What does living in halls mean exactly?

I'm planning on applying to university next year, and I want to live in halls, but I actually don't really know what that means. Obviously it means I move out and live at uni, but beyond that, I don't really know anything. Do you stay in the same room as people? Do you share facilities? Do you share responsibilities? I know it's a very basic thing not to know but I still thought I should ask!

Reply 1

LittleFire10

13

Original post by Anonymous

I'm planning on applying to university next year, and I want to live in halls, but I actually don't really know what that means. Obviously it means I move out and live at uni, but beyond that, I don't really know anything. Do you stay in the same room as people? Do you share facilities? Do you share responsibilities? I know it's a very basic thing not to know but I still thought I should ask!

It completely depends on the uni. Nowadays you don’t tend to have shared bedrooms, but there may be a shared bathroom with 5ish other people or you can pay extra for an en-suite room. I would recommend asking at open days or looking on the website. You can also opt for self-catered or catered accommodation.

Reply 2

University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador

Official Rep

14

Original post by Anonymous

I'm planning on applying to university next year, and I want to live in halls, but I actually don't really know what that means. Obviously it means I move out and live at uni, but beyond that, I don't really know anything. Do you stay in the same room as people? Do you share facilities? Do you share responsibilities? I know it's a very basic thing not to know but I still thought I should ask!

Hey,
As @LittleFire10 said the accommodation can differ between unis.
Typically when people say they are living in halls they are referring to the accommodation that is owned and run by the university and is usually close to the uni campus. This comprises of a bed and often some clothes storage and a desk plus access to a toilet and shower plus kitchen facilities. Flat sizes can vary and how much you share varies but often rooms are single occupancy. Bills wise it is your rent you pay and the utilities are all included as per your rent. Things you pay yourself are usually your washing - most accommodations have external company owned washing machines in a laundry room and your food - most unis it is not catered so you need to cook yourself/ eat out.
Halls can also be a term used to describe private (Not owned by Uni but by a company such as Student Roost) and they are similar to university owned.

The best place to look at the accommodation on offer is your university / university union website and attending open day opportunities.
Catherine - University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador

Reply 3

jonathanemptage

21

Original post by Anonymous

I'm planning on applying to university next year, and I want to live in halls, but I actually don't really know what that means. Obviously it means I move out and live at uni, but beyond that, I don't really know anything. Do you stay in the same room as people? Do you share facilities? Do you share responsibilities? I know it's a very basic thing not to know but I still thought I should ask!

Halls are a type of accommodation you'll have a number of rooms in a corridor most are single occupancy in the UK in what they call a flat configuration you'll share a kitchen between 5 or so of you and sometimes you'l share a bathroom. bill and internet are often covered in the rent along with cleaners for Common areas.this is my unis sit and I feel explains it quite well they are usually owned by the university but you also get some privately owned like this one (actually it used to be owned by Solent).

Reply 4

University of Bradford

Official Rep

18

Hey 👋 as mentioned above there's loads of different accommodation options at universities so my top advice would be - do lots of research! If you're visiting open days, accommodation tours will normally be on offer so definitely have a look around different 'halls' and what's available. You might find there are some offer en-suite bathrooms, or shared bathrooms. Some may be in a townhouse setup, or within a flat/corridor style as @jonathanemptage has mentioned above. I'd also consider location - my first year accommodation was perfect for getting to my morning lectures without having to get up too early! 😄

You may find as well that after your first year you move out of halls and into a student house with new friends, so there's lots of exciting opportunities to look forward to!

I hope you enjoy your university experience 🤗

Jennie

Reply 5

De Montfort University

Official Rep

17

Original post by Anonymous

I'm planning on applying to university next year, and I want to live in halls, but I actually don't really know what that means. Obviously it means I move out and live at uni, but beyond that, I don't really know anything. Do you stay in the same room as people? Do you share facilities? Do you share responsibilities? I know it's a very basic thing not to know but I still thought I should ask!

Hey there 😀

Living in halls is a total adventure - it’s like a choose-your-own-adventure book depending on the city and student accommodation you go for. Quick heads-up though: not all halls are campus-adjacent. Some are close, some a bit further out (but hey, usually cheaper, unless they’re super fancy).

Here's the lowdown: most halls hook you up with your own room, but you might be sharing some spaces. However, there are also options for en-suite rooms and studio flats up for grabs. En-suite means your own bathroom, while a studio is your own mini-flat. Just a word of caution though, the fancier or more private you go, the bigger the bill.

Let’s talk responsibilities! In some student accommodations, they’ve got your back with a housekeeping crew for shared areas. So, all you need to worry about is keeping your own space tidy. I’ve been in one of these spots, and let me tell you, it’s a convenient breeze! No more cleaning schedules or nagging lazy roomies to pitch in. But hey, if you’re in a place where you’re all in it together, it’s totally doable too. Been there, done that, and we rocked it with a chore schedule and a shared budget for stuff like toilet paper and dish soap. Teamwork makes the dream work!

What does living in halls mean exactly? It’s like stepping into a whole new world, way different from crashing at home. Get ready to spread your wings, team up with your flatmates, and rock that independence vibe. But don’t sweat it, it’s easier than it sounds, promise! Most students are all about that chill vibe and are down to chat about expectations and needs, while respecting everyone else’s space. Personally, never had any beef, even if our views didn’t always line up. Instead, I found a great crew, made some epic memories in this wonderful uni journey, and leveled up big time on my teamwork skills.

I hope it was helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.

Take care,

Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University

Reply 6

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

18

Original post by Anonymous

I'm planning on applying to university next year, and I want to live in halls, but I actually don't really know what that means. Obviously it means I move out and live at uni, but beyond that, I don't really know anything. Do you stay in the same room as people? Do you share facilities? Do you share responsibilities? I know it's a very basic thing not to know but I still thought I should ask!

Hi Anon,
Living in halls generally means living in a flat with other people on university grounds. In most cases you get your own room, and dependent on what type of flat you choose to live in you might share bathrooms or have an ensuite (but ensuites tend to be more expensive). You share responsibilities for the communal areas in the flat, including hoovering, cleaning and taking the bins out ect., however some halls might have cleaners.
Hope this helps!
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 7

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

16

Original post by Anonymous

I'm planning on applying to university next year, and I want to live in halls, but I actually don't really know what that means. Obviously it means I move out and live at uni, but beyond that, I don't really know anything. Do you stay in the same room as people? Do you share facilities? Do you share responsibilities? I know it's a very basic thing not to know but I still thought I should ask!

Anon,

As said by others, with university halls you get your own room and share a corridor and kitchen with between 4-7 other people. In the kitchen, you tend to have one cupboard to store dry food items, a shelf in the fridge and a drawer in the freezer. This means that you do have to be wise about how much you buy at any one time as you may find you have no space for your food items (not ideal if you have just gone and bought a tub of ice-cream!) Flatmates are likely to get annoyed if you start taking their space so it’s best to think ahead. Some people store dry food items/tins in their room to make more space for items in their cupboard which is normally where you keep your plates, bowls, mugs etc.

It's best to try and get some kind of rota for the kitchen if you don’t have cleaners coming in. The kitchen can become very messy, very quickly and flatmates can tend to avoid cleaning as the situation get worse! No one wants to have to clean up other people’s mess and of course once somebody starts doing that it is easy for other housemates to think that if they do leave a mess, someone else will clean it for them : ( So try and get some kind of rota established as soon as possible and have also some general rules established that make life easier for all of you that also helps you save money e.g. a biscuit tin you can all take from and one tub of butter in the fridge that you can all share, instead of everyone having to buy their own butter. Other good things that might be useful to share may include salt, pepper, oil, spices, herbs, jams and sandwich spreads, tea and coffee, but you may have to work out how everyone contributes to this and who buys/tops up supplies.

Hope that helps,

Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield

What does living in halls mean exactly?

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