To get an honest and real idea of what it’s like to live in Halls, you have answered some of our questions to tell us about your experiences. Check out the posts within this series to get a feel for what it’s like living in uni halls, people’s top tips, common challenges and how to face them, and some of the best moments defining their time in halls.

1. What did you consider most important when choosing your halls of residence? Was there a ‘deal breaker’?

For me personally, I cared about having an en-suite at a price that wasn’t very high, as I knew sharing bathroom wasn’t for me. Also, as a first year, I didn’t want to deal with cooking, so catered halls was my preference. I didn’t care as much for the location for my first year because we didn’t really have a lot of in-person classes. 

2. Can you sum up living in halls in a sentence?

Living in halls is like having a massive house just to enjoy with your friends. 

3. What is it like living with other people?

Living with other people can be quite rough sometimes. Arguments can occur as you spend a lot of time together, but for the most part, especially in the halls that I went to, it was pretty easy to get along with everyone as there were covid-safe events that helped us bond and make friends. Also, as we all had our own en-suite rooms, and we all were catered, arguments about food or the bathroom didn’t happen which made life pretty easy. 

4. How did you socialise with people in your free time?

I spent a lot of time in the common room playing pool or just hanging out. We also had a big TV room where we would watch movies and sports together. 

5. What challenges did you face in halls and how did you overcome them?

At first, I found it quite difficult to socialise as I was pretty shy and I didn’t speak English very well. But, I soon found out that people are very welcoming. I managed to overcome it just by chatting to my floor neighbours and sitting with different people at breakfast and dinner.  

6. Is there anything you would tell prospective students?

I would like to tell prospective students that the first term in halls, especially with covid, can seem scary as you don’t know anyone. It is true that sometimes you will feel lonely, but it will get better, and you will end the third term feeling like the halls you are living in is like your home.

– Patricia Gimeno