Where are there historic banquette halls?

University halls?!?

• Im going to university this year and im having real trouble in deciding about halls! I have the option to stay in private (il have my own bedroom and bathroom and share with 4 other flatmates) and the university halls (1 shower and 2 toilets shared between 6 people) People say private is better as you dont have to que for the shower in the morning and things but people say the social side of things is better in the normal university halls... does anyone have any experience or advice with this?

• Answer:

  It really depends on how much sharing a bathroom will bother you. I lived in halls and we had 1 shower and 2 toilets between **12** people!! Somehow, it was never that much of a problem. But I did have a sink in my room, so let's just say I didn't shower every day! If you're clever about it, you can also choose to shower, etc, when the flat is quiet - i.e. at midnight when everyone's asleep or out drinking, or at lectures. In my 2nd year I lived in a private house with 2 other people. I had my own ensuite bathroom, which was nice. But I felt so isolated. In my final year, I lived in halls that were actually run by another company (not the Uni) - but were only over the road and only rented out by students at my Uni: so it still felt like I was on campus, but I got my own bathroom. You should check out http://www.unite-students.com/HMSOnline/ShowQuickSearch.do and see if they have anything near your Uni. Also google student accomodation and see if there are any other places to rent: it's become really popular now, so sometimes you don't always have to either go in halls or rent out in the sticks. I would honestly say that in your first year, it is always better to live in halls. Every single person I've known who started their first year in private housing hated it. I'm guessing that your private option is away from Uni when I answer this - i.e. a bus ride? If it's a 5 or 10 minute walk, then it would be a bit different. For me, living in halls is a better option because you are on campus and don't have to travel to Uni. When you have days where one lecture is 9am-10am and the next one is at 1pm, it gets annoying having to either hang around in the library for hours or catch a bus home, only to have to treck back as soon as you get home. Nights out are a pain because it costs more to catch a taxi back. It's harder to be spontaneous too. When you live in halls, you can get home easily or go for drinks with people or meet people at the last minute - when you live off-campus there's a lot of planning involved. I also found that living on campus really makes you feel at home there - it's like your own little world. When you live away from Uni, you dont' really feel part of what's going on. So, unless the private housing is within walkable distance, I'd go for halls. Even if it is walkable, I'd probably still go for halls. Most people have to move into private housing in their 2nd year anyway; so I think it would be a shame to miss out on living in halls. It's only for 9 months of your life - then you don't usually have the chance to do it again. If you found that you lived in halls and really hated it, there are usually options. You can ask to move out - or you can advertise your room. Universities will often let you move out if you can find someone to replace you. There's also usually rooms still free in private housing throughout the year, due to people pulling out at the last minute, etc. If the private option is a house where you have to pay bills etc, I'd choose a hall. The 1st year of Uni is the time when you really get used to living on your own. It's easier to have everything paid for in halls - it can be a lot to handle if you have to manage your money for the first time on your own and you have to pay bills on top of that and talk money with people you don't know very well (your housemates). In halls, everything's taken care of and you don't have dodgy landlords or rubbish housing to deal with either. Everything's above board. Private student houses are well known for being less than ideal to live in, because landlords don't really care about your living conditions! It is always nicer to have your own bathroom, but I wouldn't have changed living in halls for anything. You will save so much money on travel as well. I think the only way to get into Uni life 100% is to live in halls during your first year. You get used to sharing a bathroom - I found that even though there was 12 of us sharing one shower, we very rarely crossed paths in the bathroom even thought we all got on really well and hung out together a lot. So I really don't think that you'll have many problems unless you're really, really bothered by sharing. I'd live it up in the first year then save the luxuries for the next 2-3 years. You only get to do your first year once and that is the most sociable year - so make the most of it and enjoy the best years of your life! xx Emmie p.s. If the private option you're talking about isn't a solitary house, but is a flat in a block of apartments made just for students of your Uni and near to Uni then this is a different situation and you should be fine with that. It's only if you live a bus ride away in a house that you can feel isolated.