Studying a subject at university level and living in student accommodation might be two brand new experiences for you. Here’s an idea of the support that will be available in your student halls or shared house.
Totally understandable – until you’re all moved in, it’s hard to imagine what it’ll be like. Don’t worry though, most people feel nervous, and you’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other and settle in.
In case there’s anything in particular you’re thinking about, here’s a run through some of the support you can get while you’re living in student accommodation.
Most universities have an accommodation team that runs the various student halls and lodgings – you can contact them if you have questions about where you’re living. Or if you’re in a private shared house, they can probably still give advice if you need it.
If you’re in student halls, you might have a residential assistant – usually a final-year student or recent graduate. They’ll remember what it was like to move into student accommodation and can answer any questions you have. They might also be responsible for checking your kitchen and halls are in a decent condition (so if anyone’s a lazy cleaner, your residential assistant might be able to encourage them to get on with it!).
If you’re on campus or in student halls, there’s probably a security team on site and CCTV. You can contact them if you notice anything untoward. You’ll also have a way to report any maintenance issues in your accommodation – most universities have a facilities team that’s responsible for fixing any wear and tear.
If you’re in a private shared house, you should have decent locks on the exterior doors – and you should be in a safe enough area if your university has an approved private accommodation list. These lists include houses that meet minimum standards, so should be nice places to live. If there are any maintenance issues, get in touch with your landlord for support.
If you’d like some support in general, or specifically with living in accommodation, unis have teams to help. Whether you speak to people you live with or spend time with them to help you settle in – or whether you’d like to speak to someone outside of your accommodation, there’s always someone to talk to:
You can find more support on mental health and wellbeing here.
If you have a learning difficulty, health problem or disability, you could be eligible for financial support. You can use this to help you adjust to university life and cover some study-related costs – it could help you pay for accessible accommodation.
Get in touch with your university in advance if you think you’ll need them to make some adjustments, support your learning, or be mindful of your individual requirements. Find out more about the DSA.
If it’s taking a bit of time to get settled into your student accommodation, you could always focus on making connections elsewhere. Spend time with people from your course, or in the societies or sports teams you might join. Your students’ union could offer some advice too if you’d like to speak to student reps who know what it’s like to live in uni accommodation.
Of course, if you’d like to hear some familiar voices while you’re settling into your student accommodation, give your family and friends a call. Set up a catch-up or visit your friends at their unis. In time you’ll get used to your new surroundings, but a bit of home can be nice here and there too.