If you’re ready to head off to Southampton university for the next year, the chances are that you will now be looking for somewhere to live whilst there (unless you are lucky enough to live at home with your parents / family and are close enough to commute from there).
There are lots and lots and lots of student accommodation buildings and properties across Southampton for you to consider, but take a look at our handy little guide below that will give you some pointers as to how to choose the best accommodation in the best locations.
First of all, ideally you are going to want to be as close to the campus you attend as possible to cut down on travel time and costs. Yes, this may cost you slightly more, but will make it easier for you to get out and be there on time, and it will make sure you are closer to any events that take place – giving you a better chance of attending and networking with fellow students.
Secondly, you want to be involved in the social scene really so it is important that you don’t cut yourself off from this by being too far out. Local shopping centres, cinemas, nightclubs – base yourself somewhere that these places are easily accessible from, and perhaps in some instances more importantly, easy enough to get back from.
Thirdly, cost. Cost can be a major player for a lot of people. The cheaper accommodations are usually outside of the main areas but offer a good price for staying there. Those accommodations closer to the action usually tend to cost a bit more. It is worth weighing up the difference in price to see if it is manageable for you, and if it is it might be better for you to take the more expensive option. In a lot of student accommodations you usually get what you pay for, so the cheaper options will have the basics provided for you, and the more costly will have additional extras included. DON’T choose an accommodation that you know you cannot afford the payments on, as you can end up in debt, which isn’t a good place to be.
Lastly, consider the contract length. Some contracts of student accommodations cover the academic year, others run for 51-52 weeks so make sure you plan how long you want to be stopping there before committing to anything. After all, there’s no point paying for somewhere you aren’t likely to be in for a number of weeks – that’s just wasting money and nobody likes to do that!
If you want more information on student accommodation in Southampton, check out Unilife where you can find a further guide and a whole host of other information relating to this.
