1.
Tips for Choosing
Student
Accommodation
From the experience of student in
Nottingham
http://www.shieldsstudenthomes.co.uk

2.
Student Accommodation for first timers
It is a minefield out there in the land of higher education Many including adults and parents alike often
forget that it’s not just the hard studying that a university student has to contend with, but also their
very own student accommodation.
Becoming a student is a very exciting prospect. You will probably already know which university you
would like to attend and you will also be pretty certain of what courses are for you. There is no doubt
in your commitment owing to the fact you have clearly worked your socks on your previous courses
qualifying you for your place at university. One of the most exciting things for me was simply living
independently away from home in student accommodation.
I studied medicine at The University of Nottingham, yes it was an intense course but a lot of the time
my cause was not helped by my student accommodation which unfortunately included my house
mates being disruptive to my studies. However I am of the positive nature and take most things in life
that are negative and spin them around into a learning curve. So I have put together a small guide for
young students who will be living away from home for the first time and perhaps do not have the
experience that would help them in their student house, flat or apartment.

3.
The location of your student house
I place this point first on my list for one simple reason. Many students looking at going to a university
have already earmarked which they will attend, possibly before two years from applying. This means
you have plenty of time to learn about the area. I think it is a great idea to do your re-search early.
Many cities often have a student zone or area which is basically a radius that is mainly occupied by
students. This in itself is fantastic because immediately you will be within your community and close to
friends, study partners etc etc. This will be from where you need to begin your research. get on google
maps and take a look at the area and zoom in and out to see what roads are like.
http://www.shieldsstudenthomes.co.uk

4.
Location Points to consider
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Parking is a must if you have a car, but remember so may 100 other students on a road that only has 50 houses all
occupied as student accommodation.
Shops can certainly appear local when they are in your “area”, however local can mean a mile area, if like me you buy
fresh everyday then ensure you are within a short walk of your local convenience store
Letting Agent location is another trick you can add to your property search. My house was managed by a Nottingham
student accommodation provider called Shields Student Homes. We lived about 5 houses up from them. this was great
because any problems big or small we had were solved very quickly and I put this down to us being so conveniently
located to them.
It goes without saying that transport links are another factor, often you will find most roads are very close to the university
buses. But still check because you don't want to be the one who has to walk ten minutes in the pouring rain to your bus
stop.

5.
The expense of your student accommodation
The price of student housing these days is incredible. But so many students do
not seem to be bothered by it simply because you can add it to an already out
of control student loan. I think it is important to really try and get value for
money. Not every property is advertised all the time. For example the
properties that appear on the Unipol website do not appear until january and
february. but you can still look to see the variables in rent. In Nottingham
housing varied dramatically and so the prices were very up and down and could
often seem inconsistent but if you look hard enough you will see which
variables cause which differences.

6.
One student house compared to another
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Condition is a huge factor. MAny properties can look drab and tired but these are often cheap to
rent. There is an advantage to this, the law states it has to be clean, tidy and safe. So in effect
there is nothing wrong with property it is just simply out of date. Choosing such properties can
cut your rent in half and they are also often the best properties to negotiate on because they are
not so popular. If you do want something modern and lush there is another factor you can
consider.
Location is an amazing thing, for no reason at all many roads just don’t get the attention for
students and this keeps their prices low. these roads can be hard to find but there are plenty out
there. they are not badly located either. The road I lived on was not even a 30 second walk from
the main expensive student road, yet it was 30% cheaper. this was not the only house or road
for that matter, every road that branched of the boulevard was suffering the same.
Inventories can push prices up so I will always say don't be sold on the 50” tv on the wall or the
tv’s in every room, you can buy a tv for a couple of hundred pounds, you can even divide the
cost between housemates, yet this added extra and others like it seem to add on an incredible
30% to the rent. So shop clever

7.
Sharing your student house
Choose who you will be sharing your student accommodation with very wisely. This is important and it
may sound harsh but you will be stuck with these people day in day out for a year. More than likely
you will be living with already established friends, but take into account the positives and negatives of
each and everyone of them. Because if Dave goes out and comes back drunk every other night
playing his music loud that is going to be a problem. As a group you will have to consider each other
all the time to avoid friction.

8.
Its all about consideration
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Keeping things tidy or at least tidying up is one of the biggest causes of relationship breakdowns
between students. Maybe a routine or rosta is the way to keep this on track.
Noise such as loud music and party lifestyles can be fun at times but they can really interfere
with your studies. As boring as it sounds perhaps a few house rules will stop many arguments.
Similar course timetables help keep it all together. I do not necessarily mean you all need to go
to university together at the same time. It is more about sharing a house with people who do a
similar number of hours as you. If you have 2 lectures a week and therefore study at home lots
then maybe share with those in a similar boat. Or if you have many lectures and your
housemates don't they may stay up late partying whilst you want your sleep.
http://shieldsstudenthomes.co.uk

9.
The perfect student accommodation
So there you have it, plenty for you to think about and consider and do not
forget there is plenty of time. So why not start your student housing research
now. Most if not all agents are first come first serve. So if you already know
where you want your house to be, how much and how many bedrooms.
Chances are you will only view a couple and get your deposit down long before
anyone else has a chance.