The Ultimate Mature Students Halls Thread
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I'm 23 now, so will be 24 when I go to University and I can't decide whether I want to live in Halls or not.
The thing is, I've never been one for going out drinking - I'd much rather stay in with a bottle of wine/good book/DVD/good company and conversation than go out any day
And I like my sleep. I don't want my first year ruined by the fact that I'll never get to sleep before 3am and have to live on about half as much sleep as I need. I get sick when I don't get enough sleep.
I hope to start rowing at Uni, so hopefully I'll make some friends there...and I'd like to learn how to climb too, so hopefully I'll make some friends there too. Not to mention course friends...will I really lose out by not living in Halls?
I know lots of places you can request to be housed with other 'mature' students and I'm thinking this is what I'd like to do. I don't have that "immature/silly/mess-around" streak in me that many do (never have) and immaturity just pisses me off. I fear if I were to live in halls, I would be ridiculed for being boring and a spoil sport by those just wishing to 'have fun'.
Anybody else having similar thoughts or have any advice to give?
The thing is, I've never been one for going out drinking - I'd much rather stay in with a bottle of wine/good book/DVD/good company and conversation than go out any day
And I like my sleep. I don't want my first year ruined by the fact that I'll never get to sleep before 3am and have to live on about half as much sleep as I need. I get sick when I don't get enough sleep.
I hope to start rowing at Uni, so hopefully I'll make some friends there...and I'd like to learn how to climb too, so hopefully I'll make some friends there too. Not to mention course friends...will I really lose out by not living in Halls?
I know lots of places you can request to be housed with other 'mature' students and I'm thinking this is what I'd like to do. I don't have that "immature/silly/mess-around" streak in me that many do (never have) and immaturity just pisses me off. I fear if I were to live in halls, I would be ridiculed for being boring and a spoil sport by those just wishing to 'have fun'.
Anybody else having similar thoughts or have any advice to give?
I lived in halls for two years, in a 'mature student' block, which was mainly international postgrads. On the plus side, it was quieter and not as party oriented, but on the minus side it was all international postgrads lol which was kind of lonely. As an undergrad, I was hoping to meet other people in my situation but there were only about three of us in the whole building and as we were in different flats we never really bonded as a group. Also, being the only non-international student was difficult as international students can be a bit cliquey (quite understandably) and so I often felt very left out, despite making huge efforts. They all left after a year which meant that every year you had to kind of 'start again' with friendships. I also found that a lot of the people really weren't that 'mature' - they were MAs and PhDs but they still didn't really know how to live with other people. I'm not one for rows and the constant battles between people in the flat really, really got on my nerves. In that respect, don't go into mature halls thinking that everyone is going to be grown up. They're not, and it just takes one or two idiots in a flat to really spoil the atmosphere. I lived with one girl who constantly left food on the kitchen floor, slammed her door all the time and played loud music all night (it helped her sleep, apparently). I also lived with another girl who moved her boyfriend in, and because they got told off, hid him in her room for four months (yes, seriously). They got asked to leave the halls when they started beating each other up. If you're not an uber-tolerant person, then halls might be really stressful ... I know that I'm so much more relaxed now that I've moved out. I can go home and know that it's all going to be the way I left it, and I don't have to put up with the 'he's done this, she's done that' that I found so grating.
On the plus side, living on campus gave me the real university experience. I was able to get involved with stuff that I probably wouldn't have bothered with if I was off campus. It was cheaper too. Looking back, I did get something from halls but I really wish now that I'd moved out after the first year, rather than living in for another.
If you have the chance to live in then do consider it, but find out exactly what kind of students you're going to be living with. If you're hoping to find people to live with in future years, for example, then you're not going to find that in a hall full of international postgrads ... It really does help to have people around you who know what you're going through both socially and acedemically, so if you get the chance to live with mature undergrads then seriously consider it.
On the plus side, living on campus gave me the real university experience. I was able to get involved with stuff that I probably wouldn't have bothered with if I was off campus. It was cheaper too. Looking back, I did get something from halls but I really wish now that I'd moved out after the first year, rather than living in for another.
If you have the chance to live in then do consider it, but find out exactly what kind of students you're going to be living with. If you're hoping to find people to live with in future years, for example, then you're not going to find that in a hall full of international postgrads ... It really does help to have people around you who know what you're going through both socially and acedemically, so if you get the chance to live with mature undergrads then seriously consider it.
Thanks for your post Paeony 
It's really useful to hear other people's experiences.
I think what I had in mind, was a house with other mature undergrads, as oppose to other halls or something. I'm not sure whether it's possible though, so I think I'll have to get in touch with the Uni when I finally hear from everywhere. I've lived away from home for 6 months already, so it's not really going to be a new thing for me and I like coming home and knowing that it's going to be pretty much the way I left it
It's really useful to hear other people's experiences.I think what I had in mind, was a house with other mature undergrads, as oppose to other halls or something. I'm not sure whether it's possible though, so I think I'll have to get in touch with the Uni when I finally hear from everywhere. I've lived away from home for 6 months already, so it's not really going to be a new thing for me and I like coming home and knowing that it's going to be pretty much the way I left it
doodygirl
would i fit in halls with me been a bit older than the 18 years olds who stright to uni from school?
I don't see why not. I'm a mature student and i'll be living with all the lil teeny boppers straight outa school lol I think you'll adjust to eachother when you get there.
Also, have you spoken to other mature students at Leeds and asked about their experience?
I'm much the same as you starbuck. I stayed in halls with people ranging from the ages of 18-20 and they were nice enough, but it was very claustrophobic. I'm not a clubbing type of person and I felt very pushed into it. My health actually suffered since I often wasn't able to get to sleep before 2am, there were always people banging around and making noise. The fire alarms went off a lot too and that was annoying. Plus living with 6 other people was a nightmare...they'd often use the kitchen as a place to hang out, which of course they were entitled to do, but I'm the kind of person who really needs her own space and there was just no way of avoiding people!
If it's possible, then I'd say that a house with other mature undergrads is the way to go. Either that or you can try looking at estate agent sites and seeing if anyone has any rooms on offer, a lot of professionals advertise their rooms and they're more likely to be mature and respect the peace a bit more considering that they have to be up for work each day.
If it's possible, then I'd say that a house with other mature undergrads is the way to go. Either that or you can try looking at estate agent sites and seeing if anyone has any rooms on offer, a lot of professionals advertise their rooms and they're more likely to be mature and respect the peace a bit more considering that they have to be up for work each day.
Death Eater
yeah i am in this debate also lol, i f i get a london offer (my home) or Warwick, i think halls and home debate applies lol
I'm 25 and living in halls at Warwick uni. Warwick operate quite a good system whereby you have to write a short paragraph about yourself which they use to put you with similar ppl.
In it I stated I was 25, liked going out and having a drink but not getting ridiculously drunk; I liked listening to music but was respectful of my neighbours; and while interested in having a good time socially, was primarily there for work.
The result is I'm living on a corridor with European students who are from 20-27 years and here for 6 months on an Erasmus exchange. They're really good fun to be with - we go out and have fun, cook dinner together and generally relax and still work hard. When you're in your 20s there's not the pressure of trying to act cool or hard or be cliquey (understandable when you're 18 and all you've known is school) which, I must say, is what a good few of the ppl on my course are still like.
It is a shame that my corridor-mates are only here for 6 months though (when more exchange students will arrive) but it will have been 6months well spent.
I live in a 30week (term-time only) accommodation which attracts home and European students- if you choose longer lets, you will be among international students who come from further afield such as China, Malaysia, Singapore and they tend to stick amongst their community and it can feel quite isolating if you're European.
Death Eater
if i am honest id rather not live with Asians lol, is there like a hall of just british people??? at UCL there are a lot of Asians and they mainly keep to themselves as they speak their own language all the time lol
Most asians at UCL, and the other UoL universities for that matter, were born here and speak english. I agree that some groups have a tendency to stick together, i see it everyday at uni. But be careful of making generalisations.
I've lived with International students and it is quite isolating because they do tend to stick together. But i wouldn't say it was a specific cultural group, and if i went abroad i'd try to mix as much as possible but it would be initially easier to hang around with people who you can at least talk to.
i'm a mature student and i'm 22 and i go to leeds met, i live in halls and i live with people who are younger than me. the pros are that you get to meet new people, make new friends, the cons are that it is a bit nosy sometimes and the lack of sleep but its something that people should experience when going to uni
NOTE TO MOD
It would be cool if you could combine all the "halls or not" threads in the mature students forum so there is a definitive thread to look for an answer.
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249038
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=209951
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=290078
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=302042
It would be cool if you could combine all the "halls or not" threads in the mature students forum so there is a definitive thread to look for an answer.
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249038
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=209951
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=290078
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=302042
rnbchick
the cons are that it is a bit nosy sometimes and the lack of sleep but its something that people should experience when going to uni
lololol!! That is very true.
It's not the same as I'm not officially a mature student but I am nearly 21 and I can sense a huge age gulf between myself and the people I live with. It's not that they're idiots, they are just very young 18s who haven't had the life experience I have.
To give you an idea of where I am all my friends have all finished uni, and are about 24-25sh, so it's hard for me as it feels like a complete regression back to the start of A levels!
I CANT TAKE IT ANY MORE!
It's one of the reasons I'm moving to Surrey, going to move in with my partner/older friends and away from annoying (and STUPIDLY LOUD) kids
To give you an idea of where I am all my friends have all finished uni, and are about 24-25sh, so it's hard for me as it feels like a complete regression back to the start of A levels!
I CANT TAKE IT ANY MORE!
It's one of the reasons I'm moving to Surrey, going to move in with my partner/older friends and away from annoying (and STUPIDLY LOUD) kids
I will be 25 when I go and live in Halls. I am looking forward to it and fearing it at the same time. I will love the independence of having my own room/kitchen (because I live my parents at the moment) but I am not a very interesting person so I will inevitably get rejected by the teenagers. 
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