ACCOMMODATION: Finding home comfort

A place to live is your biggest outlay as a student. Our invaluable guide will help you get value for money

ROOM SERVICE

Not long now until you become a free agent. No more living at home under your parents' watchful eye. Soon you'll be off to university or college to experience those (in)famous busy days and wild nights – but you've got to have somewhere to rest your head occasionally. Chances are you already have accommodation reserved for you at university or college. Here's a bit more about what to expect.

HALLS OF RESIDENCE

For a microcosm of university or college life, don't look any further. Living in a hall of residence is like having your own community and is the easiest way to start making loads of friends and getting an active social life.

You will either have your own room or share one with another person. Halls have communal facilities such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and lounges and some even have their own bar. Most of your meals will be provided at set times every day, so you won't have to master how to open a tin of baked beans.

You'll normally have a bed, washbasin, desk, chair, study lamp, shelves and, perhaps, a more comfortable chair to sit in (though we're not talking recliners here) in your room. You might also have an ethernet connection. Towels and bed linen will be changed regularly by cleaning staff but you may want to bring extras with you anyway. Some halls are more modern than others and, if you are lucky, you could even have en-suite facilities and a telephone.

SELF-CATERING FLATS

Some students, not wanting to be tied down to set meal times or preferring to live in more close quarters, choose to go into university or college-owned self-catering flats. These are similar to halls but are obviously smaller, which has its own advantages (there will be less of you trying to get into the bathroom in the morning for a start). Flats normally have a communal cooking and eating area, complete with fridge, microwave, cooker, table and chairs. While you won't have the luxury of having your food cooked for you every day as in halls, you will have more control over what you eat (unless your cookery skills only stretch to a boiled egg). As part of the communal spirit, maybe you and your housemates can cook for each other on occasion. As with halls of residence, self-catering rooms come with the normal student furniture. However, check with the university or college office on just what is included. Extra bed linen could come in handy and you will need your own cutlery for meal times. You don't need to start saving for a complete dinner service – a couple of knives, forks and spoons with a few plates and pots should do.

ACCOMMODATION ALLOCATION

Rooms are not normally allocated until A-level results are published. Institutions that offer you a choice in accommodation will try to meet your request but cannot guarantee this. Some give priority to second- and third-year students for single rooms, so you may end up sharing. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, even if you're used to your own room at home, as Pamela Hoad, admissions officer at Exeter University, explains: "Sharing a room with someone means you already have a friend to start university life with. We often get requests from students coming to university from the same school or college to share a room – it gives them a bit of confidence to start off with."

WHAT TO BRING

When preparing for your first day at university or college, you might be unsure what to bring, so you pack everything that fits into your parents' car. Rooms in halls of residence or self-catering flats come furnished with the basic essentials but here are a few things you may want to bring:

* Your favourite duvet cover.

* A few towels. Some universities provide these but an extra one is always useful for sport.

* A kettle – for those late-night or pre-dawn essay crises or study sessions – and a few mugs so you can make tea/coffee for your friends.

* A plant. Don't laugh! Marks & Spencer can be full of funny sights at the start of each term as students troop down en masse to their local branch in search of foliage to brighten up their room.

* Stereo and TV. If you bring a TV, you'll also need to buy a licence. The TV authorities are particularly adept at checking university or college accommodation so it's not worth the risk of a hefty fine.

WHAT NOT TO BRING

Some of you may be lucky enough to have your own car. However, universities generally try to discourage students bringing cars unless it is absolutely necessary. Some do have parking permits which you can apply (and pay) for, but these are few and far between. Most university or college towns have traffic and parking problems, so what you might initially regard as a convenience could turn into a nightmare. Wherever possible, leave the car at home.

WHAT'S THE DAMAGE?

You will have to pay for your room promptly, at the start of each term. Normally the cost will be based on a contract of 34-39 weeks, depending on how long your terms are. A single room in a hall of residence can cost from around £80 a week, including bills and some or most meals, whereas a room in a self-catering hall will be cheaper – from around £60 a week. Check university or college websites for further information. Some halls are cheaper than others and it will cost you less if you share a room. Watch out also for a reservation fee, which some universities charge.

Students are normally required to pay a damage deposit, which will be refunded at the end of the year provided you haven't trashed your room. You could lose your deposit if you cancel your room prior to arrival or leave it before the end of the contract.

If you find yourself in genuine unexpected financial hardship, your university or college may have funds to temporarily get you back on your feet. Ask the students union for further details.

UNHAPPY DAYS

Very rarely you might find that you aren't happy with your room. The shock of being in a strange place can put you off anywhere initially but give it a little time and it may grow on you (go to Marks and buy that pot plant if it makes you feel better!). Pamela Hoad says students sometimes ask to change rooms in the first few days or weeks because is it wasn't their first choice and they were expecting to be somewhere completely different.They might have wanted an en-suite room but ended up with a standard one. "The initial disappointment provokes the request to change as most students do settle in and feel at home after a few weeks. However, if people really want to move, we do our best to move them in the first term, although we cannot guarantee this," she says.

IN THE CLEAR?

If you got a place through Clearing, you'll be starting the hunt for accommodation late in the day. Some universities guarantee accommodation for all first years, including Clearing students; others cannot, although they'll try hard to find you somewhere before the start of term. Your first port of call should be the university or college accommodation office – see if any rooms are available, as not everyone can take up their place. If they are full, they may put you on a waiting list – but don't be complacent. Ask what other options are open to you. They may have a list of university or college-approved privately rented accommodation in the area.

GOING PRIVATE

If you end up looking for private accommodation, be careful. Make sure you take someone with you when you go to view a property and, if this isn't possible, tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back. Before you go, have a few queries ready such as: how many people share the house/flat? How long is the tenancy for? What does the rent cover? When you visit the property, look at the general state of the place. Are there are damp stains on the walls? How clean is it? Are the windows secure? Ask about the gas safety certificate. Also ask about the heating arrangement – can you control when you heat the house? Is additional heating (such as an electric heater) allowed when the weather gets cold?

Never feel pressured into signing a contract on the spot; ask for time to look over the contract if you need to. Don't sign anything unless you understand its terms clearly. If in doubt, take it to your university or college accommodation officer and they will help you.

DEPOSITS

Your landlord will ask for a deposit, which is kept in case you damage the property or fail to pay any outstanding rent when you leave. The legal maximum a landlord can ask for is two months' rent – get a receipt for this as proof in case of later disputes. If, at the end of your tenancy, you have not caused any damage apart from "fair wear and tear", and all your bills are paid, your deposit should be returned in full.

RENTS

In London, the average cost of renting a room in a shared house is £65 a week, excluding bills. Elsewhere in the UK, private rents start at £40-£50 a week. Of course, you get what you pay for, so something at the bottom of the scale might be a bit grim. Make sure you know what costs (if any) the rent covers. What about bills for council tax (payable on some, but not all UK property) and water rates? And what period of notice is required on both sides for vacating the property? Landlords ask for rent in different ways. Avoid giving post-dated cheques as these can be difficult to cancel should you leave the property. A standing order is safer and easier to cancel if necessary.

CASE STUDIES

'I DREADED SHARING A BATHROOM'
Charlie Bradley

Charlie Bradley, 20, has just finished her first year studying law with European studies at Exeter University. She did A-levels at The John Colet School in Aylesbury

"When I visited Exeter University on an open day, I looked around some of the halls. Initially I was unsure about living in a hall as I thought the food would be awful and I dreaded sharing a bathroom with loads of people! However, the student guides really advised us to go for the halls so I applied for them on my accommodation form.

As it turned out, I got a lovely single bedroom in a nice hall. It had a washbasin, bed and loads of shelf space. I soon got to know all the others in my corridor and it became obvious that the accommodation office had grouped us according to our interests.

Each hall has its own committee of second years who stay on to look after the new arrivals and organise social events like quiz nights. All my initial worries about the food and bathrooms soon went away. Our bathrooms are communal but they are cleaned four times a week so they are never dirty. And, mysteriously, there is never a queue for the shower! The food is also all right – it's hot, there's loads of it and it's one less thing to worry about when you start university."

Charlie's top settling-in tip: "Always have plenty of tea, coffee and biscuits to hand!"

'A CLEANER CAME IN EVERY WEEK'
Ian Phillips

Ian Phillips, 19, has just finished the second year of a maths degree at Leeds University. He did his A-levels at New Mill Sixth Form College

"Even though halls are good for getting to know lots of people very quickly, I had no trouble meeting new friends when I first arrived in my self-catering flat. The first day I arrived, I left my unpacking till later and went out with my flatmates for a few drinks to get to know them. I had really been looking forward to living away from home and the first week felt like a holiday.

Five of us shared the flat and we each had our own bedroom but shared a bathroom and kitchen. A cleaner came in every week to do the bathroom and kitchen but we were responsible for our rooms and washing our bed linen. I managed to cook for myself (mostly frozen food!). Luckily one of my flatmates was into cooking and he'd often do something for all of us to share. I preferred the freedom of self-catering rather than being tied down to set meal times every day.

In my second year I moved into private rented accommodation with a couple of my flatmates from the first year. Renting privately is cheaper than university accommodation but the security isn't as good."

Ian's top settling-in tip: Go out and meet everyone – don't just hide in your room.