Pros
Your friends are right there!
No need to panic about friends on your first day jitters, as mostly everyone is in the same boat as you. Straight away you have your house mates before even meeting your course mates. You can also then branch out and meet new people through clubs and societies.
Cleaners
Your biggest concern about moving away may be ‘who is going to clean up my mess for me’? As much as we seek independance, some things never change.. Luckily a cleaner should come into your kitchen and clean communal areas. Those with ensuites will be expected to clean their own bathrooms however, so stock up on your polish and febreeze!
No bills
You don’t have to worry about your water being shut off, or your electricity when you’re half way through binge watching Brookline Nine Nine anymore. Everything in halls is included bill wise, so no need to worry if you’re in halls!
Appreciate home life more
Not being able to go home as often can make you appreciate your home and surroundings more. The less that you see your loved ones and the comforts you have at home, mean that it’ll be ever so sweet when you return back to memory lane.
Cons
Expensive
Some people may not even get a maintenance loan that covers their accomodation. Some will be in accomodation that they cannot afford, whilst frantically running around chasing up employment opportunities just to get by. Whilst others will be living off left overs and 20p pasta. Make sure you know your financial situation and choose your halls wisely.
Distractions
Some find it hard to study at university due to the amount of distractions that are available to them. Having people on your door step has its benefits but also can be detrimental to your progression, should you let it affect your commitment. Some might experience FOMO (fear of missing out) and feel that they have to be involved with everything. Be careful and try to balance this well so that you are putting yourself well and succeeding.
Noise
Walls are thinner than a gas stations toilet paper. You’ll be subject to noise at all hours, as the nocturnals and the drunks are awake come 4 am. Fire alarms will soon become your worst nightmare as well. The noise is horrendous and someone is bound to set it off from making toast in the early hours.
Time and money to go home
For those choosing to study in a long distance city, away from their home town then it can be very costly and time consuming to travel home. Whilst locals may be able to go home almost every weekend, you’re stuck in the flat by yourself. Your train ticket is £65 even with a railcard and you can’t bare to spend that amount of money, after burning it on a two day bender.. Not only money wise but also the time spent travelling when you could be studying or partying!
lifeistoo.sport.blog 
It’s funny. All these cons and the one I hear about a lot on social media are the fire alarms. Do they really need to have fire drills so often? At some point, people are going to ignore them when there really is a fire. The food won’t be great at the start either as you try to get used to cooking for yourself. You’ll probably end up relying on takeaways for a while.
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Fire alarms get tested every week here which isn’t too bad. I used to be out everytime they were being tested which was convenient. But I agree when it comes to the actual drills, someone might stay in and that could be when an actual fire starts.
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I can certainly attest to this one. When I went to University I steadfastly chose to stay at home just because I really wanted that support network around me (My family) when I was going through the tougher times around exam periods and that. Part of me wanted to go out and there and ‘make it on my own’ but I also thought I can do that in a safer environment at home whilst saving some money. My student loan gave me about 7k a year and that allowed me to increase my independance whilst also travelling and broadening my outlook on life. I must’ve honestly gone on about 15 holidays during my 3 years in Uni (Thanks Ryanair!) and I wouldn’t change it for the world. My out look on life is much better than I think it would’ve been had I been stuck in halls. I feel more socialable, I can speak another language (not fluently, but it’s something!) and I’ve seen a lot more than many people.
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I can definitely see advantages and disadvantages to both living at university and living at home. It is great that you found success and adventure whilst living at home too. 15 flights is super impressive too. I would love that!
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I kind of agree with all the pros of living in university. I have had my share of the hostel experience during the university time. I have mostly enjoyed the sense of security in the campus. As in when I moved out for work in another place. I was the 10th house in entire block. And there was nothing in that area upto 1km from that place. So it was security issue that bugged me. That’s one reason people should be in campus or some sort of shared apartment system in case there are security issues.
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Yes, I agree that safety and security is generally better in university managed hall accommodation. Sadly in England this type of accomodation is generally only available to first year students.
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Ah. Uni days! Best time of my life, I would highly recommend people who go off to uni to live in halls because it’s one hell of a time! I remember the highs and the lows, the times I’d put my head down and study and the times where I would go partying to the morning. It’s all part of the uni experience.
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I always loved school. The thought of living at school is exciting in my opinion but I’d be much too worried I would party instead of study. In my opinion studying and getting your degree is most important and making time to party is okay but sometimes it can get a bit wild if your not careful. Choosing your friends wisely is important though sometimes it takes more determination to say no to drugs and alcohol. I hope to go back to school soon though it won’t be where I’ll be living at a campus. I intend to get a degree in computers at some point. Getting a degree online is also what a lot of people are doing.
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Getting a degree online is interesting… I feel that people may choose to do this because of time constraints but I wonder if there any other reasons too.
I believe choosing the right friends is paramount to getting through university successfully. It can be the time where you meet the best people in your life but also the worst. Not everyone you immediately meet are going to be your best friends in the end, and that is okay. That is why it is important to have good mental health and be focused on your studies so that you pick people that will support, not hinder your experience.
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I clearly see the positives and drawbacks of residing at universities. A great article explaining living at Uni from both angles. I’m sure your post will help students, whom are in the progress of deciding whether they should stay at home or not while studying.
Thank you for taking the time to write this.
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I am looking forward to living in the uni halls. This is a nice overview of and very useful. Thank you.
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You are welcome. I hope it works out well for you in halls.
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