My university accommodation and why I chose it
Maisy Saxon
BA(Hons) Music
Hi everyone, my name is Maisy and I am a Music student at Huddersfield. In this blog I will tell you about how I chose my student accommodation and things to look out for when you're choosing yours.
Being in my third year of uni, I’ve experienced my fair share of looking for and living in student accommodation.
When looking into accommodation, there are four major things to consider:
- what the flat is like
- what the facilities on site and close by are like
- how far it is from university
- if all those above combined justify the price.
Using these, I'll break down how I decided on my current accommodation- IQ, Castings.
IQ has three accommodation sites in Huddersfield: Aspley, Little Aspley and Castings. All are similar and close to each other.
Castings was the one I leant towards initially, due to friends already living there who highly praised the place. Once I went there myself, I could understand why.
What the flat is like
This can be broken up into categories: bedroom, bathroom and the kitchen/lounge.
Bedroom:
Firstly, all the bedrooms at Castings have three-quarter beds. Going from a single at home, this was amazing. The wardrobes are extremely tall, have two hanging spaces (one for long items and one for t-shirts, jackets etc) and multiple shelves- no need for clothing rails.
Furthermore, there's hooks for jackets near the door, so plenty of space. As a serial over packer, the amount of storage space was essential for me: with two giant drawers under the bed, three drawers built into the desk and multiple shelves. The sizable desk has enough room for my record player, laptop, TV, make-up, hair dryer and a lamp, without feeling cramped.
There are also two pin boards which mean it’s easy to make the room your own.
Kitchen/Lounge:
The flat I am in is for five people and the kitchen and lounge are very spacious. Each of us have two cabinets and work surface space, which is more than enough for all your dry foods, utensils, pots and pans etc. In the fridge and freezers, we each have two shelves which is more than enough. There's enough space at the breakfast bar for all of us to comfortably sit.
The only downside is, for some reason, we only have one sofa which seats three, but with the chairs at the breakfast bar, there's more than enough seating for all of us to socialise together and have some friends over.
Shower room
When I first moved in, the ensuite shower room looked small but really, there is plenty of room, with shelving space for all your toiletries and a cubical shower.
IQ designs the limited space in a practical way where you have all you need without feeling closed in.
Facilities
With all of IQ’s extra facilities in one building, it is easy to take care of yourself physically and mentally.
Gym:
Castings has a free gym available to use with two treadmills and many weights available. It is the perfect place for those wanting some basic cardio and weightlifting.
Social Space: There’s a pool table, a giant Connect 4 and board games available, meaning the social space is amazing to hang out with friends without having to spend money and go into the town centre.
Launderette:
With washing machines and dryers available, washing clothes is easy. A lift takes you almost directly to the launderette, making it easy to carry all your washing.
These do cost, with a wash being £3.40 and the dryer cost being £1.90. To reduce costs slightly, I do a wash every other week using two washing machines and one dryer totalling £17.40 a month, instead of one washing machine and one dryer every week totalling £21.20 a month.
It's not much, but, as a student, every penny counts.
Study Area:
If you want to do group study or just want to get out of your flat and some work, the study area is g reat. With lots of natural light, the study area is a lovely place. When you have a full day of essays or revising, being in your room all day can make you feel closed-in and it can be hard to know when to stop. With the study area being a separated space, it feels like you're going to work there, and when you return to your flat, your room feels like a place of relaxation and calm, rather than a place full of chaos and work anxiety.
Corner Shop and convenience items:
Just across the road from Casting, there's a corner shop called OM. It's very useful for when you just need some bits and bobs.
Shopping and location
The final thing to consider is how far accommodation is from the university, town centre and supermarkets?
University: 10-minute walk; town centre: 15-minute walk; supermarkets: Sainsbury’s- 10-minute walk; Lidl- 15-minute walk.
So finally...is it worth the price?
My 44-week contract, cost £4,400* which I believe is well worth the money. You have great facilities, 24-hour security, a decent sized bed and spacious kitchen/ lounge. All that and the convenience of being close to the university and town centre. What more do you need?!
*(Prices mentioned from 2024/25 academic year)
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