The few years that a student will spend in university are arguably the most fast-paced, amazing but stressful of their lives - so much happens in such a short space of time.
For most, moving to uni will be a lot of firsts. First experience of living away from family, their first experience of studying a subject in depth and their first experience of paving their way in the world. I imagine that the majority of you reading this post will be in this exact position.
This isn’t just a concern for first year students, something I found out very quickly after moving into my second year student flat. In first year, I settled into Unite Students accommodation extremely well, but when it came to living in a privately rented flat the following year, I wanted nothing more than to go home. After some serious challenges and a lot of mental back and forth, I decided that the best option was to move back in with Unite Students.
This was probably one of the best decisions that I could’ve made for myself and for my university career. Staying with Unite in first year helped me to find my feet when I first moved to university. Staying with them again in second year helped me to get back on track. So whether, come September, you are a returning student, or a fresh-faced first year, these are the reasons I recommend living with Unite Students.
Staying with Unite in first year helped me to find my feet when I first moved to university.
Safety
There is no doubt that, when moving away from home, safety is one of the most important things to consider. As a student, if you know you are safe, you are more likely to succeed. And for a parent, knowing that their child is safe makes leaving them alone in a foreign city a whole lot easier.
Not only are staff employed to monitor the buildings, but you’ll almost always have to pass through at least three locked doors to get to your own room.
On the rare occasion that you don’t feel safe or happy in your flat, it’s a lot easier to move if you are living in student accommodation. The staff at Unite Students are always available to talk to if you have any concerns and no problem is too small. When I was feeling at risk in my second year flat, I knew that I would be able to go to them for help.
Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance and looking after the place in which you live, spending some time in student accommodation is great for bridging the gap between living with parents and living independently.
Unite Students have their own app, which you can use to talk to flatmates, check for mail deliveries and – arguably the most important feature – log maintenance requests.
No one expects you to know what you are doing all the time, especially when it comes to electricity and plumbing, so if you ever have a problem, Unite Students will make sure someone’s there to help.
Facilities
The facilities in student accommodation are another HUGE advantage. Can you imagine living somewhere with a free gym, a games room and a reception area – stocked up with free tea and biscuits – on a student budget? Well, that was my reality.
There is no denying that Unite Students are great at looking after their tenants and at the end of the day, there is nothing that a (free) game of pool with your friends can’t fix.
Flexibility
Flexibility is so important for students, but it's something that can often be in short supply, especially if you rent through a private landlord. Unite Students recognise this, so they always try to be as flexible as possible.
For example, they recently allowed students to leave their contracts early or extend their stay free of charge because of coronavirus.
Plus, if your university changes next year's term dates, Unite Students won't charge you for any weeks that you don't use if you've booked with them directly. You can find out more about this here.
Friends
For the majority of people at university, their best friends are those that they have lived with and I think this is down to a few things:
Everyone is in the same situation
Your flatmates are usually the first people you will meet when you move
You get to know someone – the good, the bad and the ugly - a lot faster when you are living with them.
Living with Unite Students is not only great if you want to make new friends, it is also incredibly handy if you want to live with existing friends. Unlike university run accommodation, Unite allows you to round up a group of people and move into a flat together.
This is a great option if you are wanting to move in with friends but do not want the commitment of moving into a privately rented flat. It also eliminates the worry and debates over who gets the smallest room – trust me, it can be a BIG problem!
Convenience
As far as accommodation goes, living with Unite Students is easy. Whether it’s setting up an account, getting help while living there or sorting everything out when you leave, Unite Students keeps it simple.
For me, this became extremely important when I wanted to move back into halls after living in my privately rented flat for a few months. I wanted to move quickly – and Unite Students made that possible. Because I had lived with them previously, I was able to make my first enquiry, fill out the paperwork and move in within two days.
If you are living with Unite at the moment and would like to do so again next year, it could even take less time than this. Talk about efficient!
If you’d like to hear more about my experience living with Unite Students, take a look at my latest video on their YouTube channel.
