Choosing your home away from home is one of the biggest choices you make in the lead up to university. I remember pouring over my laptop with my mum for hours, scouring the university’s website for all the information I could get. What area did I prefer? Did I want to be catered, or venture into the scary new world of self-catering? What kind of room (and bathroom!) would be my home during the highs and lows of being a Fresher? If these questions resonate with you, then you’ve come to the right place.

The University of Manchester’s website was my guide, helpfully separating accommodation by area: Fallowfield, Victoria Park, or the city. As someone who wanted to knuckle down with my studies and enjoy some quiet amongst the city hubbub, I chose Victoria Park as my place to live. This was a great choice for me. I got to enjoy short walks to university and study spaces, and proximity to the bus routes allowed me to venture out. I soon met friends who also enjoyed the liveliness of Fallowfield, or who liked being near to Manchester’s show venues, shops, and activities in the city. There’s so much on offer here that you can’t really go wrong with picking an area – so don’t stress out!

I then looked at the different accommodations in Victoria Park and, after looking at reviews, settled on Daisy Bank. When I applied, I put this as my top choice with other options beneath it. A quick prayer and a click of the submit button resulted in, to my delight, getting my first choice. It was clean, quiet, and friendly, with my own en-suite (worth it!).

Now you may be thinking: “This is all well and good for you, but how can I choose which place is right for me?”. Here are my top tips:

1. Consider flat size.

More people can mean more potential friendships, and more potential mess! What would you be comfortable with? What dynamic would suit you?

2. Consider your commute.

Don’t underestimate the impact of location. How do you want to be travelling about in Manchester when it gets dark and wet, or sunny and shining? How long before lectures do you want to wake up?

3. Consider communal areas.

This is something I overlooked. Having nice spaces to socialise in can make a big impact – having a cosy place to host new friends in, to meet other people living in your building, or even as an alternate to going stir-crazy in your university bedroom when you don’t want to go out and about.

4. Consider how you will change.

Think about the person you want to grow into during your time at university. Where would that person thrive? What environment would best support you?

5. Consider your power.

Realise that, while choosing your accommodation is important, it probably won’t make or break your university experience; you can help yourself to feel at home wherever you are. For me this meant bringing pictures of friends and family and things from my bedroom at home, and building community in Manchester through societies like the Christian Union.

Please don’t worry if it doesn’t turn out in the way you expect – there’s time once you’re here to adjust and adapt. While I enjoyed my first-year accommodation, I found my home at Coniston Hall in my second year – exposure to loads of different cultures, a central location, caring people, events, study spaces, gardens, catering, and structure helped me to truly settle.

Whatever you decide – we look forward to welcoming you to Manchester!

Written by current student Bethany Houghton. 

Related