Accommodation provided by your educational institution
- As a first-year student can I live in a University College or Hall of Residence?
- What Happens if I cannot, or do not want to live in Institutionally Provided Accommodation?
- What happens if I want to live in institutionally provided accommodation after the first year?
- What happens if I Want to live in Institutionally Provided Accommodation Mid Way through a Year?
- What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in Institutionally Provided Accommodation?
Q: As a first-year student can I live in a University, College or Hall of Residence?
A: The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University offer accommodation provided directly by them (or a nominated partner) to first year students. Indeed, they may well offer some kind of guarantee that they will house first year students, so long as you complete a booking form and return it to them by a given deadline.
Information about university provided housing is available in their main prospectus, on their web site or in a separate booklet that you can obtain by asking for it. It is important, if you are applying to an institution for accommodation, to follow the procedures properly, it is no good simply ringing or turning up a few days before you plan to live there and expecting a room to be yours.
Q: What happens if I cannot, or do not want to live in institutionally provided accommodation?
A: If you choose not to live in University accommodation you can rent from the private sector. There is a wide choice of the type of accommodation in Nottingham. Unipol Student Homes is supported by two Student's Unions and Universities as the central not for profit website for student accommodation in Nottingham. Click here for contact information or click here to search for properties
Q: What happens if I want to live in institutionally provided accommodation after the first year?
A: Generally you need to look in the private rented sector after the first year. If it is possible for you to stay in University accommodation they will let you know and give a deadline for applications.
Q: What happens if I want to live in institutionally provided accommodation mid-way through a year?
A: After the start of term a few first year students leave, or some short stay students move to industrial placements or abroad, so normally there are always a few rooms available after the first few days of term. If demand for these rooms is high the institution may have a waiting list or some kind of allocations procedure, but normally these are let on a first come, first serve basis and you can rent then by simply contacting your accommodation office.
University rooms are particularly useful if you only need accommodation for a few weeks because institutions are well-equipped, and much more flexible, about taking short-lets from students. Again, contact your accommodation office for details.
Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in institutionally provided accommodation?
A: In first year, it is clearly much easier to rent a room from the College or University than have to go through the hassle of house hunting in an area that you do not know well. There are also often social advantages in moving into a building full of similar, newly arrived students.
The advantages also signal the disadvantages: institutional accommodation tends to have a large number of first year students in it who do not know each other and do not necessarily "get on". Noise in high density buildings can also be a problem - everyone likes making a noise on their special day, but in a large building, there is a special day for someone every day.
If you are living in University accommodation, it is important that you choose your accommodation carefully. Often, unhappiness or dissatisfaction comes from students who simply have not got what they really wanted. If you want to cook, do not go to a catered hall. Check how close the accommodation is to the campus you are attending, and make sure you are happy with the distance. If you want to live with a large group, then make sure you do. If you want a mixed flat, make sure that this is the case.
The Universities have access to a large portfolio of choice! exercise that choice positively.