Live at Home or Halls?

y.u.mad.bro?

I want to apply for UCL accomodation since I have been accepted there. However, I am an international student so my parents have to pay the fee which isn't cheap and on top of this, accommodation is really expensive. I want an en-suite single room which starts at 210 per week but even if I get it for 39 weeks, it is quite a lot for my parents who aren't financially well off.

My parents are moving near Hammersmith/Richmond area in a 3 bed house/flat and they want me to live with them so it will be easier in terms of money and they can also look after me since they don't think I am mature enough to live on my own. They plan on buying me a car so I can drive to campus and back every day etc and this might supposedly be cheaper than paying approx £8200 per annum. Alternatively, I could catch the underground which is around 30-40 mins but it is also quite costly.

I wanted to ask people especially those who have been through similar situations where there are there any drawbacks if I live at home and if it will be cheaper for them and for me? I don't want to go to uni and feel like I am missing out on socialising and enjoying my time since living at home really restricts you from certain things. Just need people's opinions so feel free to tell me what you guys think.

Reply 1

Joe_01

14

Hi there,

I have said in other posts and I’ll say the same here! I would always, always pick living in halls over living at home, especially for the first year! As you rightly said you will miss out on loads of the “university experience” of you live at home and so if always opt for that first!

Financially if your family isn’t that well off then you may not have a choice but have you not considered cheaper accommodation (non en-suite)? They are cheaper and yeah you don’t get an en-suite but that’s tough!

Reply 2

username3159712

12

I'm entering UCL in 2019 as well and, to me, the whole hall experience is a must. As the user above me suggested, try considering cheaper accommodation.

Reply 3

Elliebethany

2

Also you are unlikely to be able to park anywhere near to UCL without it costing a fortune. At least for first year, move out.

Reply 4

username4212512

12

Lol reading all the previous replies I feel like the only applicant who plans to live at home. It's defo cheaper since you're not spending as much on living accommodations which is better if you're tight on cash, but you have to consider the knowledge that you're gonna commute everyday.

I think as long as you join societies/clubs/etc you wont be missing out on much uni experience. But go with whatever you feel is most comfortable/realistic for you. Good luck :smile:

Reply 5

Elliebethany

2

I live at home and commute to uni already. Yes you are saving money but it is MUCH harder to make friends, go on nights out etc. I would really recommend going into halls, if only for your first year.

Original post by hunfilm

Lol reading all the previous replies I feel like the only applicant who plans to live at home. It's defo cheaper since you're not spending as much on living accommodations which is better if you're tight on cash, but you have to consider the knowledge that you're gonna commute everyday.

I think as long as you join societies/clubs/etc you wont be missing out on much uni experience. But go with whatever you feel is most comfortable/realistic for you. Good luck :smile:

Reply 6

y.u.mad.bro?

OP

21

Original post by Elliebethany

I live at home and commute to uni already. Yes you are saving money but it is MUCH harder to make friends, go on nights out etc. I would really recommend going into halls, if only for your first year.

Also you are unlikely to be able to park anywhere near to UCL without it costing a fortune. At least for first year, move ou

That is the dilemma I am in. I don't drink or go clubbing so that isn't something I really care about but hanging out with friends at night and on weekends. I have applied for the cheapest accommodation so hopefully, I can get one which is affordable. I'll also try saving up over summer so I can contribute towards the accommodation cost.

As far as parking is concerned, I think that is something I wasn't thinking about but thank you for letting me know.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 7

jameswhughes

19

Original post by y.u.mad.bro?

I want to apply for UCL accomodation since I have been accepted there. However, I am an international student so my parents have to pay the fee which isn't cheap and on top of this, accommodation is really expensive. I want an en-suite single room which starts at 210 per week but even if I get it for 39 weeks, it is quite a lot for my parents who aren't financially well off.

My parents are moving near Hammersmith/Richmond area in a 3 bed house/flat and they want me to live with them so it will be easier in terms of money and they can also look after me since they don't think I am mature enough to live on my own. They plan on buying me a car so I can drive to campus and back every day etc and this might supposedly be cheaper than paying approx £8200 per annum. Alternatively, I could catch the underground which is around 30-40 mins but it is also quite costly.

I wanted to ask people especially those who have been through similar situations where there are there any drawbacks if I live at home and if it will be cheaper for them and for me? I don't want to go to uni and feel like I am missing out on socialising and enjoying my time since living at home really restricts you from certain things. Just need people's opinions so feel free to tell me what you guys think.

Driving to UCL? :lolwut:

There's nowhere to park, the traffic is awful, and you'd get hit by the congestion charge which is £11 every day. The tube is much cheaper, and if you want to save money then the cheapest thing to do would be stay at home and get public transport - you don't want a car in central London.

If you want to move out then I would say do it for the first year, you could move back home in later years once you're out of halls anyway - quite a few people do this at London universities.

Live at Home or Halls?

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