradford
Original post by Tara2024
Hii Lucy,
Are you allowed to have your friends in your room who are not from the same university for few days?
Are you allowed to have your friends in your room who are not from the same university for few days?
Yes, guests are allowed but for no more than two consecutive nights. We encourage students to check that their flatmates are happy with this before inviting guests into the flat.
Thank you!
Becky
Quick Reply
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Making a home away from home: living in student accommodation
