As an international student, I can confidently state that travelling to a different continent alone to follow your dreams is one of the bravest things you will ever do in your life. Leaving the comfort of a known place, known food, and known people, for an unknown everything is not a step many can take. However, this transition can be rendered a lot smoother and far more enjoyable by choosing the right home for yourself. Before coming to the UK, while brainstorming accommodation options, the primary dilemma I faced was whether to opt for university or private accommodation. Now, having spent a year here and helped numerous students weigh their options, I will elucidate on the advantages and shortcomings of both choices in the ensuing sections.
University Accommodation
This refers to the housing options available within the campus, owned and regulated by the university. These can be booked directly from the university accommodation website. Due to high demand, the booking portals often open as early as March/April for September intakes. Therefore, if you are a late applicant, there is a significant possibility that this option will not be available to you.
Three main room categories in increasing order of rent are: shared bathroom (shared with other flatmates), en-suite room (attached bathroom but flat is still multi-tenant), and studio apartments (living alone).
Pros:
- Travel savings – Travel fares are one of the primary forms of expenditure for any student. UK bus fares generally have two options: a single ticket (for one journey) or a day ticket (for multiple journeys). Staying in university accommodation means you will be living a maximum of 20 to 25 minutes’ walk away from the main campus. This implies a daily saving of up to £5, which is the average cost of a day ticket.
- Convenience in attending classes – Attending 9 am and 10 am lectures can be a hassle if you are using public transport. In most cities, buses in the morning come at infrequent intervals. Speaking from my own experience, this might even mean a 30-minute gap between one bus and the next! Therefore, living a short walk away from the main campus in university accommodation can help reduce the anxieties of stressful mornings when you have early lectures.
- Bills included – The rent you pay for the accommodation is generally all-inclusive (I have not come across any exceptions). This means you don’t have to worry about submitting documents to get your council tax waived or about approaching the University to be your UK rent guarantor. With very little paperwork to plague your thoughts, you can enjoy your time here to the fullest!
- Provided amenities – University accommodation usually provides bedding and cutlery for personal use, which once again cuts down on your immediate expenditure once you land in the UK. Moreover, after your course ends, they may even allow you to take these items with you, should you continue living here.
- Maintenance – Requests for repair and other services are carried out by university staff at a much faster rate. Additionally, they might even allow you to avail their services for things that you expected to do yourself. For example, during my stay, the accommodation maintenance team allowed us to put in requests to clear clogged shower drains or sink drains, which I thought I had to do myself.
Cons:
- High cost – University accommodations are always costlier than other options. On average, you can expect to pay at least £30 to £50 more per month for the same room type.
- Early deadlines – As mentioned above, you have to book these rooms extremely early by paying a deposit. If you are a late applicant or are waiting for scholarship decisions to finalise which university you will go to, this will likely not be a feasible option for you.
- Rigid rules – There are frequent check-ins from contractors at your accommodation. It might even be conducted in your absence (you will be emailed beforehand) as they possess both flat and room keys. There are also rules in place to ensure low noise levels after a certain time, which means late-night parties are strongly discouraged.
- Can be isolating – Since it is located within the campus, university accommodations can be a bit isolating. There is less diversity as you share the space with students from your own university only. Grocery shops, stores, and other amenities too can be a little far away.
Private Accommodation
Private accommodations can be of two types: accommodation partners with the university (which only take students from that particular university) or fully private student accommodations (which are rented to students from multiple universities). The former is often a costlier option with similar pros and cons as the ones listed above. However, the latter can offer you certain advantages over university accommodations, as I will highlight below. The room choices are the same as the ones mentioned under the ‘University Accommodation’ section.
Pros:
- Strategic location for part-time jobs – Private accommodations are often located closer to the city centre or the nearest town centre if your university is located in the interior regions. This means that it is strategically placed closer to restaurants, cafes, and stores, where you can drop off your CVs and find part-time work. Since shifts are of varying lengths, often well into the evening, your accommodation being closer to your place of work can be really convenient.
- Bigger space on a lower budget – Although the room type options are the same, from my personal experience, I have seen that the rooms here are somewhat bigger than the rooms in university accommodations. Also, you pay at least £30 less per month, which makes this a more pocket-friendly option.
- Shopping convenience – Not only are grocery stores and eateries nearby, but all city/town centres have both branded clothing and thrift shops for you to explore in your free time. This exploration often pays off well, as I remember stumbling upon a small store, from where I bought winter coats for as cheap as £2!
- Later application deadlines – Despite being in high demand, private accommodations usually do not open their booking websites as early as university accommodations. Therefore, you have a good chance of securing your room here as late as July (for September intakes).
Cons:
- Extra expenditure – In addition to daily travel expenses that often pile up to be more than what you save on rent by choosing this option, you also have to buy personal cutlery, a duvet, and a pillow, which are often not provided by private accommodations.
- Additional paperwork – You might have to approach your university, who can function as your guarantor in the UK if you do not have relatives here, as private contractors do not rent without a UK guarantor. You also might have to obtain a letter stating that you are exempt from paying council tax as a student.
Thus, as discussed above, both options have their own upsides and downsides. What you opt for depends entirely on your own unique scenario and needs. Hopefully, this overview gives you a deeper insight to make the right choice for YOU. I will end this piece with a general advice: secure your accommodation as soon as you know where you are going, it just might be the second most important decision in your study abroad journey.