I live local to my firm choice university, should I still stay in halls?

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Hi. I've just confirmed Nottingham Trent University as my firm choice for September. However, I don't know whether to stay in halls. On one hand I think doing so would give me greater independence, I'd grow up more and would have an easier way of making new friends at University as well as being able to study better. However, I only live 10/15 minutes away and think it would be a waste of using part of my maintenance loan. What should I do?

Reply 1

nutz99

You've highlighted the only real negative - cost. Personally, I feel that getting the full uni experience makes you a more rounded person. Definitely gives you a greater independence, having to make your own decisions on a daily basis. You don't have the distractions that you would at home so studying is much easier. You are creating new groups of friends and a new social life....and if it doesn't work out you could always move back home in the second year.

Reply 2

LewisVaughan9

Original post by nutz99

Thanks, will bare that in mind!

Reply 3

A Rolling Stone

Original post by LewisVaughan9

whilst you will miss out on the full uni experience at home, and it could be quite isolating, i will tell you that halls is NEVER as fun as you think it's going to be.

Reply 4

LewisVaughan9

Original post by CollectiveSoul

whilst you will miss out on the full uni experience at home, and it could be quite isolating, i will tell you that halls is NEVER as fun as you think it's going to be.

Yeah I’ve gave that a thought too. Thought about getting a shared flat to live with others

Reply 5

Salostar

Have you checked if they’ll let you stay in halls? Some universities won’t let you if you live within a certain distance of campus.

Reply 6

HateOCR

Yes if you want even more debt

Reply 7

LewisVaughan9

Original post by Salostar

Have you checked if they’ll let you stay in halls? Some universities won’t let you if you live within a certain distance of campus.

Yeah I talked to them about it when I went to an Open Day about a month ago. They seemed fine then, I’ll probably check though again before I apply

Reply 8

New- Emperor

When you say

Original post by LewisVaughan9

I only live 10/15 minutes away

do you mean by car train or on foot. if you are talking about walking reall don't bother with halls becas there is no point getting out on freshers week going to the
freshersers fare and everything will be fine you can totaly live the full studen't life apart from possably the first night but you could possably gate crash that anyway.

if you are connected by ublic transport or car then would say go in to halls public transport usally stops pritty erly do you reall wan't to leave a club at 11 pm just as
things are beging to happen yes you can get a taxi back but there expensive on your own.
to sumerise you have 3 options:

1. if you can walk /bus/taxi everywhereand live at home.
2. live out and be indpendent but have less money.
3. use the train in everyday leave nights out early and feel a littel left out
what ever you decide good luck if it helps i live in Reading and wen't to uni in Southampton (30/40 mins by train) and i lived out best 4 years of my life.

Reply 9

showaeski

Original post by LewisVaughan9

Generally I'd always recommend moving out but if you only live 10/15 mins walk away from uni then that probably isn't much different from the distance of halls. Plus in second year everyone is all over the place anyway. If you mean 10/15 mins drive though then I'd probably say to go with halls.
Overall if you stay in halls you'll become more independent, get a wider circle of friends and can really enjoy the student life of going out and coming back whenever you want, bringing people home in the middle of the night etc. Halls is great but tbh I'm not that close with my first year flatmates anymore, my best friends are people I met through other people or on my course.
Staying in halls is expensive but I think it's worth it for the experience. I would not be the person I am today if I stayed at home. It'd feel like I was still at school/college.