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 Once the intensity of Freshers Week has subsided, the pressures of making new friends has been lifted and the stack of unreadable textbooks has become slightly more manageable, other issues are to be confronted. Amazingly, with the memory of waving goodbye to parents on the first day of term still fresh in the mind, its time to turn attention to next year’s housing. This becomes a frenzied priority for most first year students.
Competition for privately rented accommodation differs according to where you live: in London and surrounding areas, where competition is fierce, it’s of vital importance you secure your house as soon after Christmas as possible. Generally in most northern universities (but not all!) and indeed those situated outside England, students often have more leeway. Nevertheless, if you wish to be living in a house that doesn’t require a pair of hiking boots to get you to campus and doesn’t have too many four and eight-legged tenants already in occupation, I suggest you apply sooner rather than later.
Any fresher will tell you that the first term at university is all about meeting new people and dealing with the plethora of information being thrown at you. But will your newfound friends easily convert to accommodating housemates? When considering year two accommodation bear in mind you will be sharing a toilet, shower, sink, garden, dishwasher (if you’re lucky), oven, microwave and TV. So think carefully before making that commitment!
Who would you care to share a house with? 
- Sid Ramble – A Mohican new-age punk rocker whose studded leather jacket contains only slightly less metal than his face and whose only discernable reaction when he bumps into you in the corridor is a muffled ‘ur righ’. On the plus side, Sid’s room in halls seems to be party central every night of the week. Yet Sex Pistols greatest hits playing on loop at high decibels every night may get taxing as the exams loom.
- Fabio Larsani – An Italian student, whose love life resembles that of an Arabian Prince. Fabio’s friendship literally knows no bounds, and I’m undecided on whether or not he should pay double rent, as his bed rarely sleeps one!
- Jenny Darson – A small, bespectacled girl studying Classics, and indulging in the odd wild modules of Ancient Greek Theatre, Pre-Roman Philosophy and The Cultural Differences of Ancient Civilizations. She too has her plus points; She’s a nice girl but failure to comply with her washing up roter leads to an obligatory 50p fine.
- Jack McCormack – A rigidly meticulous, red-haired boy, raised in the highlands of Scotland whose chief goal in life is to follow in the footsteps of father and grandfather and join the British Army. Although having the future commander of the SAS as a housemate would undoubtedly have its merits, I’m not sure I’m quite prepared to move into a house with more regulations than Sandhurst army barracks.
As well as the stressful task of deciding whom you plan to live with, other important issues must be addressed, when deciding on your second year residence. Here’s some advice from a veteran of two years in rented private student accommodation, to anyone about to embark on his or her first move:
- Carefully consider the location of the property – Because no matter how many times you try and kid yourself that the four-mile hike to campus will 'do you good', reality will kick-in when you shuffle out of your front door at 7:00 in the morning in a January snow storm, ready to embark on the Herculean treck to campus.
- Appoint a head of the house that will deal with any admin – Having spent the previous eighteen years of your life in glorious ignorance about the cost of electricity, heating, water, drainage etc, it’ll come as something of a shock when you’re suddenly bombarded with nasty bills. To avoid any confusion, and indeed any extra costs should the bills not be paid promptly, it’s always a good idea to appoint someone to deal with all financial issues.
- Check it out before you pay – Common sense really, but don’t pay for anything unless you know what you’re paying for, and for any costs that you’re not sure about, get a breakdown. If some bills aren’t included in the rent, it’s advisable to find out the extra cost before you sign your contract. Alway ask your letting agent or landlord how much the previous tenants paid for bills so you can get some form of rough estimate.
- Ask about the general state of the property – What’s included with the property: does the house come with a phone line, Internet access, cutlery, insurance etc. Also, if you’re renting a property through a letting agent make sure have an emergency contact telephone number. It’s always nice to know there’s someone to turn to when you’re heating packs up in the middle of February!
Once all the contracts are signed and you’re finally a fully-fledged adult, living in your own house, the only thing left to do is equip the property with all the utensils to see you through the next year. It’s always advisable to buy your various appliances such as toasters, kettles, toasty-makers, blenders etc at the beginning of term, before the student loan has well and truly dried up!
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