Moving to uni

I currently live 45 minutes away from Hallam. I live at home with my mum and my dog. I’m stuck between the following below as. I love being at home because I never felt comfort in my room but now I love it, I’ve bought everything new recently and I love my vanity. But I’m not a big drinker but if I want to go out I would have to get last train home. I wouldn’t have to pay as much out apart from board to my mum and travel expenses.

I want to get a flat as I know my friends are clean and I struggle with unclean rooms and floors ect ect. And I know I could be ng my dog as she is my bestfriend. I don’t wanna make this big move as it means that I’m basically a full grown adult and it’s a big thing. I would pay for rent, 1/2 to food and 1/2 rent as I’ll be with my partner.

But I want to live in halls as it gets the full uni experience and make new friends - although I struggle with making friends. And actually get used to living out of my house. I would have to pay rent , food and essentials, and travel expenses to see my dog and family.

1. Stay at home
2. Live in a flat near Hallam with two people who go to Hallam - I would bring my dog
3. Live in halls

Reply 1

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I currently live 45 minutes away from Hallam. I live at home with my mum and my dog. I’m stuck between the following below as. I love being at home because I never felt comfort in my room but now I love it, I’ve bought everything new recently and I love my vanity. But I’m not a big drinker but if I want to go out I would have to get last train home. I wouldn’t have to pay as much out apart from board to my mum and travel expenses.
I want to get a flat as I know my friends are clean and I struggle with unclean rooms and floors ect ect. And I know I could be ng my dog as she is my bestfriend. I don’t wanna make this big move as it means that I’m basically a full grown adult and it’s a big thing. I would pay for rent, 1/2 to food and 1/2 rent as I’ll be with my partner.
But I want to live in halls as it gets the full uni experience and make new friends - although I struggle with making friends. And actually get used to living out of my house. I would have to pay rent , food and essentials, and travel expenses to see my dog and family.
1. Stay at home
2. Live in a flat near Hallam with two people who go to Hallam - I would bring my dog
3. Live in halls

Hi there,

This can be a tricky decision, and people choose to do different things for different reasons. I thought I may as well give you some of my advice and see if it helps you out at all 🙂

Firstly, there are still plenty of opportunities to go out and meet people if you live at home. I have quite a few friends at Hallam who live at home and they have still made lots of friends and met people, so if you are worried about this we have so many events, societies and ways you can meet people here. It can be helpful for some people to be around their home comforts too so if you feel like this is something which would help you while you settle into uni in first year. There is also the opportunity to move away from home in second or third year too, if you want to have a change. Some of our accommodation will accept second/third years if we have enough space so you could always try this if you don't feel as though you are ready to move out yet.

If you did want to move out, we have so many great accommodation options, so have a look and see if there are any you like the look of. Open days are also great ways of having a look at some of the halls, so if you have applied then come to one of our applicant open days coming up and you can have a look around some of them to see if you like them! I had a great experience and met lots of friends here, but it isn't always for everyone so it is worth having a look.

Your option of moving out with a friend and your partner sounds like a good option too and if you can find a place where you can live with your dog too this could work well!

Whatever you decide to do, you will have a great time at Hallam. We have lots of great societies and events so if you do decide to live off campus, there will be so many chances to meet people here!

Good luck with your decision making, and we look forward to having you here!

Lucy -SHU student ambassador 🙂

Reply 2

Kingston Zhi En

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I currently live 45 minutes away from Hallam. I live at home with my mum and my dog. I’m stuck between the following below as. I love being at home because I never felt comfort in my room but now I love it, I’ve bought everything new recently and I love my vanity. But I’m not a big drinker but if I want to go out I would have to get last train home. I wouldn’t have to pay as much out apart from board to my mum and travel expenses.
I want to get a flat as I know my friends are clean and I struggle with unclean rooms and floors ect ect. And I know I could be ng my dog as she is my bestfriend. I don’t wanna make this big move as it means that I’m basically a full grown adult and it’s a big thing. I would pay for rent, 1/2 to food and 1/2 rent as I’ll be with my partner.
But I want to live in halls as it gets the full uni experience and make new friends - although I struggle with making friends. And actually get used to living out of my house. I would have to pay rent , food and essentials, and travel expenses to see my dog and family.
1. Stay at home
2. Live in a flat near Hallam with two people who go to Hallam - I would bring my dog
3. Live in halls

Hi there,
Like what Lucy has mentioned, it can be a difficult financial decision to make.
Although living in halls is a great way to meet new people outside of your faculty and class, it does not always mean you will click with everyone you meet. I would suggest checking out the halls during an Open Day to see if it is a good fit for you 🙂
Staying at home and commuting does not mean you will miss out on a full uni experience, there are still tons of student union and society events that you can join on days that you are in university 😚
I would also suggest having a look at the cost of rental around the area and compare it to the cost of halls to work out which is a better fit for your lifestyle.
Wishing you the best of luck in your time at uni 🤗

Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)

Reply 3

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

Hi,
I went through this exact dilemma before starting Uni and ultimately decided to commute. However, I have had my moments where I wished I lived slightly closer and felt I was missing out on the ‘Uni experience’. Then I think about how I get a homecooked meal on nights I get home late (my house has a first home cooks rule), and I don’t have to worry about having to negotiate staying in the house at the end of the year or how I’m going to move all my stuff if I find a new place.

I ultimately decided to live at home all three years, however a friend of mine stayed in halls for the first year then decided to live at home for second and third year to save money. If you aren’t sure what you want to do, this could be worth considering. Whatever choice you make you don't have to stick with it for the entirety of your time at Uni.

Plenty of people don’t become friends with who is in their halls, some people are merely acquaintances. Instead they make friends through shared interests by joining clubs and societies and on their course. As long as you engage in university life, be that group projects or societies and clubs, you can make new friends whatever option you choose .

Eleanor
University of Salford Student Rep :grin:

Reply 4

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I currently live 45 minutes away from Hallam. I live at home with my mum and my dog. I’m stuck between the following below as. I love being at home because I never felt comfort in my room but now I love it, I’ve bought everything new recently and I love my vanity. But I’m not a big drinker but if I want to go out I would have to get last train home. I wouldn’t have to pay as much out apart from board to my mum and travel expenses.
I want to get a flat as I know my friends are clean and I struggle with unclean rooms and floors ect ect. And I know I could be ng my dog as she is my bestfriend. I don’t wanna make this big move as it means that I’m basically a full grown adult and it’s a big thing. I would pay for rent, 1/2 to food and 1/2 rent as I’ll be with my partner.
But I want to live in halls as it gets the full uni experience and make new friends - although I struggle with making friends. And actually get used to living out of my house. I would have to pay rent , food and essentials, and travel expenses to see my dog and family.
1. Stay at home
2. Live in a flat near Hallam with two people who go to Hallam - I would bring my dog
3. Live in halls

Hi,

It’s completely normal to feel stuck when deciding where you want to live, there isn’t really a right or wrong option, it’s just about what suits you best.

Staying at home can be a comfortable and practical choice, especially if you’re happy there and want to save some money. If the commute is manageable, it can be a good way to ease into university life.

Living in a flat with your friends could be a nice middle ground. You already know who you’d be living with, which helps if you value cleanliness and your own space, and being able to bring your dog is definitely something to factor in. It still gives you independence, but without some of the unpredictability that can come with halls.

Halls can be great for meeting people and feeling fully immersed in university life, but they can also be a bit hit-or-miss depending on who you live with. Things like noise, cleanliness, and cost are worth thinking about, as well as how you’d feel being away from home.

It’s also worth remembering that you can still make friends while living at home. Joining societies, sports teams, or course-related groups is a really common way to meet people, and a lot of them run regular socials and nights out. You don’t have to live in halls to have a social life.

Whatever you choose doesn’t have to be permanent either. You could live out for a year and then move back home, or start at home and move out once you feel more ready. University is all about figuring things out as you go.

Hope this helps and makes the decision feel less overwhelming.

Tayba
Student Rep