Which is better, university halls or private living? The short answer is, well, it depends. There are a number of external factors that could affect your conclusion, like the specific city and university, but overall, it comes down to each person. Some people just aren’t cut out for one or the other, which is why both options are there – to accommodate everyone, literally.
The actual decision between halls and private living should be done on an independent basis. Looking through university websites or looking through letting agencies’ posts will only give you a one-sided argument for why you should choose their offer. Here are some other factors to think about before you make that decision.
New University Students
There are, of course, many pros and cons to living in halls, and not every student wants to live there. However, it’s no mystery that most first-year students, particularly those that move away from home for university, choose to live in student halls. Whether these are owned by the university or an external business, the transition to independent living simply cannot be beat. You are placed in accommodation with hundreds of other first year students in the same boat as yourself, with easy access to university amenities, university and halls staff, and oftentimes other useful amenities like laundry rooms, shops, and common rooms to study or socialise in. For somebody moving to a new city, especially if they are doing so at 18 and leaving home for the first time, some of these things are absolutely essential.
New students also relish halls life because of the social life that comes with living there. While this may be a negative for some, there just is no avoiding people whilst living in student halls. Whether it’s your flatmates you get along with or perhaps the students downstairs, halls are inherently social. There are loads of people to get to know, and it’s very convenient to live near all your new friends. Halls run by universities also tend to host a variety of social events and most have a common room to do so in, so a thriving and lively social life is part of the allure.
Looking for Second- or Third-Year Living?
In general, a higher portion of second- and third-year students will choose to look for private accommodation elsewhere. Oftentimes they do so with people they have met, perhaps halls flatmates they get on well with, or peers of other sorts, such as course mates or teammates. Why is this? Well, frankly, the halls life can become slightly exhausting as uni work piles on. While the social life is lively, having a paper due on Wednesday can make loud Tuesday nights loathsome. Private living offers some privacy and quiet, which can certainly become a priority after the first year.
Living in private accommodation with friends is an obvious positive, as opposed to living with randomly assigned flatmates. However, you can also choose to go straight into private accommodation alone or with randomly assigned flatmates. It’s true – some friends are just difficult to live with. Sometimes random can be better!
A Different Scope of Responsibilities
What makes private and halls living different? Privacy, noise, amenities, of course. But on top of that, the level of responsibilities is innately different. For one, you have payments and leases. Halls are specifically made for their own students and are easy to manage, sign up for, and make payments for online. With private accommodation, there are so many options to choose from, and little guidance on where to go. Private letting agencies can be student-centred or not, and are as difficult to deal with as, well, a letting agency.
Most students don’t have any experience dealing with landlords and agencies, and this can be a difficult task to manage. Luckily, nowadays, there are many agencies with easy to use websites that can be just as simple as halls, and with the benefit of viewings. student-cribs.com is one of these sites, with hundreds of options in dozens of cities across the UK, and a student-friendly user experience. If you’re looking into private living, this could be the best way to work through it.
Other differences in responsibility can be a pro or a con for either side. For example, while most university halls have washing machines and dryers on-site, they tend to be in a common area, whereas in private living, they will most likely be right in your kitchen or laundry room. However, some private letting agencies may ask you to pay utilities separately, which can be a point of tension. Halls may be located closer to the university, but private living may be closer to the city centre. You may have parking included in either living situation, or you may have to pay for a space. There is no shortage of responsibilities to think about, and until you look specifically at the options available to you, there may not be a clear winner.
Independence: Pro or Con?
The most glaring difference between private and halls living is the level of independence. Paying your own bills, not having uni staff nearby, not having the cleaner that uni halls tend to have, etc. These are all part of the package of living in private housing, and for some people, they sound like a nightmare. This is where each person’s own experience plays a part in choosing where to live. For most students, transitioning from school to university is a difficult time in and of itself. It’s hard enough to keep track of assignments, clubs, and a social life, and perhaps adding dealing with a landlord and cleaning just isn’t the way to go. Living in halls can provide a smoother transition, and you can focus on the important things like learning to cook before you jump in the deep end paying for utilities and having to report maintenance issues to the letting agency.
However, for some people, private living sounds like a dream. You will, of course, still deal with many of the same things, like living with people you don’t know at first, balancing uni and home life, and keeping your new space tidy. Some people won’t miss a lack of access to common rooms and other included amenities. Maybe you prefer spending time in town or even at the uni restaurants and amenities instead, or simply living the home life and thriving that way. The bottom line is, independence can be both a blessing and a curse. If you’re concerned about jumping into the deep end, help smooth your transition with halls. If that’s not an issue for you and you’d like to live closer to town or simply with a higher degree of privacy and self-efficacy, then private living may be for you.
Overall, while pros and cons lists like this one may be a good way to understand all the options and what they can offer you, nobody can make the decision but you. Everyone is built differently and moving out of home is a significant step for any student. It’s important to make it the most comfortable and helpful transition to get you on your way with your studies, which is really the goal in the end.
