Your Helpful Guide to Finding the Best Student Accommodation

If you decide to spread your wings and fly off to study elsewhere, you can open up endless opportunities.  But if you don’t find the right accommodation, you could find yourself in trouble. Studying overseas gives you a chance to gain new perspectives and experience different cultures … but it can also provide a whole lot of challenges regarding where to live.



Of course, there are a number of different options, including halls of residence, privately rented properties, shared housing and homestays - all of which have their own pros and cons. So in this article, we’re going to be packing our bags and looking at the different factors you should consider when making your choice.

Key Considerations for Choosing Student Accommodation

Finding the right place to hang your hat as a student can be a bit of a juggling act whereby you’ll need to figure out your priorities - whether those are a tight budget or access to public transport. In order to do this, it’s important to have a think about your student experience as a whole including study space, comfort, accessibility and the social aspect that plays a big part in student life. In this section, we’ll dive deeper into the building blocks of your decision:

Location and Proximity to Campus

As priorities go, this one is pretty darn important if you don’t want to go all trains, planes and automobiles every time you leave the house. In many cases, accommodation further away from your university and amenities like shops, restaurants and libraries will tend to be cheaper - but this will often prove to be a false economy as you’ll find that you’re spending a fortune on travelling into town every day (not to mention chunks of time that could be better spent on your studies).

When comparing options, online platforms like UniAcco allow you to look at verified student housing near major universities worldwide. The best ones include maps, travel times, and neighborhood information that go together to help you make informed decisions.

Accommodation Costs and Budgeting

OK, we get it, unless you’re lucky enough to come from a mega moneybags family, budgets are going to be tighter than a duck’s you-know-what.  If this is your first time living away from home, you’re likely to make some schoolboy (literally!) errors when it comes to doing your accommodation sums. Lots of people make the mistake of focusing only on the rental price of the property and fail to take into consideration a whole gamut of other costs such as energy bills, internet, food and more. While some landlords may include some of these things within the overall price, many don’t - and this can make a massive difference to your wallet. You’ll also need to familiarise yourself with stuff like exchange rates and local fees to make sure that your bottom line isn’t leading to a black hole of costs.

While not exhaustive, this table will give you an idea of what to look out for:

Nothing will make your overseas odyssey more miserable than constantly being broke, so it’s super-important that you arm yourself with all the info before signing on the dotted line for your room.

Safety, Security, and Student Well-Being

So, here’s the thing - whether you’re studying languages in Lisbon or software engineering in Switzerland there will always be “good areas” and “dodgy areas” and researching this is of paramount importance when living in an unfamiliar country. As well as scoping out the neighbourhood, you should also pay close attention to the security of your chosen accommodation - for example; is it well lit and does it feature CCTV across the entire property?



It’s also a good idea to tap into university resources to find out what kind of help and support might be available to you. Finally, always check to make sure that you will have a private and safe space to study as moving to a party house is rarely conducive to concentration.

Types of Student Accommodation

Alrighty, so now that we’ve run through the practicalities, it’s time to take a look at the different types of pad that might be available to you abroad. This is another area in which you need to choose wisely as this can have a pretty big impact on your pocket, your freedom and your social life:

On-Campus Housing and University Halls

Sometimes known as Halls of Residence, this type of gaff tends to be made up of a limited number of subsidised rooms available to students of the university, either on or very close to the campus. In many instances, options will include a single room, a shared room, a dormitory or even a self-enclosed studio with varying costs (and bills and wifi are usually included). As well as accommodation, these halls will often have the added benefit of communal social areas, kitchens, health and leisure facilities and, in some cases, even on-site student support. This is generally a first choice for students as it saves on transport costs and is a great way of making friends quickly. You’ll also benefit from on-site security. There are very few downsides to this option as long as you don’t mind adhering to a few rules which may include a curfew.

Private Student Housing and Purpose-Built Options

If you prefer not to live within the university’s halls, purpose-built student accommodation is a great alternative. Privately owned and managed, these rooms, studios and apartments are tailor-made for student living and have the benefit of communal study and social areas. Word of warning; although popular in many countries including Canada, Australia and Great Britain for their all-inclusive and predictable costs, you can expect to pay more for this type of accommodation than you would for, say, a room in halls.



Advantages:

• Flexibility on lease options
• High levels of security
• Modern premises with up-to-date facilities, on-site maintenance and support

Shared Apartments and Houses

For students who are looking for a bit more freedom and autonomy, this option is right up your street. Popular with senior level students, these are basically privately owned flats or houses which have no affiliation with any college or university. With this option, you can expect to share the property with a number of other students with whom you’ll share responsibility for bills and maintenance such as cleaning. Costs very much depend on the area and size of the property and, often, bills such as electric and gas will not be included. Word to the wise - when choosing this type of accommodation, be sure to meet with existing tenants first to gauge what kind of household it is - i.e. does everybody largely keep to themselves or does the property turn into party central on a regular basis? Costs are likely to be as follows:

Shared accommodation can be your first foray into independent living and a way of building your social network as long as you play well with others and are prepared to lift your weight with household chores.

Homestays and Host Families

Often one of the most cost-effective forms of accommodation abroad, this is also a fantastic way of immersing yourself into the culture of your host country. With homestays and hosts, you live with a local family who will provide you with room and board (sometimes up to three meals a day) as well as valuable local intel regarding transport, shopping and no-go areas. While this is great for giving you an insight into the language and culture, you may find this a little restrictive as you will be living with a family and everything that this entails (for example; your host may not appreciate you rocking up after midnight after touring the local bars).

If you’re happy to fit in with your host’s rules and regulations, this is a brilliant way of getting to know your new country from a comfortable and authentic base.

Conclusion

Studying abroad can furnish you with a wealth of experience in addition to your degree, as long as you choose your accommodation wisely. Make a list of your “deal breakers” like budget, location, safety and amenities and stick to it. Take your time to research every option available to you including reviews - and don’t be shy about contacting current students to pick their brains about their own choices. Once you’ve decided on your accommodation type, shop around to find the perfect fit for you and your studies.

You’ll be glad you made the effort!