Curious about life on campus? Undergraduate student Kristine Wan shares her firsthand experience to help you understand what living in student accommodation is really like.
Moving into student accommodation is one of the first real steps into university life. It is exciting, slightly overwhelming, and often full of unknowns. During my time at Warwick, I have lived both on-campus and off-campus, but my first year in halls in Bluebell really shaped what “student living” feels like to me.
I chose Bluebell in the first place because of its floor-to-ceiling windows and glass corridors. When I first moved in, the overall environment exceeded my expectations. Surrounded by trees and close to the lake, the space felt open and calm, with plenty of natural light.
No matter what mood I was in, taking a walk nearby always helped me reset. Living in halls is not just about having a place to sleep. The environment plays a big role in how quickly you settle in, especially if you are new to the country. Having green spaces and somewhere quiet to unwind after a long day makes more of a difference than you might expect. It did not feel like a typical student dorm, but more like a peaceful retreat on campus.
One of the biggest advantages of living in halls is how convenient everything is.
At Warwick, I could walk to lectures, the library, or the Sports Hub within 5 to 15 minutes. This made daily life much easier, especially during exams. There is no need to plan around buses or worry about running late, which I only truly appreciated after moving off campus.
It also gives you more flexibility in your day. You can go back to your room between lectures, cook whenever you want, or decide last minute to study in the library. Sometimes all it takes is a moment of motivation, and living in halls means you can act on it straight away.
Halls are also where many friendships begin.
Shared kitchens and common areas make it easy to meet people. Some of my most memorable moments were quite simple. During welcome week, when I did not know anyone, I went out to parties with my flatmates and ended up talking late into the night. There were also small everyday moments, like when a delivery arrived while I was out and my flatmates helped bring it upstairs.
Compared to living off campus, the social environment in halls feels more immediate. That said, it is still what you make of it. You can be as social or as independent as you want.
One thing people often underestimate is how important it is to make your room feel like your own.
When I first moved in, it did not feel like home straight away. But small things made a big difference, like decorating my desk with postcards, keeping a soft toy I had since childhood by my bed, or bringing a plant back from the plant sale.
Over time, these little details turned my room into somewhere I genuinely enjoyed coming back to.
Of course, living in halls is not perfect.
Sharing a kitchen is probably the biggest adjustment. If you have shared bathrooms, there is more to get used to. You will have to deal with different schedules, different cleaning habits, and sometimes a bit of chaos. It can take time to find a rhythm that works for everyone.
For me, this was one of the reasons I later chose to move off campus. But there are always two sides to it. After moving out, I sometimes missed the busy and chaotic atmosphere. Looking back, it was part of the experience that taught me patience, communication, and how to live with others.
For me, living in halls is more than just accommodation. It is a perfect starting point. It offers a supportive space to adjust to university life and helps you become more independent.
That is what you can expect. Not perfection, but a space where you gradually find your rhythm.
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