Getting into the University of your choice can be really exciting as you dream of freedom, booze parties, romantic evenings, and friends with no one to nag or keep tabs on you. However leaving home for the first time can be a truly traumatic experience. You have to fend for yourself in a new place amongst people who are unfamiliar and have to share space with them in student flats. However finding a student flat can be quite a harrowing experience, if you are a fresher then your University may accommodate you but it’s not necessary that you’ll get a shared student flat, you may end being housed in a single room.
So if you are prepared for mediocre food and squabbles over shared facilities then the University Halls of Residence isn’t such a bad idea, you end up making a lot of friends and don’t have to worry about your meals if you are in a catered Hall. But if you like to have raucous parties and don’t mind cooking and cleaning every other weeknight then private student flats are the best bet for you. However, finding a student flat is a time consuming exercise, and flatmates aren’t always the ones you’d wished for.
So how do you find the perfect oyster in the sea of accommodations available all around? You can start by visiting your accommodation office; they usually have a list of who’s who of the letting agents and available properties. You can also look at the college boards, adverts in the newspapers and college magazines, or talk to a letting agent who’ll guide you through the whole process of finding the right student flat. You can also have a look at online property listing or visit forums populated by ads on student flats or people looking for flatmates.
Once you know your budget and have made a decision about having an access to the city night life or living in the quieter suburbs, then you can decide on the type of student flat you’d like to live in. You can also look at the University’s listings, sometimes they offer student flats to the more mature or foreign students. But if you are moving away from the Uni Halls then probably you already have a bunch of friends ready to move in with you, heaping you with the task of signing a contract and dealing with the errant landlord.
Once you select your accommodation, you will be asked to provide a damage deposit to cover the landlord for any extra bills or non payment of rents. You will also be asked to provide referrals and will have to sign a tenancy agreement. Ensure that all the deposits you make and everything that has been promised to you by your landlord has been put into writing and signed by both of you. You should also check the condition of the student flat that you are renting and ask for all the relevant licences from the landlord before you take up the property.
If the prospect of taking responsibility doesn’t appeal to you, you can simply look up for a room in a shared apartment. You may not be able to pick and choose your flatmates but you’ll have a house warmed student flat to move into. However, wherever you stay, ensure that you behave responsibly and keep the flat in a mint condition. It maybe your first taste of true freedom but do remember your social manners and try not to annoy your neighbours too much.