Sharing

You cannot choose your family but you can choose your housemates, and you never know someone until you have lived with them.

• University accommodation officers can vouch for the problems they have to try and sort out as a result of student tenants falling out with each other over the state of the kitchen or the bathroom.
• Most reading this would be amazed (or would they?) at the depths of squalor to which some students can descend once away from the watchful eyes of parents.
• A quarter of students smoke – could you live with one?
• And what about a serial phone user? It is best to arrange at the outset for individual billing and a number of providers (e.g. The Phone Co-op) offer this facility.
• Or a nocturnal TV addict? It is a legal requirement to have a TV licence.
• Or a surrogate penguin that warms to the heating system left on all day every day? Remember fuel bills are not usually included in the rent.

When applying for university halls, it is common to be asked about your lifestyle, and universities may try to group similar people together. 

• You should approach living in halls with an open mind and be prepared for a lively environment where you may have to compromise your personal preferences.
• After the first year most students chose to move into accommodation with a group of friends of their own choosing, often with friends they have made in halls.

Next page: Living at Home