The Benefits of Student Accommodation

One of the decisions a student has to make even before starting university is where to live. For some, the choice may be as simple as continuing to live at home if it is an easy commute to campus. However, many students need to travel to a different city, state or country to attend university.

There are many options available including residential colleges, purpose-built student apartments, homestay families and private rentals. While every student has unique needs and preferences, there are numerous benefits of choosing student-centric accommodation.

Convenience and Distance to Campus

Some larger universities offer boarding facilities where students can live on campus. Not only does this save you time, but it also saves you money on car maintenance or public transport fees. It also provides easy access to campus resources like the library and other student support services, such as learning support, student welfare support and co-curricular programs.

Off-campus student properties are usually situated nearby the university or are easily accessible via public transport. Suburbs with a high density of student accommodation are always equipped with supermarkets, reasonably priced eateries, 24-hour convenience stores, ATMs and other shopping options that cater to students’ needs.

All-Inclusive Rates

Many student rooms or apartments are offered as a package that includes rental fees as well as utilities like water, gas and electricity and even optional add-ons like phone or internet contracts. For students living away from home for the first time, this can certainly help to simplify your responsibilities and make living out of home more manageable and comfortable.

While packages like this can be more expensive than other options initially, it gives you time to research different living options and service providers to determine what is best for you, such as the cheapest phone plan, the most reliable internet provider or even the best suburbs in which to rent.

Building Friendships and Networks

Among the best things about student accommodation are the social opportunities such living arrangements foster and the network of friendships you will build. While it is certainly possible to form lasting friendships with peers in lectures and tutorials, it is an entirely different experience to have your friends living in the same building.

Student properties are usually equipped with common areas where students can cook, eat and socialise together in a safe and supportive environment. Due to the household’s strong focus on study, living together makes group work and collaborative study easier to achieve. Often, student accommodation also organises social activities like excursions, movie nights and even pub crawls.

Do remember that these friendships can translate into future career networking opportunities, so be sure to party sensibly in your university days!

Building Cultural Awareness and Assimilation

The number of international students commencing study in Australia is on the rise, with over 300 000 student enrolments in 2016. Purpose-built student accommodation is a popular choice for international students, both because rooms can be easily booked from overseas and because of the advantages student accommodation offers for new arrivals to Australia in terms of bridging the cultural and language gap, supporting the student’s transition into their new living and study situation.

Do you think student accommodation is the best fit for your university experience?

References

Department of Education and Training. 2016. ‘International Student Data 2016.’ Last reviewed January. https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Pages/InternationalStudentData2016.aspx.