Study abroad living accommodations
When I was applying for housing at Bristol I found it really difficult to decipher online what the best option for me would be. There were so many choices it kind of felt like freshmen year all over again but somehow this decision seemed significantly more important. I wanted to make a sort of guide on how to decipher what you'll be told, but mostly to let you know that no matter what it will all work out and will not be the end of the world (because I certainly thought it might be at some points)! Especially if you're going to study at the University of Bristol this will be an immensely important guide for you but if you're going anywhere else I might know someone there and have asked them or will ask them for you! Just trying to help the fellow student travellers out there.
Different kinds of student accommodation in Europe:
University housing (dorm type deal)
Out-sourced university housing (uni sponsors it but run by a private company)
Home stay
Renting your own apartment in the city
I chose to live in university housing just because I thought that would be the easiest way to deal with paying for housing in a foreign country and in terms of not having to figure out a lot of logistics (like who to live with) on my own. A perk of doing this is that you will definitely be immersed in the student culture at whatever university you're at. I live in a flat with 11 other British students, which has had its ups and downs, but is an experience non-the-less. I loved the ease of the process with living in university accommodation but did not realize what I was in for. They don't do a whole lot to prepare you for who you're living with or what kind of rooms you're living in so a lot of it was learn as you go and hope you get along with the people you live with. I live with all first year students which isn't a bad thing and I'm great friends with a lot of them now but I do wish I had been told where international students generally chose to live because a lot of them congregate in a certain area and I was isolated from that. At Bristol I live in the accommodation area called Stoke Bishop in Hiatt Baker Hall. While I'm in one of the newer flats, I do know people who were in older flats and did not have the nicest of times. The main perk of living in this area is that you have access to the bus system for free, you're truly immersed in the university student life experience, and you're a little bit out of the city so you get nice parks.
The area where a lot of international students congregate is the Clifton area. I've personally never wandered to that part of town but I have heard lovely things about it and would say that if you want an experience with both British students and international students in your same situation that is an ideal place to live.
In city center in Bristol there are a couple university accommodations and a coupe of privately owned but university sponsored accommodations. I have heard nothing but great things about these areas, particularly from international students. You're close to everything and have the ease of the university accommodation process. It is a bit different in that you can never really get away from the hustle of the city but for some people that works!
Home-stay programs are a lot less common in the U.K., I don't know anyone who's done one here. I think they are a lot more common in language programs. I know people who have done home-stays in France, Germany, and Spain and have all loved their experiences. I think this one is a bit more stress inducing right off the bat because you're nervous about whether or not you'll get along with your host family but I have not heard of anyone who has had a negative experience with them. The types of people who offer up their homes to students are generally super outgoing and just want to share their culture and language. I think it is such a valuable way to learn the language and be immersed in a different culture, I would've definitely wanted to do this if I had gone to a non-English speaking country.
Renting private accommodation, unless you're going abroad with a group of friends is the most difficult option. I know a few international students in Bristol who have chosen to do this and often times you are going in with people you don't know who just need to fill a spare room and who are set in their ways. It is also more difficult in terms of having to pay a landlord and pay for fees on top of rent. I think this is a valid option when traveling with a group of friends and you do a lot of research in advance but otherwise I'd say save yourself the hassle, hopefully you'll be traveling enough for where you live to not matter all that much!
All in all plans can be changed when you get to where you're living, it is not the end of the world if you don't love it. And like I said, hopefully you'll be away enough for it to not matter where you live. To keep your sanity throughout the process just think of what is the most budget friendly and what type of atmosphere do you think you'd like the best! Try not to get wrapped up in all the tiny details of whether or not you'll have a shared bathroom or a double of single bed, you won't remember that in the end, you'll just remember the memories there! As always, comment if you have any other specific questions or need me to clarify.
Different kinds of student accommodation in Europe:
University housing (dorm type deal)
Out-sourced university housing (uni sponsors it but run by a private company)
Home stay
Renting your own apartment in the city
I chose to live in university housing just because I thought that would be the easiest way to deal with paying for housing in a foreign country and in terms of not having to figure out a lot of logistics (like who to live with) on my own. A perk of doing this is that you will definitely be immersed in the student culture at whatever university you're at. I live in a flat with 11 other British students, which has had its ups and downs, but is an experience non-the-less. I loved the ease of the process with living in university accommodation but did not realize what I was in for. They don't do a whole lot to prepare you for who you're living with or what kind of rooms you're living in so a lot of it was learn as you go and hope you get along with the people you live with. I live with all first year students which isn't a bad thing and I'm great friends with a lot of them now but I do wish I had been told where international students generally chose to live because a lot of them congregate in a certain area and I was isolated from that. At Bristol I live in the accommodation area called Stoke Bishop in Hiatt Baker Hall. While I'm in one of the newer flats, I do know people who were in older flats and did not have the nicest of times. The main perk of living in this area is that you have access to the bus system for free, you're truly immersed in the university student life experience, and you're a little bit out of the city so you get nice parks.
The area where a lot of international students congregate is the Clifton area. I've personally never wandered to that part of town but I have heard lovely things about it and would say that if you want an experience with both British students and international students in your same situation that is an ideal place to live.
In city center in Bristol there are a couple university accommodations and a coupe of privately owned but university sponsored accommodations. I have heard nothing but great things about these areas, particularly from international students. You're close to everything and have the ease of the university accommodation process. It is a bit different in that you can never really get away from the hustle of the city but for some people that works!
Home-stay programs are a lot less common in the U.K., I don't know anyone who's done one here. I think they are a lot more common in language programs. I know people who have done home-stays in France, Germany, and Spain and have all loved their experiences. I think this one is a bit more stress inducing right off the bat because you're nervous about whether or not you'll get along with your host family but I have not heard of anyone who has had a negative experience with them. The types of people who offer up their homes to students are generally super outgoing and just want to share their culture and language. I think it is such a valuable way to learn the language and be immersed in a different culture, I would've definitely wanted to do this if I had gone to a non-English speaking country.
Renting private accommodation, unless you're going abroad with a group of friends is the most difficult option. I know a few international students in Bristol who have chosen to do this and often times you are going in with people you don't know who just need to fill a spare room and who are set in their ways. It is also more difficult in terms of having to pay a landlord and pay for fees on top of rent. I think this is a valid option when traveling with a group of friends and you do a lot of research in advance but otherwise I'd say save yourself the hassle, hopefully you'll be traveling enough for where you live to not matter all that much!
All in all plans can be changed when you get to where you're living, it is not the end of the world if you don't love it. And like I said, hopefully you'll be away enough for it to not matter where you live. To keep your sanity throughout the process just think of what is the most budget friendly and what type of atmosphere do you think you'd like the best! Try not to get wrapped up in all the tiny details of whether or not you'll have a shared bathroom or a double of single bed, you won't remember that in the end, you'll just remember the memories there! As always, comment if you have any other specific questions or need me to clarify.
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| My home away from home in Bristol |
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