What to consider when choosing your student accommodation

Moving out of your home, even if it is just a town away or a whole continent away, is one of the most exciting, but scary parts of going to university.

The accommodation that you choose to live in is not only where you’re going to call home for the next year and potentially meet some of your first friends of university , but it's also where you're going to grow, learn the first valuable life skills such as cooking, making laundry, manage your budget and much more. 
Here are some of our tips to help you choose the student accommodation that you'll call "Home" in the next months! We hope this makes your life easier.
So there are 7 key aspects that you could be looking at whilst choosing your student accommodation: 


1. Location

It's really important that you choose a student accommodation located in a safe place and close to the campus. These factors will heavily influence your student experience. You don't want to have a student accommodation far from all of the "going out venues" as you probably won't feel safe walking home at night without knowing the area yet. 
If you choose to live near campus, you will always have the Protection Services only a call away! 
Also, living close to your university buildings will make your life easier whilst you are still settling and if you want to save money on food, you can always walk home and cook during your lunch break.

Our accommodations are a short walk from campus. For example:
The CycleWorks is a 6 minute walk from TheHub and 9 minutes away from the library.
Godiva Place is a 8 minute walk from TheHub and 4 minutes away from the library.
Bishop Gate is a 10 minute walk from TheHub and 16 minutes away from the library. It has a premium access to the city centre, being only 6 minutes away from the main square.

2. Communal areas

The communal areas is one of the main places where you'll spend your time relaxing, enjoying and meeting new friends! It is important to consider if the accommodation you're choosing has some of the comforts you are looking for. For example, does it have a gym ? does it have study spaces? gaming places? 
At our accommodations we have many communal areas for our students to make memorable memories and have fun. 
For example, at Godiva we have the main social area with a ping-pong table and a pool table , we have a cinema room and karaoke system,  2 meeting rooms and a gaming room. 
At Bishop Gate we have a gym, a silent study area, a private dining room, a social space with a ping-pong table and pool table. 
Both of these accommodations have beautiful outdoor spaces for you to enjoy the warm and sunny days in England!
Cycle Works is a very homely accommodation. They have a social room with pool table, board games and a ping-pong table. They also have a TV room and study spaces. 

3. Security 

When moving to a new student accommodation in a location that you don't really know, making sure that your student accommodation has security is a top priority! At our University Campus we have a 24 hour Protection Services Team that works to ensure that your safety is never at risk. They can be contacted by telephone on 02477657363 or assistance and general enquiries, or on 02477655555 in the case of emergencies.
The Protection Service supports SafeZone , an app that promotes safety in a number of ways, including giving fast access to Protection Services whenever and wherever you are on campus by allowing users to call for assistance when they need the most. This app is free to download and we recommend Coventry University students to have it!
We have a Protection Services Team at the reception of our accommodations from 7pm until 8 am to make sure that you're safe and no troubles happen! 

4. Bills included

When you're moving to an accommodation it's really important that you check if main bills are included such as electricity, gas, wifi. Many accommodations have a year allowance and once you go over that amount, you need to pay the bills. 
At our accommodations, we save you the hassle of thinking about bills as they are 100% included in your contract! 
The only thing you would have to pay is TV license if you wanted to use it and insurance of your belongings. 

5. Outdoor spaces

Outdoor spaces with nature are proven to help your well-being and performance whilst at university. You can use outdoor spaces to relax, read a book , have lunch with your friends or just practice some exercise. If you're a person that loves a bit of sunshine and fresh air, then choosing an accommodation with an outdoor space is a great option!



6. Comfort

When it comes to student accommodation, the options available are quite varied. Do you just need a room to sleep? A room with an en-suite bathroom in a flat might be perfect for you. You will have plenty of social time with your flatmates!
If you prefer more comfort and privacy, you may want to consider a studio. Know what you want from your room before you begin looking; this will make narrowing your options down easier.
Here at our accommodations we have both en-suite rooms, studios and even twudios , a great option if you're moving to university with a sibling or a friend. 

7. Reslife Programme

Have you ever heard of Reslife Programme? Possibly not! Look at this video to get some context on what we do at your accommodation. 

The Reslife programme aims to enhance your university and living experience!If you decide to live in one of our university-owned halls of residence, you will automatically benefit from a wide range of additional opportunities and support initiatives from the Residence Life team, ResLife.
The ResLife team exists to ensure you have all the support and fun whilst living in university-owned halls so you can thrive. They plan a range of events such as day trips, cooking classes, mental health drop-ins, tournaments and much more!
Having a Reslife Team at your student accommodation can really level up your student experience and make your settling process easier.

We hope this guide helps you finding the perfect student accommodation for you!