uni advice/cost of living

hi, im planning to go Surrey this year for law, however the accommodation is so expensive, the cheapest I've found is £220 per week, which is quite expensive. However, Essex, Kent, ULaw (Nottingham) have way cheaper accommodation options, around £130 per week. I've done some research on all the unis and Surrey still stands out the most to me due to ranking higher in the league tables and their high employability after graduation, but its just too expensive to live there. Does anyone have any advice? whether I should go to Essex or Kent, as I also heard that outside Russel group unis it doesn't matter which one you pick. (my maintenance loans are also quite low).

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 1

bjones02520

6

Aside from finding people to share with, or friends who are also going to Surrey, you may be out of luck. I personally catered my law applications away from London unis because of the high living expenses, regardless of ranking. Ultimately if ranking is not a concern when going to non-RG unis, it might be good to look at the areas in which the other choices are, and seeing whether you like them. I know Surrey is a campus uni which probably drives up living expenses, so if the others are non-campus unis this may help to alleviate cost?

Another option may be commuting to Surrey but, again, this may become expensive long-term.

Reply 2

EssexStudentRep

Official Rep

11

Original post by ari989

hi, im planning to go Surrey this year for law, however the accommodation is so expensive, the cheapest I've found is £220 per week, which is quite expensive. However, Essex, Kent, ULaw (Nottingham) have way cheaper accommodation options, around £130 per week. I've done some research on all the unis and Surrey still stands out the most to me due to ranking higher in the league tables and their high employability after graduation, but its just too expensive to live there. Does anyone have any advice? whether I should go to Essex or Kent, as I also heard that outside Russel group unis it doesn't matter which one you pick. (my maintenance loans are also quite low).

Hey @ari989 😊

We're located close to London, just under an hour from Liverpool Street Station by train. Have you visited for an Open Day yet so you can see the campus and get a better idea of the accommodation we have on offer?

All our accommodation rent prices include all your energy bills, WiFi, and covers you for contents insurance. We've got 24hr security and support from the wellbeing teams if you need it. Your rent also includes a Silver Gym Membership (normally £165 per year) with the option to upgrade to a Gold Membership for just £35 if you want to.

Silver Gym Membership includes:

•

Off-peak access to the gym and fitness classes (off-peak times are before 3pm)

•

Recreational activities; including basketball, tennis, squash, and badminton. All sessions are subject to a maximum number of participants

•

7 days advance booking of facilities

•

Online Booking allowing you to book facilities, fitness classes and manage your membership wherever you are

•

Peak access to sports facilities

On top of all that, being a campus uni has its perks and we've got a great community vibe with a really active SU hosting tons of events throughout the year. With more than 100 student societies and sports clubs you could choose from to get involved with, or you could start your own society with a group of friends!

We've got two on-campus nightclubs, two bars, a few restaurants and food stalls, a shop, a merch store, loads of social spots and cafes to chill and study in. We even have a market day on Thursdays during term time. The Albert Sloman Library and the Silberrad Student Centre are both open 24 hours so you always have a safe and cosy place to study at any time.

Some of the stats for Essex Law

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We're ranked top 50 for Law in THE World University Rankings by Subject (2023)

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Law is 3rd in the UK for research power in law (Times Higher Education research power measure, REF2021)

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89% of our Essex Law School Undergrad graduates are in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2023) 

•

We have the Essex Law Clinic providing free legal advice to the community that can give you valuable real-world experience, as well as the Essex Human Rights Centre Clinic to have a global impact on the future of research.

Best wishes
Essex Student Rep - Hayley

Reply 3

University of Kent

Official Rep

15

Original post by ari989

hi, im planning to go Surrey this year for law, however the accommodation is so expensive, the cheapest I've found is £220 per week, which is quite expensive. However, Essex, Kent, ULaw (Nottingham) have way cheaper accommodation options, around £130 per week. I've done some research on all the unis and Surrey still stands out the most to me due to ranking higher in the league tables and their high employability after graduation, but its just too expensive to live there. Does anyone have any advice? whether I should go to Essex or Kent, as I also heard that outside Russel group unis it doesn't matter which one you pick. (my maintenance loans are also quite low).

Hi there

Thank you for considering Kent as one of your options for studying law. I am a current final year law student, hopefully I can provide some insights into studying here. 🙂

I have heard of the saying that outside the Russel Group Universities, it does not matter which one you pick. This is more in relation to employability- law firms tend to consider students who graduate from Russel Group Universities more when looking at a law career. However, other than this, there are still many factors which may influence your decision.

•

Course delivery- Kent Law School adopts a critical approach, this means that students will learn about the law by studying cases and legislations, but more importantly, we are given opportunities to explore the law in different contexts: for example- with reference to politics, history, society etc. I find this has made my studies at Kent more engaging and interesting. 😀

•

Experience- the lecturers, seminar leaders, and module convenors at Kent are friendly and approachable. This is really important when it comes to studying for a law degree- students will often require good support in order to achieve higher grades (which increases employability). I feel comfortable to contribute during lessons and ask any questions during or after seminars. These have also enhanced my experience studying law at Kent.

•

Support- mentioned above, we have a lot of support from our seminar leaders and lecturers. We also have further support from our academic advisors (we are assigned one each year of our studies), they are able to assist students with anything study related. Kent students also have access to career and wellbeing support services which are really useful. 🙂

Regarding the accommodation options, there are a range of on and off- campus options in Kent. I have chosen to live on campus for each year at University, and definitely recommend them. If you get the opportunity to, perhaps you could have a look at our Undergraduate and Postgraduate Open Day (In Canterbury), which is on the 6 July 2024. 🙂 Alternatively, if you are from London, it is fairly easy to commute from London to Kent. I know several friends who commute between London and Kent on a daily basis- which may be something for you to look into, as it could save you some money (if you get a travel card too).

I hope this helps.
Chloe
University of Kent Student Rep

Reply 4

Richmond Hiba

Official Rep

6

Original post by ari989

hi, im planning to go Surrey this year for law, however the accommodation is so expensive, the cheapest I've found is £220 per week, which is quite expensive. However, Essex, Kent, ULaw (Nottingham) have way cheaper accommodation options, around £130 per week. I've done some research on all the unis and Surrey still stands out the most to me due to ranking higher in the league tables and their high employability after graduation, but its just too expensive to live there. Does anyone have any advice? whether I should go to Essex or Kent, as I also heard that outside Russel group unis it doesn't matter which one you pick. (my maintenance loans are also quite low).

Hey @ari989,
I hear you on the challenge of balancing accommodation costs with your desire to attend a university that aligns with your academic goals. I would recommend, beyond rankings which can be important but not the sole factor, to consider the overall student experience each university offers. When you're deciding on a university, it's really important to check out the support services they offer. For example, at Richmond American University London, they offer dedicated financial support for students facing challenges. This includes a specific budget to assist students who may be experiencing financial difficulties. Such support can make a significant difference in managing your finances while focusing on your studies, that's why I suggest no matter where you end up going having support systems can greatly impact your university experience.

Best of luck!!

RAUL Student Ambassador
Hiba

Reply 5

University of Surrey Student Rep

Official Rep

15

Original post by ari989

hi, im planning to go Surrey this year for law, however the accommodation is so expensive, the cheapest I've found is £220 per week, which is quite expensive. However, Essex, Kent, ULaw (Nottingham) have way cheaper accommodation options, around £130 per week. I've done some research on all the unis and Surrey still stands out the most to me due to ranking higher in the league tables and their high employability after graduation, but its just too expensive to live there. Does anyone have any advice? whether I should go to Essex or Kent, as I also heard that outside Russel group unis it doesn't matter which one you pick. (my maintenance loans are also quite low).

Hello Ari989,

I just wanted to ask whether you are looking at private accommodation or university owned accommodation?

The university offers it's own accomodation with some options being much cheaper than £220 a week. We have accomodation costing a low as £79 a week for this incoming academic year and you can find more information on the different types of accommodation available at the University of Surrey here: Accommodation prices and payments | University of Surrey.

If you wanted to apply for accommodation then there's information here on how to apply Applying for accommodation | University of Surrey and the allocation process Accommodation allocation | University of Surrey

Let me know if you have any other questions on accommodation at surrey.

Best Regards,
Imane
Languages student

uni advice/cost of living

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