Your ideal student residence: 5 points to consider when making your decision

Are you looking for your ideal student residence and don’t know where to start? Today we advise you to read these 5 tips that we leave you here below, which will surely help you to define what you really need to make the best decision and secure your place in that university residence hall once and for all.

University residence or university college?

The first thing you should know is that in both options you will find good vibes, a university atmosphere and proximity to the faculties.

The main differences are that a hall of residence offers accommodation to students of a specific university because it is attached to it, while a university residence provides accommodation for higher education students, normally university degrees, but also postgraduate courses or even specialised professional training. They are autonomous, as they are not attached to any university.

Mixed accommodation or gender-specific?

Both university residences and halls of residence can be: mixed, male or female. This will depend on the rules of each college or residence hall and you must simply choose the environment in which you feel most comfortable.

Whether in mixed, female or male residences, the atmosphere and fun will be guaranteed. All of them organise weekly activities of all kinds: sports, cinema, concerts, themed parties… We can guarantee you won’t get bored!

Living alone or sharing a room?

One of the biggest advantages of living in a university residence is that you can choose between living alone or sharing a room with someone else. Both options may vary in size and price, but what is certain is that you will have a place to spend your days and nights.

What kind of rooms can you find? In general, you will choose between single rooms, double rooms, studios or flats.

We recommend that you make this decision taking into account your lifestyle and your character. If you are a person who needs space, a lot of concentration and study time, a single room will be your best option. If otherwise you don’t mind sharing your room and being surrounded by your roommates on a daily basis, a shared room will be a good option.

Your budget and expenses

First of all, before starting your search, it is important that you set yourself a monthly budget to pay for the residence hall. No one knows better than you how far your economic possibilities or those of your family reach, but it is important that you know that in a residence hall you will not only be able to sleep, but you will also have to think about whether or not it includes food service, laundry, cleaning of rooms and general services.

If you have access to a kitchen (private or shared), you will have to set a maximum amount to spend on the purchase. If, on the other hand, you are going to contract the full-board or half-board service, then you will probably not have to worry about anything, although you will have to bear in mind that this means an increase in the monthly cost of the residence hall.

Lunch and dinner in the residence hall

Keep in mind that you don’t just need a place to live… You will also have to eat! You must choose between different options, but the most common is to contract full board and forget about having to cook every day. The time you will save by cooking, you will be able to dedicate it to other tasks, such as your studies, sports, or activities with your friends.

If, on the other hand, you have a kitchen in your room or access to a communal kitchen, you can take advantage of this to leave your dishes ready for the week. This way you can also save part of your budget and only buy the ingredients you need, the choice is yours!