January 21, 2015, by Jennifer Scott
Living Out
Before starting university, I made the decision not to live in student accommodation – I moved out with my boyfriend instead. Admittedly, it’s a bit of an unconventional route, and people tend to add about 10 years onto my age when I tell them! Then, they say things like ‘your flat mates are your friends for life’ which terrified me before I started uni. What they don’t tell you is that it can also be bloomin’ lovely to escape studenthood. Now I’m half way through my degree, I thought I’d share the pros and cons of living out of student accommodation with you guys, whether it’s living with parents or partners!
Pros:
- Mum’s dinner is never too far away. Even though I don’t live with my parents, I still get the occasional ‘fancy lasagne tonight?’ text from my mum and beam as I realise that yes, I do fancy lasagne, and since she’s only down the road from me I can have it whenever I like!
- Fresher’s week was certainly less stressful. If you’re even a little bit introverted, Fresher’s Week is a terrifying time. I survived it knowing that I’d be back home soon!
- There are no fights about the heating! I can put it on as high as I like without the one flatmate who prefers to wear their coat rather than pay telling me off.
- Christmas revision is easy peasy. I’m still the same distance from campus and I’ve seen my family loads throughout the term, so there’s no catch up necessary. Hello, good grades!
- I have a bath! In first year in particular, this is a true gem amongst students.
- Let’s not forget my cat – this cuddly princess wouldn’t be allowed in student accommodation.
Cons:
- No late night library sessions, since it’s such hassle to get there. I do feel like I’m missing out on the university experience a little bit as I haven’t experienced Hallward at night before…
- No £1 bus trips around Nottingham – got to pay full price when your postcode starts with DE7!
- Early on in university, when meeting new people, their first question tends to be ‘which halls do you live in?’ It’s a little bit awkward to explain and I found myself giving strangers my life story.
- 9am lectures are definitely worse for me than you. So stop complaining or I’ll throw this giant cup of coffee at you. You know, the coffee I had to drink to give me energy as I battled the traffic on my commute in!
- Similarly, getting in when it snows is a lot like The Hunger Games.
- The first year sadness, as everyone else gorges on all the treats they’ve got with their meal cards and I’m stuck with a soggy sandwich.
So there you have it – the truth about living out. I’m glad I chose to, but I do still want to know what Hallward is like at night! I imagine quiet and a tad creepy. If any of you have had a similar experience or are considering it and have any questions, I’d love to hear in the comments!
Hi I’m thinking of commuting next year to and from uni and I was wondering where you park your car as I can’t seem to find any decent spaces anywhere near and I’m not sure I live far away enough for an orange zone permit, any advice? Thanks in advance
Hi Ben. All our information about parking for students is on this webpage – you need to be more than 15 miles away to qualify for a permit.
I hope that’s helpful. If you’ve got any more questions, leave another comment or speak to our Enquiry Centre, who are always happy to help. You can get in touch by phone (0115 951 5559) or by email: undergraduate-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk
Hi my house is 18 miles to drive away but only 14.5 miles radius so im just out of the zone for a permit I wondered if here’s any non uni parking that’s good for travelling
If you don’t manage to get a permit, I know a few people who rent driveways near uni. There’s an app called JustPark that’s good for finding one. Hope this helps! 🙂