As more and more students are heading towards for pursuing the course of their choice, universities are find it more and more difficult to accommodate to all of them. Also important is the student’s ability to pay for the stay in the university campus. It is observed that the stay in the University campus is normally expensive than staying on your own. Moreover, staying outside the campus also enables staying together which in turn saves money. A very crucial factor for most of the students who are pursuing their graduate and undergraduate courses.
Let’s briefly discuss the options available for the stay during studies in universities.
a) University Accommodation: These are also known as Halls of Residences and these are the easiest option to stay for international students. The greatest advantage is the proximity to university campus and department/school. Universities give the complete details of the facilities available in the halls of residences like whether it a suite or a single bedroom or a studio. Apart from these there are details of location, cost, application formal and images of the facility. Virtual tours are also available for the students and this helps the students to understand the facilities available. Since the number of people looking for university accommodation is more than the places available, you cannot be 100% sure that you will get a place for yourself.
b) Private Halls: Apart from the halls of residences, private halls are also available in the major cities of Europe. There availability is much better in major cities and towns of the UK. These private halls offer studio apartments or two room flats on sharing basis to the students. This is are located close to university campuses and are well connected with public transport. Unite and Nido are available the UK and are regularly used by the students to stay for the duration of the study.
With the advent of information technology, accommodation and renting has also gone online and there are enough resources available on the Internet to find a nice and comfortable place to stay and that too in a budget.www.accommodationforstudents.com is one very useful website for finding accommodation options for staying European countries. The website lists available accommodation and gives details of facilities available to anyone who is interested. You can filter options on the basis of rooms available, independent or shared, distance from the university, duration of stay etc. This gives the students a lot of flexibility to choose the right place in their budget.www.gumtree.com, www.erasmate.com are few other popular websites which are used by the students for find the right accommodation.
Dos and Don’ts while renting: When you are staying abroad for education or any other need, first and foremost thing is to stay safe. Following is a list of things that you should do to keep your stay safe and successful.
a) Always take flats through the proper channels and follow all the rules correctly.
b) Share the details of your flatmates or your neighbors with your friends and family numbers.
c) Maintain good relations with your neighbors and help others to maintain peace and harmony in the neighborhood.
d) Do not rush for things. Take your time and choose the options that suits your academic interests the best.
e) You should choose a place with an idea of staying there for the entire duration of your course.
These are simple things about renting and accommodation and if you follow the laws of the land, your stay will be comfortable, safe and successful.
All the best!!!