There used to be a time when accommodation for students was limited to the on-campus or official residences associated with that particular university, with the culture of sorority clubs and the likes spreading across English-speaking countries, mainly. Initiations, house rivalries, codes, etc… All of these formed a huge part of what it means to be a student.
To a certain extent, these still apply, but accommodation for students has been required to expand beyond the options available within a campus. This has led to the rise of many options for students, including private studios that you can find at Hybr, homestays, shared homes, and entire properties.
The wide range of housing options has, in fact, provided a breath of fresh air to students who are not able to live comfortably in their designated spaces, allowing them to be away from what could well be considered a toxic culture. Typically, you have to pay in advance for such student accommodation and you pretty much have to pack up all your stuff and leave with it each time a term ends.
So whether or not you missed out on a place at res, what are some alternative student accommodation options?
Home-stays
Today, all manner of new accommodation options are popping up all over the show, with universities teaming up with local families to offer what are referred to as homestays. Homestays are actually nothing new, but the term has been given some kind of official ring to it in recent times because it goes beyond just the accommodation of students.
Backpackers, whose ultimate goal is nothing more than covering as much of this earth as possible, swear by homestays, but they’re perhaps the best source for the information for students seeking to go the same direction in terms of student accommodation.
Homestays can indeed make for great alternative in student accommodation for uni students and they basically have you taking up an offer to stay with a kind family that opens up its home to you. There are many reasons why people would do so, most of which are steeped in the natural human instinct to just help others. I mean the saying “as poor as a student” doesn’t stem from absolutely nowhere, does it?
One of the ways through which your mind can be put at is with regards to homestays is the fact that it can make for somewhat of a fair exchange, in that you essentially assume the role of housekeeper in the event that the family you’re staying with might be comprised out of frequent travellers who might be away often.
Serviced apartments
If you’re still not quite comfortable with effectively “invading” someone’s home, although they’ve invited you to stay with them out of their own goodwill, you can always simulate something of a homestay by staying in a serviced apartment. It does cost a little bit more than any traditional student accommodation option, but at least you have all the comforts of home without having to worry about overdoing things, like raiding the fridge for a midnight feast every day.
And that’s just the foundational layer of the enriching experience offered by serviced apartments. There’s a plethora of additional benefits that cater to students, making their stay both productive and rewarding. As a student, optimizing your time for studies is paramount.
Wasting hours in aimless pursuits is a luxury you can ill afford. While you may already steer clear of such distractions, the demands of household chores can still consume a substantial portion of your day. To circumvent this, the ideal solution lies in opting for serviced apartments, where mundane tasks like laundry and bathroom upkeep are efficiently handled by dedicated housemaids.
What’s more? Extensive tasks such as thorough cleanings of communal areas, including hallways, are often entrusted to seasoned professionals specializing in commercial cleaning services in Charlotte, NC, or any other location you’ve chosen for your serviced apartment.
This strategic delegation of responsibilities empowers you to channel your energies into the crucial aspects of your life – be it focused on studying or the timely completion of essential assignments. In essence, choosing a serviced apartment equates to embarking on a journey that is not only academically enriching but also imbued with practical convenience.