What’s a better option for accomodation?
I am starting uni as an undergrad this year and when I went to apply for accommodation at my uni halls only single room with shared bathroom and kitchen was available. The bathroom is shared between 6 people and the kitchen with about 10.
There’s a private student accomodation which is right across my university (2 min walk) with studios available. I assume most of the people at this accom would be going to the same university. It also comes with a lot of communal areas, gym, laundromat, etc
As a first year I want to know which would be better as I’ve been told uni halls are better for freshers and to socialise with ppl at uni but will there be a huge difference if I’m just right across walking distance?
I just want know what other students think.
There’s a private student accomodation which is right across my university (2 min walk) with studios available. I assume most of the people at this accom would be going to the same university. It also comes with a lot of communal areas, gym, laundromat, etc
As a first year I want to know which would be better as I’ve been told uni halls are better for freshers and to socialise with ppl at uni but will there be a huge difference if I’m just right across walking distance?
I just want know what other students think.
Reply 1
Hi @amani.pcm
It can depend on what's important to you.
I found that sharing a kitchen was fine! most of the time no one was cooking in there and they were fine if you didn't want to talk. i didn't have a shared bathroom but form what i know these tend to be cleaned by cleaners.
There are also tons of ways to socialise outside of your flat. going to society events, joining a sports teams, going to student club or bar nights etc
Choosing to go to a studio is not a death sentence for your social life don't worry 🤣 I've found that leaving social situations and being on my own complete was great for me!
I would recommend making a list of pros and cons for each choice and really think what is important for you.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Blue-TSR Student Ambassador
It can depend on what's important to you.
I found that sharing a kitchen was fine! most of the time no one was cooking in there and they were fine if you didn't want to talk. i didn't have a shared bathroom but form what i know these tend to be cleaned by cleaners.
There are also tons of ways to socialise outside of your flat. going to society events, joining a sports teams, going to student club or bar nights etc
Choosing to go to a studio is not a death sentence for your social life don't worry 🤣 I've found that leaving social situations and being on my own complete was great for me!
I would recommend making a list of pros and cons for each choice and really think what is important for you.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Blue-TSR Student Ambassador
Reply 2
Original post
by amani.pcmI am starting uni as an undergrad this year and when I went to apply for accommodation at my uni halls only single room with shared bathroom and kitchen was available. The bathroom is shared between 6 people and the kitchen with about 10.
There’s a private student accomodation which is right across my university (2 min walk) with studios available. I assume most of the people at this accom would be going to the same university. It also comes with a lot of communal areas, gym, laundromat, etc
As a first year I want to know which would be better as I’ve been told uni halls are better for freshers and to socialise with ppl at uni but will there be a huge difference if I’m just right across walking distance?
I just want know what other students think.
There’s a private student accomodation which is right across my university (2 min walk) with studios available. I assume most of the people at this accom would be going to the same university. It also comes with a lot of communal areas, gym, laundromat, etc
As a first year I want to know which would be better as I’ve been told uni halls are better for freshers and to socialise with ppl at uni but will there be a huge difference if I’m just right across walking distance?
I just want know what other students think.
Hi @amani.pcm
A great point from Blue that there are lots of ways to socialise, I feel like especially on your course its a good way to make friends.
Personally for me in first year I shared kitchen and bathrooms between 8 and it was really not that bad, I know people are often worried about sharing a bathroom but it was fine. For the first few months I did go out and socialise with my flat mates quite a bit, but now in second year I don't see them anymore.
However my flatmates in second year, 3 of them lived in the same accommodation block in first year, but again they have lots of other friends mostly from their courses.
I also know of people on my course who lived in private and made friends with each other.
Hope this helps give some perspective
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Reply 3
Original post
by amani.pcmI am starting uni as an undergrad this year and when I went to apply for accommodation at my uni halls only single room with shared bathroom and kitchen was available. The bathroom is shared between 6 people and the kitchen with about 10.
There’s a private student accomodation which is right across my university (2 min walk) with studios available. I assume most of the people at this accom would be going to the same university. It also comes with a lot of communal areas, gym, laundromat, etc
As a first year I want to know which would be better as I’ve been told uni halls are better for freshers and to socialise with ppl at uni but will there be a huge difference if I’m just right across walking distance?
I just want know what other students think.
There’s a private student accomodation which is right across my university (2 min walk) with studios available. I assume most of the people at this accom would be going to the same university. It also comes with a lot of communal areas, gym, laundromat, etc
As a first year I want to know which would be better as I’ve been told uni halls are better for freshers and to socialise with ppl at uni but will there be a huge difference if I’m just right across walking distance?
I just want know what other students think.
Hi there,
My name is Nally, a second-year student majoring in Media, Communications and Sociology with Quantitative Methods at City St George’s, University of London.
Both options you’ve mentioned have their pros, and there’s no wrong choice here — it really depends on what kind of experience you want. Here’s a quick breakdown:
University halls (shared facilities):
- Great for socialising — lots of people in the same boat, so it’s easy to meet friends early on.
- You might end up with coursemates or people going to the same hobbies, which makes it feel more connected.
Private accommodation (studio, 2-min walk):
- More privacy, your own space, and likely better facilities (like ensuite, gym, etc).
- Still really close to uni, and if most residents go to the same uni, you'll still have chances to meet people.
- It might take a bit more effort to socialise at first, especially if you have your own studio, but it’s totally doable.
From experience:
As long as you attend welcome events, join societies, and stay open to chatting with people in classes or common areas, you’ll be fine. If you value personal space and comfort, the studio could be ideal. If you really want to be in the middle of the Freshers buzz, uni halls might be the better fit.
Either way, your uni experience is shaped more by how involved you are — not just where you live 💬🎓
Hope that helps!
Nally
Both options you’ve mentioned have their pros, and there’s no wrong choice here — it really depends on what kind of experience you want. Here’s a quick breakdown:
University halls (shared facilities):
- Great for socialising — lots of people in the same boat, so it’s easy to meet friends early on.
- You might end up with coursemates or people going to the same hobbies, which makes it feel more connected.
Private accommodation (studio, 2-min walk):
- More privacy, your own space, and likely better facilities (like ensuite, gym, etc).
- Still really close to uni, and if most residents go to the same uni, you'll still have chances to meet people.
- It might take a bit more effort to socialise at first, especially if you have your own studio, but it’s totally doable.
From experience:
As long as you attend welcome events, join societies, and stay open to chatting with people in classes or common areas, you’ll be fine. If you value personal space and comfort, the studio could be ideal. If you really want to be in the middle of the Freshers buzz, uni halls might be the better fit.
Either way, your uni experience is shaped more by how involved you are — not just where you live 💬🎓
Hope that helps!
Nally
(edited 8 months ago)
Reply 4
Hi there,
I think this is something a lot of people in first year struggle with! I'd recommend making a pros and cons list to help decide which things are the most important to you.
In my first year I shared a kitchen with 6 others but had my own en-suite. I expected sharing a kitchen to be a lot worse than it was! Although sometimes it got messy and it's hard to juggle when to cook with limited ovens etc, overall it allowed me to connect with my flatmates a lot more and we ended up spending a lot of our uni time communally in the kitchen!
I can't personally comment on shared bathrooms, however they do get cleaned regularly by university cleaners and they're simply just bathrooms! You'll soon get used to everyone's routines and get into the habit of taking your products to the bathrooms etc so I don't think this will affect your experience at all.
I don't think getting a studio will limit your social experiences, however you may have to put in a bit more effort to build friendships with people on your course or at socials. If you think having your own space, and having the access to additional facilities will benefit your overall experience then definitely go for the studio - do what's right for you, not what others think!
Hope this helps and best of luck at university! 🙂
I think this is something a lot of people in first year struggle with! I'd recommend making a pros and cons list to help decide which things are the most important to you.
In my first year I shared a kitchen with 6 others but had my own en-suite. I expected sharing a kitchen to be a lot worse than it was! Although sometimes it got messy and it's hard to juggle when to cook with limited ovens etc, overall it allowed me to connect with my flatmates a lot more and we ended up spending a lot of our uni time communally in the kitchen!
I can't personally comment on shared bathrooms, however they do get cleaned regularly by university cleaners and they're simply just bathrooms! You'll soon get used to everyone's routines and get into the habit of taking your products to the bathrooms etc so I don't think this will affect your experience at all.
I don't think getting a studio will limit your social experiences, however you may have to put in a bit more effort to build friendships with people on your course or at socials. If you think having your own space, and having the access to additional facilities will benefit your overall experience then definitely go for the studio - do what's right for you, not what others think!
Hope this helps and best of luck at university! 🙂
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