plymouth uni halls of residence

Hi there,
I haven't posted before so I'm sorry if I make any mistakes! I'm starting Plymouth Uni in 2024, studying medicine. Could anyone give me some info on the difference between Uni owned and private halls of residence?
I was wondering what the main differences were between the two, whether it makes much of a difference in terms of social life etc. Thanks!

Reply 1

University of Plymouth Undergraduate Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by daveyella78

Hi there! Glad to hear you'll be starting with us here in Plymouth for 2024! 😀

University halls of residence are managed by the university and are either located on the campus itself, or just over the road in the student village (a minute or two walk away). More information on the 6 halls can be found here! Students in university halls are often only first years and have lots of benefits including being on/close to the uni, having an exclusive halls student programme with events/giveaways, 24/7 security on site, and a range of options for rooms/flats to suit your budget and preferences.

Private halls are managed by student accommodation providers not affiliated with the university. There are a few notable ones around and students can live in these anytime from their first year up until they graduate. I, myself, stayed in university halls for the first year and moved to private halls for the second year, but students vary in what they choose to do.

I would say that staying in university managed halls of residence give you a great social aspect as the ResLife halls of residence programme allowed me to make lots of friends and go on trips to the zoo, cinema, escape rooms, etc. all included in the cost. The university will also often send out a questionnaire to match people of a similar personality to you if you are living in shared flats, which also makes finding friends a lot easier.

Living in both of these options, I have enjoyed my time in both, but I'm glad I stayed in university managed halls in first year for peace of mind/ease and a great start to making new friends/socialising etc.

If you have any more questions feel free to reach out or ask our student halls team for more information: [email protected]

Best of luck! 😀

-Alfie, University of Plymouth Undergraduate Student Ambassador