Pros and cons of different types of halls living

I think it is key to consider the pros and cons of each option before deciding where to live in Southampton in your first year. This article is written from the perspective of myself, a second year who decided to stay in the university halls in my first year at uni, but then decided to live in a shared house for second year. I will first explain why I made that decision and delve into the other accommodation options you have here in Southampton. The choice of where to live is in your hands and this article is only here to provide you with some advice and not to make that big decision for you.

A lot of students live in university owned halls in first year and it is widely considered as the ‘conventional choice’.

My list of pros of living in university owned halls:

Free bus pass (a University of Southampton halls exclusive): I was personally enticed to stay in halls because of the free bus pass that you get included in your hall's fees. It is a huge saving to have this especially when you don’t know where you’re going and could very easily get lost and have to pay several times if you accidentally get on the wrong bus.

Free laundry facilities (a University of Southampton halls exclusive): Another HUGE plus of halls, is that the University has made laundry facilities free to use. I know this was something I loved to boast about to my friends at other universities who had to put up with paying extortionate prices to use their uni's laundry facilities.

Both things are worth a lot and should be factored in when you are thinking through if halls are cheaper or more expensive than private halls.

Built-in community: I was personally convinced to live in university halls because of the built-in community aspect of them, almost all of my friends lived in halls too, so it was so easy for us all to meet up and go out together in the evening. Also, it felt a lot lot safer as I was heading back to the same location as my friends.

Location: There’s a halls site that will suit your location needs, Glen Eyre is great as it is a short walk/bus ride to Highfield Campus, Wessex Lane is only slightly further away by bus. Archers Road is super close to Avenue Campus, City Gateway is also just a short bus ride to campus.

Safety and maintenance: There are 24/7 reception and maintenance staff working to support you if you live in halls, this is something a lot of private halls won’t necessarily have. I was very grateful for the efficiency in which the maintenance staff resolved issues in for me. Issues are easily reported using an app called ‘Planon’ that is certainly a plus because it means you don’t have to chase to have things sorted.

The cons to living in university halls:

The flatmate lottery: Nobody gets to choose who they live with for the year. It can be a very random mix of people, you’ll either get lucky and meet lifelong friends or you’ll end up with people who clog the sink up with piles and piles of dirty dishes. Although this is the same as private halls, unless of course you get your own studio.

Cost: They can sometimes be more expensive than if you went the private route, although you would have to purchase a bus pass/tap on, tap off with your bank card or even walk everywhere. As well as pay to do your laundry.

Noise/chaos: University halls can be noisy; there can be a lot of people in a flat at one time if your flatmate has friends around. It can be difficult to sit in silence for a while. However, don’t let this put you off, as some level of noise is part of the halls experience where ever you live. Lots of people in a building means lots of noise. A good pair of noise cancelling headphones can solve your noise problems.

The pros of private accommodation:

More control: You can choose where you want to live (especially if you go down the shared house route).

Real world experience: You can sometimes be responsible for setting up your own utility bills, dealing with landlords and maintaining communal areas without having a cleaner come in every few weeks. Figuring out routes from private halls to get to and from campus.

Value for money: Private halls and shared houses are often a lot cheaper than halls.

The cons to living in private accommodation:

FOMO (fear of missing out): You miss out on the conventional experience of living in halls and some of the memories your friends who all lived in uni halls get to create, whilst you’re living further away.

Maps/getting to places: You don’t have the resources that university owned halls have in terms of the free bus pass and maps to help you figure out how to get to places directly from the halls site.

Having to pay for laundry: Many private halls do not include free laundry facilities so you will have to pay. This is something you would not have to do if you lived in university owned accommodation.

Isolating: A lot of people live in the uni owned halls but not necessarily in the private accommodation you choose, you may find it harder to make friends than if you lived in a sociable halls site.

Upfront costs: You will be required to provide a deposit in a lot of instances and need a UK guarantor if you are thinking of renting anywhere.