Moving into student accommodation can be a worrying time for many people. It’s hard to believe for me that my university days finished nearly twenty years ago and I’m nearly approaching the time of life to send my own children off to university (if they choose to of course). I remember being so excited about moving away and living independently for the first time. But for others, it is a worry. It is not just the anxiety of leaving home, but also knowing that you will be amongst completely new strangers whose behaviours and habits may not align with yours. Here are few tips to help students survive to move into student accommodation in whatever institutions of higher learning they will be joining:
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Be careful when considering your options
There are different kinds of student accommodation available, and it is imperative for you to explore your options if you want a good experience keenly. There are several factors you will look into when making your considerations, and for most students, affordability and proximity to the college usually come on top of the list. If you don’t like the idea of living with five strangers in one apartment, then if you can afford it, you may consider going for an apartment with a few numbers of people and more privacy. Again, if you don’t mind commuting for long hours, you may go for options that are way cheaper but located far away from the school.
It’s quite common for students to spend the first year in university halls and then to move into private accommodation once you’ve made friends you’d like to live with. Choose a letting agent that specialises in the student market. That way they’ll understand your unique renting preferences. Look out for letting agencies such as https://www.hybr.co.uk/ who work closely with the university accommodation teams. This is a safer option and they’ll be better able to support you as a student.
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Don’t carry everything you own
When moving into student accommodation, especially for new students, there is always a tendency to carry everything you own, from clothes to pets. In as much as you may wish to have a nearly similar life at a college like that you do have at home, you have to accept that things have changed and you will be moving into a new environment where you may not need everything you may desire to carry. Unnecessary stuff will only clutter your room, and if you are unlucky like to me to find a tiny room, you will stay suffocated in that room until the next semester. Sort out your stuff and carry the essentials alone. Once you get to college and you see a genuine need to bring in more stuff, then you can go back for them.
Don’t be late with the rent
If you are studying in places like the United Kingdom or Australia, you may rely on your student loan to take care of your studying as well as accommodation costs. In most cases, such payments should come through at the beginning of every semester or academic year, but if that doesn’t happen, you should be vigilant enough and make arrangements to pay rent in good time. There may be delays with processing the student loan, in which case, you should talk with the landlord about the issue and ask for more time until the funds come through. Remember, there are so many people in need of student accommodation and failing to pay in good time may make you lose the space to someone else.
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Meet your roommates before moving in
Unless you will be staying alone, it is important for you to make attempts and meet whoever you will be staying with before you move in. The reasons for doing this is so that you get to know them a little better so that you can have a little idea of what to expect when the session starts. Doing this will make all of you not appear as strangers because you shall have had a rapport before moving in. Additionally, the initial interactions will give you a glimpse into the personality and characters of your roommates, and should you not like them for whatever reasons; you will know how to adapt or avoid them.
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Keep in touch with family members
Moving into student accommodation may signify that you are an adult, but this should not be taken to mean that you now make it on your own. I remember craving for the freedom, and once I moved in, I thought that I was complete and very busy and didn’t need a lot from my family. But it can sometimes get lonely and bad influence on the student accommodation is real. A good way to keep your head above the water is regularly touch base with your family and let them know how you fairing on. In my first student accommodation I had to queue to use the public phone to call home. My parents also armed me with “phone cards”. Today, it’s a lot easier to keep in touch with mobile phones. Don’t cut them out completely as this is good for your campus stay. I also used to love having my family to stay for weekends in Manchester. If my kids move away I hope we can have fun visiting them too.
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Be clean
Remember, no one will be calling upon you to clean your room, do the dishes, or wash your clothes. It is entirely upon you to call upon yourself to observe good hygiene. One secret to doing this is not to let things pile up. For example, don’t wait for days before clearing the sink and don’t wait until you have no clean clothes before you think about taking care of your laundry. Learn to clean regularly so that you can have clean stuff at all times and avoid staying in a dirty environment.
Conclusion
Did you enjoy going through our list of ways to survive moving into student accommodation? Do you think there is a tip we haven’t covered? Kindly feel free to share with us using the comment section below. Also, if you find our hacks interesting, don’t be afraid to share it with your friends. Moving into student accommodation should be fun, and no one should get stressed over it.
Feel you have all bases covered – takes me right back to my student days
Things are not always as they seem
….. the main thing is to speak to someone regarding issues that arise