The Student Room Group

Muslims at Accommodation at Uni

So I am applying for 2024 entry to uni and I am applying to unis where I would probs need to move out. I wanted to know whether most unis offer single sex accommodation or if this is dependent on the uni or if this is nonexistent.
Most uni's do tend to offer single sex accoms and even if that's not something that they advertise you can always request it and if others also do they'll put you all together. I go to Durham and the college I'm in have a women's only wing they've also got single sex flats too at other colleges. it really depends on the university and how they manage their accommodations but it really shouldn't be an issue. If you're ever in doubt or if there's a uni you've set your heart on it's always worth contacting them. They try and accommodate for as many people as they can and you definitely won't be the only person looking for single sex accommodation.
Original post by Anonymous
Most uni's do tend to offer single sex accoms and even if that's not something that they advertise you can always request it and if others also do they'll put you all together. I go to Durham and the college I'm in have a women's only wing they've also got single sex flats too at other colleges. it really depends on the university and how they manage their accommodations but it really shouldn't be an issue. If you're ever in doubt or if there's a uni you've set your heart on it's always worth contacting them. They try and accommodate for as many people as they can and you definitely won't be the only person looking for single sex accommodation.

Oh that’s great thanks so much!
Original post by Anonymous
So I am applying for 2024 entry to uni and I am applying to unis where I would probs need to move out. I wanted to know whether most unis offer single sex accommodation or if this is dependent on the uni or if this is nonexistent.


I think it's dependent on the university but most will offer single-gender flats. I know at Sunderland you can request to live with friends you already know, in a single gender flat, or in a single-culture flat. We also have family and couples accommodation available. Best to reach out to the accommodation team of the uni you're interested in and find out :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
So I am applying for 2024 entry to uni and I am applying to unis where I would probs need to move out. I wanted to know whether most unis offer single sex accommodation or if this is dependent on the uni or if this is nonexistent.

Hi there,

Like others have said, most universities have some way to ensure that you are staying in a place with only people of the same gender. How you go about doing that may be slightly different in each one.
For example, in Cranfield many people choose to share a family-style residence (either on campus or off) if they know others who are studying at the same time as them. Others (including myself!) choose to live in a studio, so you don’t have to share a kitchen or bathroom with anyone (again, on and off campus options are available). You can also speak to the accommodation department about requirements for sharing hallways/bathrooms with only people of the same gender (or any other needs you may have, such as accessibility concerns for disabled students).

Personally, I have shared a kitchen with people who have specific dietary requirements due to their religion while living on campus. There was a huge amount of space in the fridges and cupboards, and so cross-contamination was not a problem. While I was vegetarian (and therefore didn’t bring any halal meat into the space), another housemate simply swapped fridges so that the pork and the Muslim student’s food would not come into contact at all. Each of us had 2 large cupboards, which were large enough to store additional cookware (for those students who needed cutlery, plates, etc. to remain separate from specific food items). Just make sure you communicate with your flatmates from the beginning, so that everyone is aware of your needs (and you are aware of theirs, such as allergies!).

Another thing you may want to consider is how close you are to a place to pray. Cranfield has a great on-campus mosque, which is regularly used by students and staff who live on campus, or pray during on-campus work. Of course many people choose to pray in their bedrooms too, but having options is always helpful 😊 You can find out more here:
https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/study/life-on-campus/worship
If you want to have a strong sense of community around your faith, I would recommend finding out if your university has an Islamic society. Cranfield’s Islamic society has been very popular with Muslim students, creating a family here while you are away from home! They have arranged campus-wide events to celebrate Eid, breaking fast together during Ramadan, organising group prayers through the year, and many other things.

Best of luck settling in during your studies,
Ciara
3rd year Agrifood PhD student
Cranfield Student Ambassador

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