Commuting or second year house

2

Hey guys, just need some advice, I am a first year student at University of Birmingham and i'm living in halls currently but I couldn't sign a second year house last month with my flatmates because of the pressure and I can't find any other friends or anybody else that i 'click' with for second year house and it's very worrying with all the 'good houses' being gone. Do you think it's worth waiting longer to find people or commuting for second year as my commute wouldn't be too long .
I appreciate all the tips :smile:

Reply 1

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

18

Original post

by Shazronn

Hey guys, just need some advice, I am a first year student at University of Birmingham and i'm living in halls currently but I couldn't sign a second year house last month with my flatmates because of the pressure and I can't find any other friends or anybody else that i 'click' with for second year house and it's very worrying with all the 'good houses' being gone. Do you think it's worth waiting longer to find people or commuting for second year as my commute wouldn't be too long .
I appreciate all the tips :smile:

Hey @Shazronn, thank you for your post and I hope you are doing well. Firstly, I would like to reassure you by saying this situation is so much more common than it feels and you are not behind at all.

A few things to keep in mind:

1.

You did not ruin your chances by not signing early

Every single year there are students who find housing later and they still end up in perfectly good places. New listings pop up constantly, students move out, and people reshuffle right through spring and even early summer. So time is not something you should be too worried about.

1.

Not 'clicking' with your flatmates is a valid reason not to commit.

Houses are a whole different dynamic. You will of course be living together, relying on each other, routines, sharing bills and space. If it did not feel right, you were absolutely right not to force it.

1.

You definitely still have time to find a group

There are tons of students in the exact same position as you. And this is especially other first year students who also did not click with their flats or whose groups fell apart.

Check:

•

Accommodation group chats

•

Second year looking for housemate posts

•

Lettings agency pages

•

Uni housing groups on Facebook

You would be surprised how many people are still searching!

1.

Commuting is a real option, not a failure

If your commute is not too long as you stated, you will find that it can actually be:

•

Cheaper

•

less stressful

•

quieter

•

less socially pressured

As you probably know, plenty of students commute and still enjoy Uni life. You can always join societies, attend events and make friends on campus while living at home.

1.

Do not panic rent

I have honestly heard from friends that it is not always that the best houses go first. The good ones are often secured a little later when the rush calms and people drop out of groups. Signing something you are unsure about will cause you more stress than waiting a little longer.

1.

You will find a solution.

Last but certainly not least, you will not end up homeless I swear! There is always housing available and there are always students looking for at least one more person.

My advice:

Keep giving yourself a bit more time. Keep looking for groups and rooms but do not force yourself into a house share with people you do not vibe with. And if commuting ends up being the calmer, more stable option for your mental wellbeing? Then that is a completely valid choice too.

You are not stuck. It is going to work out, I promise. I wish you all the best and let me know if you have any more questions.

Ru
BCU student rep.

Reply 2

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post

by Shazronn

Hey guys, just need some advice, I am a first year student at University of Birmingham and i'm living in halls currently but I couldn't sign a second year house last month with my flatmates because of the pressure and I can't find any other friends or anybody else that i 'click' with for second year house and it's very worrying with all the 'good houses' being gone. Do you think it's worth waiting longer to find people or commuting for second year as my commute wouldn't be too long .
I appreciate all the tips :smile:

What do you mean "because of the pressure"?

Reply 3

Shazronn

OP

2

Original post

by artful_lounger

What do you mean "because of the pressure"?

It was more the pressure of signing a house by week four and knowing if it was the right fit with my flatmates + the idea that all the ‘good houses’ would be gone. Plus one of the flatmates consistently insisting on signing it all :smile:

Reply 4

Kingston Grace

Official Rep

13

Original post

by Shazronn

Hey guys, just need some advice, I am a first year student at University of Birmingham and i'm living in halls currently but I couldn't sign a second year house last month with my flatmates because of the pressure and I can't find any other friends or anybody else that i 'click' with for second year house and it's very worrying with all the 'good houses' being gone. Do you think it's worth waiting longer to find people or commuting for second year as my commute wouldn't be too long .
I appreciate all the tips :smile:

Hey @Shazronn

Some great advice already been given!

Just wanted to add that you are definitely in a good position as you can always fall back on commuting. So you have more time to just see how it goes. Trust me not everyone has found their group to live with.

Plus you could always try commuting for a few months and if it's really not for you there may still be options out there on places like www.spareroom.com or even spaces in halls that don't get filled or people drop out from. And if people drop out form house shares often students advertise for a room to be filled on facebook.

I hope this is reassuring :smile:

-Grace (Kingston Rep)

Reply 5

Kingston Vee

Official Rep

12

Original post

by Shazronn

It was more the pressure of signing a house by week four and knowing if it was the right fit with my flatmates + the idea that all the ‘good houses’ would be gone. Plus one of the flatmates consistently insisting on signing it all :smile:

hi Shazron, I wouldn't worry too much about needing to make a decision right now. I actually had a really similar situation to you with people pressuring to sign immediately and I had to be quite stern about waiting to find a better place. Most students book their second year accom from around jan to April so don't feel like you need to rush and as you said theres always commuting to fall back on. Facebook is a really good place to find house shares if you're not clicking with anyone at the moment.

best of luck

vee (kingston rep)

Commuting or second year house

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you

How The Student Room is moderated