Finding the right university accommodation can be quite daunting because there are so many options to choose from and so many things to think about. I’m going to share tips, I used to help me pick my first year accommodation, so it can help when you need to pick yours.
- PRICE:
When you’re applying for accommodation you need to think about how much is it going to cost per term? How will you pay for your rent? Will your maintenance loan cover your rent? Finding out what your price range is, helps eliminate places that are too expensive and helps you choose places that are well suited for you.
- DISTANCE:
How far your accommodation is from campus can make or break your experience. In order to make the best decision, you should visit the university on an open day or campus visit and make sure you take a campus and accommodation tour. So you can find out how far each accommodation is from the centre of campus or where your lectures will take place. Because you don’t want to have to travel 20 minutes to your 9 am lecture, but for some you may not want to be too close to campus and may prefer to be a bit further out in a quieter area or closer to town.
- LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION:
You also need to think about what do you want to live next to, are you a regular gym-goer? Maybe you want to live close to the gym or close to the high street because you enjoy going shopping. If you’re going to be driving at uni, you may want to live near a car park. Or you may want to live right next to the nearest supermarket. At Essex, there is a Tesco superstore right next to campus and The Meadows is the closest accommodation to Tesco and that is the reason why some students choose it. If you’re going to be travelling very often you may want to live near a bus stop or bus station or train station, so it makes it easier for you to travel to and from uni.
So there are many things to think about when picking the right accommodation, like the location and how it will help you with your everyday duties?
- TYPE OF ROOM:
There is a wide range of accommodation available here at Essex, you can decide to live in en-suite accommodation (a room with your own bathroom but shared kitchen), shared accommodation (shared bathroom and kitchen) or a self-contained room which includes your own bathroom and kitchen. This is why it is really important to visit the campus, so you can see the rooms and decide what type of room best suit you and your price range.
