8 Things to Consider When Choosing Student Housing
BY LINDA ANDERSON
Finding the right student accommodation is a crucial step in your college life. It is where you will live, study and spend a large part of your college life and hence, it is important to make the right choice. Finding a good student housing near your university is not very different from searching villas for sale in Dubai: there are plenty available, but to find the right one, you need to take into consideration several factors.
Distance
Distance from your classes is very important as you would not want to waste your time and money in commute. It is best to look for a property from where you can either walk or cycle or just take one single transport without changing, to reach your classes.
Area
Do a detailed research on the area before you pick your housing. Make sure it is safe, peaceful and has the necessary connectivity. A good location is worth sacrificing some amenities. For example, when buying an apartment, you would rather go for a smaller place in Citywalk apartments than a 3BHK somewhere less posh.
Budget
Fix your budget before you go house hunting and start looking a little lower than your higher cap. Under no circumstances should you exceed your maximum budget. Don’t go overboard in a rush and get stuck with paying more than you can afford.
Convenience
When selecting your student housing make sure you look into the necessary conveniences such as supermarkets, affordable eating options, medical help, connectivity etc so that you do not have to spend a ton of money on travelling out of the neighbourhood every time you need the smallest thing.
Sharing companions
If you are planning to move into a shared accommodation with your friends make sure you know these people, their habits and quirks before you decide to move in. If your friends are looking for an accommodation together, always get a place which has enough space to provide privacy to everyone.
Bathroom
A good bathroom is a nonnegotiable part of life. So, before you go ahead and sign up for a housing, make sure you check the bathroom and use the toilet to ensure that it is in flawless working condition. You do not want to de-clog your toilet with a plunger every time you use it.
Temperature control
While it does not sound the most exciting thing to look into, temperature control is an important feature you need to look into, in your student housing. When you come home in a freezing weather or sweltering heat, you would definitely want to come back to comfortable moderate temperature.
Personality
You are here to study and to do that the best, your housing should be suited to your personality. Factors like whether you like friendly, chatty neighbours or a place with pin drop silence, whether your choice is a place with a touch of nature or the bustle of the city etc. should help you find the right place.
Your student housing is going to be your home where you will live, study and make memories, so take your time and choose carefully.
By line for Linda Anderson
I’m a writer and musician residing in Boise, ID in the United States, although I spent a small amount of time (about three years) living in the UK growing up, due to my father’s occupation. I graduated from the College of Idaho with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and a focus in marketing in 2014.
