Shared Accommodation vs Studios - Which One Is Best For You?
Are you wondering whether to choose a shared accommodation or a studio for your uni adventure? Don’t worry – we got you!
Making the right decision for your student accommodation can be tough, after all, you’re going to be there for a while, right?
We’re here to weigh out the pros and cons of shared accommodation and studios, to help you make your decision.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at which one is best for you!
Shared Accommodation Pros
1. Friends Forever
Living in shared accommodation basically sets you up with friends for life, and we’re so here for it.
Of course, not everyone develops a special bond with their housemates, but even if you don’t, you still have the company!
Making friends in your shared accommodation has so many advantages, from sharing food to making memories.
You can have movie nights, cook yummy meals and have a laugh after a long day of studying.
Understandably, people don’t always feel like socialising, and that’s okay, but just knowing that you have people there is a blessing.
Even now, I still keep in touch with my uni mates, and if you create those friendships, you could end up with mates forever!
2. Not Feeling Alone
This is sort of a repeat of our previous point, but when you’re in shared accommodation, there’s always someone there if you fancy a chat.
For those moving far away from home, it can be tough leaving to go to uni, but living in shared accommodation can really help.
Naturally, it won’t completely take away homesickness, but it can definitely help knowing you’ve got someone there.
So, whether you fancy a cringe movie night or cooking some fajitas, living in shared accommodation will stop you from feeling alone.
3. Shared Cleaning Responsibilities
Ugh, cleaning can be pretty grim can’t it? The best part about living in shared accommodation is the fact you can share responsibilities.
Dividing household chores is a must, and it also means you don’t have to do it all yourself if you’re in a studio!
Tody is a fab app that manages household cleaning routines and almost turns your cleaning into a bit of a game.
It visualizes the effect of cleaning and puts you in control of your cleaning routine instead of your cleaning routine being in charge of you!
If you want to go old school, why not create a cleaning rota chart with the names of each person in your shared accommodation.
Allocate what room they need to clean, make sure you’re nice and fair, and get the job done!
4. Shared Expenses
With an all-inclusive style of payment at Urban Student Life, you don’t have to worry too much about expenses.
But the best part about shared accommodation is the fact that you can split things like food bills to save some money.
Even general household items like cleaning products and loo roll, you can split the costs on those!
Splitwise is a great app for splitting expenses so there are no arguments involved!
5. More Socialising
We get that not everyone is always in the mood for socialising, but the best thing about shared accommodation is the fact that you have that option.
Now, we’re not saying that you don’t have that choice in a studio, but it definitely helps when you’re in shared accommodation.
From movie nights to pre-drinks before a big night out, there’s definitely lots of opportunity for making new pals!
Shared Accommodation Cons
1. Loud Housemates
Unfortunately, not all housemates can be perfect! It really is down to luck, and sometimes (but rarely) you can get loud ones.
Loud housemates can be super annoying, especially when you’re trying to get to sleep, and you can’t settle!
In this case, it’s better to be honest and tell them to keep the noise down, but hopefully it’ll never come to that.
2. Arguments
We really hope this doesn’t happen, but sometimes, arguments can happen in your student accommodation.
Whether it’s a drunken one, or over something silly, they are of course more likely to happen when you’re living in shared accommodation.
There are plenty of common arguments that can happen within student accommodation, including cooking, cleaning, and costs.
As long as you keep everything fair – hopefully these should be avoided!
3. Mixed Routines
Mixed routines can cause friction in shared accommodation, but sometimes just can’t be helped at all.
For example, one of your flatmates might be on placement and have to be up super early, and you might get a lie-in.
If that’s the case, you should remember to be considerate and not too loud in the evening if you know your flatmates have to get up.
That way, there’s good vibes all round!
4. Pressure
Sometimes, you don’t always fancy going on a night out, and that’s okay!
When you’re living in shared accommodation, you may feel pressure to go out or act a certain way when you don’t want to.
Just remember, we’re all in the same boat, and if you don’t fancy a night out, don’t go!
5. Mess
We will warn you, living in shared accommodation can get a little messy!
As long as you keep on top of things, you should be okay, but people that cause mess can often cause tension, and we don’t want that.
Be sure to download a cleaning app to keep things organised, and hopefully you should be okay.
Studios Pros
1. Privacy
You can really enjoy your own privacy in a studio, which is great for those that love their own space and their own company.
Students who live in a studio don’t have to worry about mingling if they don’t fancy it, and can just relax on their own!
2. Your Own Kitchen
Yay! Living in a studio means you get your very own kitchen, which means you can cook whatever you want and tidy up after yourself.
That means you don’t have to worry about people taking your food from you, which is deffo one of our pet peeves!
3. Less Mess
This leads us onto our next point of less mess – hurrah!
Living in a studio means the cleanliness is all down to you, which could either go one way or the other.
That’s why you need to make sure you keep on top of your chores, then you’ll be living the absolute dream in your studio!
4. Quiet
Having your own studio means that your surroundings are lovely and quiet, which is ideal when it comes to studying!
Whether you’ve having a cheeky nap or an early night, you won’t have to worry about any loud flatmates.
6. The Best Of Both Worlds
With our fabulous studios, students can really get the best of both worlds!
You can go from mingling in our social spaces to returning to your quiet studio where you can chill in the peace and quiet.
Studio Cons
1. Less Socialising
Although you’ll have the social spaces to mingle in, it must be said that living in a studio may mean you miss out on some aspects of socialising.
Things like group movie nights in shared flats and things like that, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t join others!
You really need to weigh up whether less social activity would be an issue for you or not.
2. More Expensive
Studios can be lovely and luxurious, a real treat to return to after a long day at uni!
However, it does need to be considered that studio accommodation is generally pricier than shared.
You get what you pay for though – right?
3. Smaller Spaces
Depending on what studio you go for, sometimes they can feel a little smaller than a shared flat.
With a built-in kitchenette and storage, it’s probably going to feel quite snug if you opt for a standard one.
But that just makes them cosy!
4. Have To Cook Yourself
Being in a studio on your own unfortunately means you have to cook for yourself, but that isn’t always a downside!
Granted, you can’t cook flatmate feasts or share ingredients, but if you’re a fussy eater it’s deffo a bonus.
We hope you found these tips useful! We know it’s a tough decision on choosing between shared accommodation and studios but take these pointers into consideration and you’ll be okay. Whatever you decide to go with, you’ll still have an amazing time regardless if you stay with Urban Student Life. After some recipes to cook in your shared accommodation or studio? Check out our blog here for some tips.