Last year I was a first year student in Bristol. My campus didn't have any accommodation on it, so I stayed in a halls that are ran by Unite in the city centre. It's been a few months since I moved out of Marketgate and into a student house. So today I thought I'd share my views on student halls by compiling a pros and cons list.
Marketgate
Pros
There was always someone in to collect your post. In halls, there is always people at reception to collect your post during the day. This was honestly one of the best things because it means zero trips to the sorting office!
The convenience if something went wrong. In my halls, if the electric went out, something broke, the shower was leaking, you'd be able to get someone to come ASAP to help you out. There was even a 24 hour phone number which I had to ring a few times when it was 3am and I couldn't cook my noodles because the electric went off.
Friends from the start. Moving into halls was great because everyone in my flat was in the same situation. Nobody knew anybody else, and therefore we all ended up with 5 other instant friends (even if this didn't last long).
Fire doors! This may sound like a weird one, however, not only do they stop fire from travelling, they have the added bonus of helping block out more noise than regular doors. And living in student halls, what can be better than doors that help block out more noise?!
So. Many. People. Halls are great because if you wanted to get away from the people you live with in your flat, there are hundreds of other students in the building you could talk to instead. I had friends from my course who also lived in the same building as me, and definitely spent hours and hours there instead of in my flat.
What's better than doughnuts? Free doughnuts!
Cons
The price! Student halls tend to cost more than student houses because of all the added extras you get on top e.g. security, maintenance. However, £135 a week to live in a small room - is it worth it?
You will live with people who have different opinions and lifestyles to you. Now this can be a good thing because it means you get to mix with different people, but at the same time it also means there will be arguments. People being too messy. Too loud. Too lazy. Things you never knew could annoy you will annoy you. Tension tends to build up in student accommodation. I think it's because people aren't as comfortable as they would be with their family, so it builds until someone explodes.
You needed a whole other student loan to wash your clothes! For some reason, halls manage to charge people £5 to wash and dry one load of clothes! Be prepared that you may have to pay for your washing in coins. Nothing is more frustrating then not having the correct change for the machine and having to go to the shops to get change. Or the machines eating your coins and not registering it's taken them.
No free parking. My halls had no free parking outside (or anywhere near there), therefore moving in, or just having someone visit was expensive!
Overall there are many good points and not so great points about living in student halls. Although I love living in my house this year because it seems more like a home, I do miss halls. I miss the people I lived with. The convenience of not having to completely dive into adulthood, but having a team to help if anything goes wrong. Yes, there were nights when I couldn't sleep because people were being too loud. Or arguments because people wouldn't take down the bins or wash their dishes. But overall, I believe halls is the best decision for first years and would definitely recommend to anyone.
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