One of the biggest decisions you’ll make about your university experience is deciding where to live, as this can often be difficult if you don’t know anything about the city you’re moving to and don’t have any friends you can turn to for advice.
Here are some tips so you can choose the right location for you as soon as you’ve accepted your university place.
Look on University Websites
There are lots of ways you can research areas surrounding your chosen higher education establishment, but one of the best is to take a look on your university’s website. Whether you’ve decided to stay in university halls or private residences, you will get a good idea of where there are large concentrations of students by seeing where the halls are.
These areas also attract other university goers who live in alternative forms of student accommodation. Therefore, if you want to experience living in a community of 20-something-year-olds – many of whom are likely to have similar interests to you – it is worth seeking somewhere near your university halls.
Close to University Campuses
The other option is to pick student accommodation close to your university – a choice that is particularly appealing to international students, as this will enable you to reach your campus within a few minutes so you don’t have to take public transport to your lectures or buy a car.
If you choose a university in the heart of the city like Manchester’s higher education establishments, living very close to your campus means you’ll also be in the centre of a bustling metropolis. Therefore, you’ll have excellent access to shops, bars, cafes and restaurants, as well as good opportunities to get involved in the local arts and culture scene. If nearby local amenities and public transport services appeal to you, this could be the location to consider.
Listen to Current Students
No one knows more about where to live in a particular university city than the students studying there themselves, who can offer an insider’s guide on the local areas.
There are a number of ways you can do this – from checking out student blogs and looking on internet forums to going to the student union yourself and asking a few people passing through. This can also be a good way to start making friends, so you’ll know at least one person before you move to university!
Research Popular Areas
Once you have a few names of locations in mind, you should spend some time researching them. Each university city is likely to have two or three popular areas, so it’s wise to see what the differences between them are.
Look for background information about the locations, including what shops, bars and restaurants are nearby, whether there are popular entertainment facilities within walking distance and what the local public transport services are like.
Go for a Visit
Of course, there’s no better way to determine where’s the best place for you to live than to visit them. No matter how much you read about the destination on the internet, nothing can give you an idea of what the location is actually like other than seeing it in person.
You may decide one place isn’t right for you, or you might fall in love with it immediately, marking the start of your university life for the next few years.
Natasha Al-Atassi is a student blogger for Vita Luxury Student Accomodation she is active in the Student Community and is an avid wedding blogger.