Table of Contents
Types of school dormitories
Sanctuary students accommodation is a popular option for students seeking a safe and comfortable living place. The accommodation is located on campus, close to the library and other facilities, and it offers a variety of room types to suit different needs. Sanctuary students accommodation also has several security features to keep residents safe, such as 24-hour security and CCTV cameras.
There are two types of dormitories: Full-board and Self-catered. Full-board dormitories usually provide breakfast and dinner; some provide three meals, but dinner is not usually provided on holidays. Self-catered dormitories usually provide cooking equipment such as stoves (including ovens), refrigerators, microwaves, tea kettles, dining tables, and chairs, while pots, pans, spoons, and chopsticks are provided.
There are three types of Manchester student apartments: Standard, En-suite room, and Studio flat. Standard rooms are divided into single rooms, double rooms, and suites for three or more people. Single and double rooms have individual bathrooms, while rooms for three or more people have to share a bathroom. The rooms are basically equipped with single beds, desks, fixed lamps, bookshelves, internet, and cable TV sockets, etc. You will need to bring your own bedding, toiletries, and slippers.
A Cluster Flat is a collection of rooms called a Flat or Apartment. A Cluster Flat usually has a common door, and there are several rooms after entering, each with a door.
Standard is a common bedroom with a bed (usually a single bed), a desk, and a wardrobe. There are two kinds of standard bedrooms. There are two types of rooms; one is standard rooms with a washbasin, which means that the bedroom has a small washbasin (and a large mirror with a small light) and is not normally damp. The other type of room is a normal room without a washbasin. These rooms are usually cleaned regularly by someone.
En-suite rooms usually have 5-7 people living in a flat with a shared kitchen. The bedroom is equipped with basic amenities and has a separate bathroom with a toilet, shower, and washbasin. This bathroom is included in the bedroom and may make the room slightly damp. Some schools have two different types of En-suite, Superior, and Basic, but the bedrooms are similarly equipped, except that the number of people sharing the kitchen is different. The former is smaller and has a larger area. The latter has a smaller kitchen and more shared space.
The Studio Flat is a step up from the En-suite, with a separate bathroom, sink and toilet, as well as its own kitchen. It is a single room with a double bed and a larger room, suitable for students with children or couples sharing. These rooms are relatively rare and need to be requested in advance. Personally, I feel that students who are more concerned about privacy and quality of life and who want to live on campus should consider this. Alternatively, Studio is ideal for couples, which is cosy and convenient and saves money. However, it is necessary to consider that Chinese people cook in general; pollution is more serious, and this kind of room with an open kitchen needs to be considered for ventilation and odour dispersion and grease smoke prevention.
Second, the advantages of the school dormitory
1. Lively and popular. Sharing a dormitory with students from all over the world is also a window to understand the culture of different countries.
2. Convenient, you don’t have to worry about the bills, and you can tell the school directly if something is not working.
3. The Manchester student accommodation is usually located on campus, so it is safe, especially for girls.
4. It is close to the school and the library, but this varies from school to school, for example, there are many university halls of residence in London, which are located in various parts of London.
5. The dormitory is fully furnished and equipped with everything except personal things, so you don’t need to prepare for it. 6. There is a person to manage and clean the dormitory, but it is only limited to the common space; you still need to organize your own dormitory.
Disadvantages
1. The school may require students to pay the full cost of accommodation for one semester or one academic year at a time, which may cause some financial pressure for those who are not too well-off.
2. You may have to move out during the holidays. University halls of residence in the UK have different rules during the Christmas, Easter, and summer holidays. Some university halls of residence can be applied for a full year, while others will require students to move to another hall of residence during the three holidays. Therefore, when applying for halls of residence, it is important to be aware of the rules governing the management of the halls. Generally speaking, if you need to move out during the holidays, you can ask a fellow student to borrow a room for a period of time or look for outside student accommodation, which is also available on a short-term basis by the week, or the university accommodation office will help students to find a place to stay. You can also choose to live with a British family in a homestay.
Prices
The price of a school dormitory is relatively higher than renting a room outside; after all, with the unified school management, you do not have to worry too much, to avoid a lot of trouble; in addition, when applying for a dormitory school need to pay a deposit, mainly to prevent the room will be damaged, if the room in the check-out time there is no problem, usually will be fully refunded, but in the off-campus rental room will also encounter the same situation.
A word of caution
If you choose to live on campus, you should submit an application for accommodation to the university’s accommodation office (or the International Students Office) at the same time as you receive your offer letter (accommodation application forms and related documents are usually issued at the same time as the unconditional offer letter and can also be found and downloaded from the university’s website) and send it back to the university before the deadline. In addition, the majority of Chinese students who go to study in the UK are on one-year master’s courses, so they are very mobile and leave behind a lot of second-hand goods every year, such as TVs, printers, rice cookers, lamps, stationery, kitchen utensils, bedroom utensils, bicycles, etc. If you don’t mind using second-hand goods, you can pay more attention to the relevant information, as there are many second-hand transfer platforms in the academic federations of major universities or local Chinese forums in major cities in the UK. If you don’t mind using second-hand goods, you can find a lot of good deals there, so you don’t have to move all the way from China.
Notes on choosing a school dormitory
1. whether the dormitory is co-ed or single occupancy, and whether both types are available
2. Does the accommodation fee include meals?
3. Are there any electricity, heating, and telephone charges in addition to the accommodation fee?
4. What household items do you need to bring with you?
5. Whether you need to move out of the dormitory during the holidays
