Accommodation

Top 5 tips for living in student accommodation

GRACE COLEMAN
An image of an example of student accommodation at York St John. It is a bedroom with a double bed with cushions and grey blanket. There is a notice board on the wall and shelves with storage and plants plus a desk and workspace.
Student bedroom

Finding accommodation can seem challenging and overwhelming, especially for the first time. It’s good to set out a list of what you want your accommodation to provide for you, after all, it will be your home for the academic year. That’s why in this blog I’m sharing with you my top 5 tips for living in student accommodation.

Start looking

When submitting your 5 choices for universities, it’s important that you will be able to  find accommodation suitable to you in their areas. Before you finalise your choices, get a rough idea of the accommodation available, this could actually change which universities you choose. Upon receiving your acceptance letter, this is the time to knuckle-down and shortlist a couple of places you would like to live.

Location

The location of your accommodation makes a big impact on your experience. You need to think about how far it is from campus, the transport available, nearby supermarkets, an area you would feel comfortable and safe in- but of course in an area that allows you to have a fabulous social life! I live in Abode, which is a 5-minute walk from the city centre, pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, and supermarkets. It only takes me 15 minutes to walk to campus, which is perfect for me.

Setting a budget

The awkward part of finding accommodation is pricing. Your maintenance loan can help towards student living, but that doesn’t always cut it for some students, like myself. You need to be realistic about the lifestyle you can afford, which isn’t just rent. Be careful, as some accommodation costs may not include water and electricity bills within the price, so read any contracts or leases carefully. If you have any trouble, you can contact the site or get help from the university.

Visiting

Before you finalise where you are going to live, I would suggest viewing the accommodation. You will be able to see if you can see yourself living there with no issues, as you really need to feel comfortable to fight-off any homesickness. You could also trace your steps to campus, supermarkets, pubs and just around the general area to get a feel of what it will be like to live there.

Overall, I think comfort and the feeling of safety is very important when looking at student accommodation, but you will know best what you want from it. If you have any questions, you could contact students living in accommodation, companies that lease private accommodation, or the university. There is lots of support available- so don’t worry!

To find out more about what accommodation is available at York St John visit the accommodation section on our website.
To explore more about settling into university accommodation read Amelie’s blog where she shares some tips as a third year student.

GRACE COLEMAN

Hi! My name is Grace and I’m a 1st year Law student at York St John. Although I only live down the road in Scarborough, I’m living in York with a student accommodation provider for my first year. I have fallen in love with the city and the university so far, and I am so excited to see what is still to come – I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else! I decided to become a Student Voice Ambassador to show others aspiring to come to university the actual reality of student life, like the amazing rewards of being a YSJ student at such a brilliant university in an amazing city. However, I think it’s also important to show that sometimes life can be tough as a student, especially away from home, but how support is available in abundance from everyone in the university, and how it helps you to empower yourself. Fun fact: I have a huge fascination with bees. It started when I wrote an essay on their importance to the environment in secondary school, and I discovered how amazing the tiny creatures actually were- such a small insect with huge global significance! It’s as if they’re a metaphor for us to – no matter how small we feel in the grand scheme of things, we can do things to make a big difference.