Living in halls during the first year is a new experience
for students. Halls provide an exciting atmosphere and the opportunity to meet
many other students. Choosing which hall you would like to stay at is always a
tough decision as most universities have a large choice. It is very rare that
you will find a hall that matches your needs exactly but some of the main decisions you should make to narrow it down are:
Catered vs. Self Catered – Catered halls are ideal if you
expect to have very little spare time as they mean you do not have to shop for
food or cook. It can also be an opportunity to talk to people you wouldn’t
otherwise get the chance to. However meals are served at set times and so if
you have another commitment during meal time you may be forced to find somewhere
else to eat as many catered halls do not have kitchens. Catered halls can also
be more expensive but this if often offset by the reduced shopping bills.
Self-catered halls provide well equipped kitchens with the
main benefit being you can cook whatever eat whenever you want. They also
provide cooking skills to many students who have rarely cooked their own meals
before going to university. The main drawback to self-catered halls is the time
you may have to spend shopping and cooking but if you are busy on certain days
there is always leftovers or ready meals.
Location – In city based universities, halls can be situated
on or next to the campus or even on the outskirts of the city, therefore
choosing the right location is a must. Halls on campus can be ideal as they can
save you a lot of travel time in the mornings when going to lectures. You can
also return to your flat very quickly at the end of the day or if there is a
small amount of time between lectures. Halls further away from the campus mean
you will have to spend more time travelling to the campus and back however many
students go for these halls as there is a large student concentration away from
the busy city streets making for an environment that shifts between chilled and
party.
Shared vs. En-suite bathrooms – Sharing toilets and showers can save you a lot of money on your rent. It is also very unlikely that everyone in your flat needs to use them at the same time and so waiting is not as big a problem as you may think it is. The main downside is that they can become dirty quickly, but this can vary depending on the people you are sharing with. An en-suite room means you will never have to wait and will remain as clean as you choose, however you will have to pay more compared to shared bathroom flats.