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. This is part two of our series getting 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?

First of all, I wanted to live in a catered hall to relieve some of the stress of cooking my own meals for my first year of university, which is a good idea if you’re not used to cooking often (or if you don’t enjoy cooking). Then my second priority was proximity to campus to be able to easily travel to libraries and facilities even if classes were online. Finally, I chose the halls that fit those constraints and that were within my budget.

2. What was it like living with other people?

I lived in a catered accommodation and had my own room but shared bathroom, common areas, and meals with the rest of the residents. The biggest advantage in living/sharing facilities with a lot of other people, is that it gives you more opportunities to find people with common interests and make friends- especially with classes online. Another great thing about living with other people is the proximity to friends living in the same hall, allowing you to meet up and do things together without needing to travel at all.

A few problems can arise while living with others, especially with a great number of people in a hall of residence. Leaving belongings in common areas or food in fridges for example can end up with someone accidentally (or intentionally) taking them, but that can be avoided if you’re a little careful. Sharing bathrooms or other facilities can also be a difficulty for some, but I think the pros outweigh the cons in that regard.

3. What challenges did you face living in halls?

Personally, living in halls was my first experience of living away from home for a year, so I had to get used to the shift in habits, like getting used to the neighbourhood or doing my own laundry. Apart from that, I didn’t face that many challenges, and quite the opposite as the independence and freedom the experience brought made many things much easier.

4. Any best moments living in halls?

My favourite moments in halls have to be the evenings spent with my friends: chill nights playing board games, party nights, poker nights… The best thing to do is spend as much time as you can with your friends in halls and you’ll make incredible memories.

5. What’s something you didn’t know before coming to halls?

Meeting new people from all over the world all studying at UCL (mostly) has really taught me a lot about other countries and cultures, which is one of the reasons I chose to come to UCL. The international nature of its students allows us to learn so much just from one another, and that was something I didn’t have much of before coming to London.

– Anonymous