Selecting a Dorm and Moving in – A Detailed Guide

Britain is one of the best places to complete your higher education. If you have managed to enroll in a British university, you’re on the route to a prosperous career. However, whether you are an international student or a local looking for accommodation, you need to consider a few things before selecting and moving in. Here are some tips every student should know about before selecting and moving into a dorm:

Things to Consider While Selecting a Dorm

Parking

While you can use public buses to get around in the city, using personal transport facilities like taxis will cost you a lot. Also, if you are getting late for your class, waiting for a bus can worsen things. Therefore, if possible, we recommend you invest in a used car. You can get any car that fits your budget. However, getting a place to park your car in the UK is extremely difficult. Therefore, look for a dorm that has a parking space for students. When you have a car parked outside your dorm, you can drive to the university whenever you want and reach there quickly. Getting around the city will also be quite affordable for you as you’ll only have to pay for fuel and maintenance.

Number of Roommates

It’s quite hard to find a room for yourself in a dorm in the UK. As many students are coming from different parts of the world to study here, the demand for accommodation is quite high. So, expect to share your room with 2, 3 or even 4 people. While most students are okay with having one roommate, 2 or 3 of them can make the place a mess. Also, you won’t get much privacy and alone time with 3 or 4 roommates. Therefore, look for rooms with two-person rooms. If you are an extrovert who wants to meet new people, you can opt for a 3 or 4 person room.

Lobbies

It’s always nice to have a place in your dorm where you can socialise with other students, do homework, or participate in different activities and games. Your dorm is not just a place where you stay in your room and do different activities. Unfortunately, there are dorms in the UK that are so small you won’t have anything to do there other than staying in your room. So, opt for a place with spacious lobbies where you can hang out with your new buddies. If the dorm has games like foosball, chess, or ping pong, it’s a plus.

Environment

Some cheap dorms don’t have good environments. The people living there might look shady, and they might do things like smoking in the hallway, something that good dorms don’t allow. If the dorm environment matches your vibe, it might be a good place to live in. You can see how students behave there and whether they’re friendly or rude. You can also see if the dorm is loud or quiet.

Bathroom

Having good sanitary facilities like a nice bathroom is extremely necessary. You won’t get a fancy bathroom in most dorms here, but it should be spacious and clean. Most dorms have single bathrooms. However, some dorms have a suite-style bathroom shared by two dorms. There are also dorms with community-style bathrooms, and the whole dorm shares them. Remember, rooms with attached bathrooms will cost a lot more.

Amenities

Every dorm has its own set of amenities. Most dorms offer basic features like heating, lighting, air conditioning, closet space, carpeting or hard flooring, and in-room sinks. You can choose the dorm which provides the best facilities for the price you’re paying.

Location

Location is the most crucial factor to consider while choosing the perfect dorm. You would want the dorm to be in an area where grocery stores, shops, fuel stations, and health centres are nearby. Moreover, many students look for dorms that are close to their universities. When you’re getting late for your class, you wouldn’t want to drive for 20-30 minutes.

Moving Into a Dorm

Expect to Wash Dishes on Your Hand

If you are a student coming from a place where someone else washes the dishes for you, welcome to the UK! Here, you will have to wash your dishes yourself. Sharing a kitchen and doing chores with your roommates can be a great way to bond. However, if your dorm has a dishwasher, you are lucky because most dorms in the UK don’t have it. So, if you’re without a dishwasher, you will have to wash your dishes by your hand. This can be a problem when many students are sharing one kitchen.

The Hall Can Get Quite Crowded

You can’t expect a lot of privacy in a dorm. It’s crowded, and you see many people in the hallway whenever you head out. After a few months, you start recognising many of them and might even end up being friends with some of them.

While socialising like this can be beneficial in many ways, you need to take care of yourself and your stuff. There are many cases where burglars enter dorms as students and manipulate you into letting them in your room. If you see something suspicious happening in the dorm, report it to the faculty immediately. Also, don’t allow someone you don’t know in your dorm room. Finally, when staff members come to clean your room, ask for their ID if you don’t see it hanging.

Getting On With Everyone Won’t Be Easy

Not everyone can begin a conversation with a stranger and get on with them. It’ll take time for you to know and bond with other students in the dorm. Also, you will find people who do not agree with your point of view or have a personality that you’re not a fan of. So, you have to understand there will be people you cannot get along with. You should stay distant and avoid having long conversations with such people. Also, avoid any altercation or conflict, as you might get yourself into trouble.

Keep Your Room and Hall Clean

You will have to clean your room and hall if you want to survive in a dorm. You won’t get away with chores like you did back home. Normally, halls are cleaned just once or twice every week. In the meantime, you will have to clean your halls regularly. You will also have to buy cleaning products on your own and divide the cost.

Tip: You can go group shopping with your dorm mates.

Keeping your room clean is your responsibility. However, it is good to ensure your roommates do their chores.

Keep it Quiet and Clean

Keep it quiet if you want to throw a party in your room. Some dorms have really strict rules. Also, it’s not ethical to make a lot of noise while other students try to study in their room. Also, cleaning the after-party mess is your responsibility as well. Keep your room and the hall clean.

While living in a dorm, you will have to dedicate time to cleaning, socialising, and other activities. However, with so many essays, assignments, and dissertations pending, it’s difficult for students to spend their time elsewhere. Therefore, we offer the best essay help services and dissertation writing services UK. Also, our rates are affordable for every student. So what are you waiting for? Opt for our academic writing services today!