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Accommodation at the University of Reading

Hello everyone!

With the UCAS deadline passing last month, you may now be starting to consider your university accommodation options.

Accommodation applications at the University of Reading for 2025/6 entry opened yesterday (5 February 2025). Have you got questions for Reading students about what accommodation is like? Or would you like to hear about their experiences?

Our ambassadors will be sharing their experience and top tips for university accommodation below, and you can add any of your own questions.

You can also find the full application timeline here, and read Hattie's blog on Unibuddy about accommodation FAQs here.

- Izzie (UK Recruitment) :smile:

Reply 1

UniofReading

Official Rep

Original post by UniofReading

Hello everyone!
With the UCAS deadline passing last month, you may now be starting to consider your university accommodation options.
Accommodation applications at the University of Reading for 2025/6 entry opened yesterday (5 February 2025). Have you got questions for Reading students about what accommodation is like? Or would you like to hear about their experiences?
Our ambassadors will be sharing their experience and top tips for university accommodation below, and you can add any of your own questions.
You can also find the full application timeline here, and read Hattie's blog on Unibuddy about accommodation FAQs here.
- Izzie (UK Recruitment) :smile:

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all doing well, and are excited about the idea of choosing your accommodation at the University of Reading.

I had a premium ensuite room in Stenton Hall in my first year and had a great time there. I remember feeling like choosing my accommodation was a huge deal, and I was really worried about making the 'wrong' choice. I soon realised that there isn't such thing as the 'wrong' choice, and different things work for different people. Here are a couple of my biggest tips based on my experiences.

The first thing I would say is to think about what kind of place you would like to live from lots of different angles. For example, where do you want to live to make friends and be sociable? But equally where would you like to live when you finish a long day at uni and want a nice relaxing evening? Would you prefer to live on campus where all the action is? Or would a slightly quieter, more out of the way area suit your needs better?

Another tip would be to seriously consider a shared bathroom. I personally only looked at en-suite rooms and refused to even look at the shared bathroom accommodations. However, there are some benefits to them. Firstly, they are cleaned for you as they are considered a communal space. Secondly, they encourage you to keep it cleaner. I personally wish I have opted for a townhouse room, as you only share a bathroom with one other person but it gets cleaned for you so is a great balance.

I also think it's a great idea to look at different pictures and videos of the rooms to get a good idea of what they're like. I personally found the virtual room tours really helpful, which I will link here, and I also looked at YouTube videos people had made about the different types of rooms I was interested to hear about their thoughts.

I hope this has been helpful! Just let us know if you have any accommodation related questions.

Hattie😊
4MSci Speech and Language Therapy

Reply 2

UniofReading

Official Rep

Original post by UniofReading

Hello everyone!
With the UCAS deadline passing last month, you may now be starting to consider your university accommodation options.
Accommodation applications at the University of Reading for 2025/6 entry opened yesterday (5 February 2025). Have you got questions for Reading students about what accommodation is like? Or would you like to hear about their experiences?
Our ambassadors will be sharing their experience and top tips for university accommodation below, and you can add any of your own questions.
You can also find the full application timeline here, and read Hattie's blog on Unibuddy about accommodation FAQs here.
- Izzie (UK Recruitment) :smile:

Hi everyone!

It is exciting times ahead as you start to think about accommodation! Choosing where to live is a big decision, so here are my top tips as a second year student 🙂

1)Firstly, I would suggest considering your priorities. Factors such as en-suite preference or shared bathrooms, catered or self-catered, closer to campus or further away are all important things to consider when you start looking!

2)Location is an important factor to consider. Think about where you want to be, whether that is closer to town or closer to the campus/lecture buildings. There are lots of options at Reading which is why it is such a great choice for accommodation 🙂

3)Budget is an important factor to consider. Accommodation prices vary based on what is included so making sure you can afford it is very important!

I would also suggest attending an open-day to take a look at the accommodation options in person, this really does allow you to get a feel for where you will be staying! If you cannot make an open-day, you may want to consider a virtual accommodation tour which you can access here! You can also browse all of the different options for accommodation facilities here which includes room types, location, how to apply etc!

It is always best to apply as early as you can, the sooner you apply the more choice you may have. If you have any questions about life in halls or need advice on making the right choice, feel free to reach out! 🙂

Best of luck,
Millie 🙂
BSc International Development

Reply 3

UniofReading

Official Rep

Original post by UniofReading

Hello everyone!
With the UCAS deadline passing last month, you may now be starting to consider your university accommodation options.
Accommodation applications at the University of Reading for 2025/6 entry opened yesterday (5 February 2025). Have you got questions for Reading students about what accommodation is like? Or would you like to hear about their experiences?
Our ambassadors will be sharing their experience and top tips for university accommodation below, and you can add any of your own questions.
You can also find the full application timeline here, and read Hattie's blog on Unibuddy about accommodation FAQs here.
- Izzie (UK Recruitment) :smile:

Hello!

When applying to university, I knew I wanted to stay at home. So, I decided to commute to my closest university, which offered my chosen course. I wanted to stay at home, as I enjoyed living at home with my family and didn't feel the need to live with other people. Additionally, I didn't like the idea of living in a different place, sharing a kitchen and being on campus all of the time, as I felt this would have been too much for me. Whereas many people enjoy living with new people and making new friends. Similarly, many students like living close to their classes, making their commute easier and less tiring. But for me, living at home was what I needed.

I have created a pros and cons blog, which can be read here. This is a great way to summarise the advantages and disadvantages of commuting. However, it is a very personal and big decision, as I travel for over 2 hours every time I attend university, and sometimes the lectures may only be 1 hour; therefore, I travel for longer than I am in university. However, I don't mind as I do not use public transport and have a driver to take me to and from university.

It is important to plan your journey to see how long you would be travelling to access the university to ensure you have an overview of what to expect if you were to commit to commuting.

Some students prefer to live on campus for the school week, and then they go home for the weekend; this is a flexible way to commit and stay on campus. However, the hall fees will be the same as those for staying for the entire week.

I hope this information helps, and if you have any questions please let me know.

All the best,
Ella
Bsc Ecology.