A guide to student accommodation for third years

By the end of your second year at university, you may have a clear idea about where you want to live and what to expect from your third-year student accommodation. Like your first and second years, your main living options are university halls, living at home and private accommodation.

University halls

Although university halls of residence are usually associated with first-year undergraduates, it’s often possible for returning students to carry on living in halls.

Many third years enjoy the security and simplicity of campus accommodation. However, as student halls are usually dominated by freshers with different priorities, they can be noisy and busy places that may not be the best fit for you as you enter your third year of undergraduate studies. You may also find that the friends you made in halls during your first year have moved on to private accommodation, and you may not get on so well with a new set of flatmates.

Living at home

Some students choose to live at home throughout their degrees, and this is becoming increasingly common now that universities are offering more remote learning opportunities. Living at home is the most affordable choice for a lot of students, and for third years may be a more suitable accommodation option for concentrating on studies away from the distraction of fellow students.

Private accommodation

The majority of third-year students live in privately rented accommodation. This might be a shared house or flat, or purpose-built private student accommodation. Increasingly, third-year students are opting for purpose-built rentals because of the security and flexibility they provide.

You can choose to share with friends or opt for a self-contained studio, and these properties are usually located a short distance from campus. For instance, Mansion Place in Nottingham provides flexible accommodation right in the heart of the city, between the campuses of the two major universities.

As a third-year student, it’s likely that studying for your final exams will be a higher priority than partying. You’ll want to be well-placed for the library and other facilities, and your accommodation should provide a quiet study space.

Some of the things to bear in mind when looking for accommodation for your third year include:

Who to live with

Who you choose to live with throughout university is important in every year of your studies, but is perhaps the most important in your third year (or fourth year if you are doing a longer degree!). On top of coursework and/or preparing for exams, you might have a part-time job or work placement that requires more early mornings than before.

Because of this, you might want to live with other third years who have the same priorities as you. Alternatively, you may decide to rent alone so you have more personal space to concentrate and unwind. For that reason, studios and apartments are often a better option than shared student houses rented from private landlords.

You should also bear in mind that in a student house, there will typically be a shared bathroom for the whole house. With purpose-built student accommodation, you can have an ensuite room or a self-contained studio apartment to yourself.

Our Mansion Tyne accommodation in Newcastle provides a range of accommodation options, whether you’re looking to share with friends or live alone. This is luxury private accommodation just a short walk from Northumbria University, starting from just £99 a week.

Where to live

By the third year of your degree, your priorities concerning where you want to live will probably have shifted from your first and second years. You may want to live somewhere slightly quieter and closer to the university library. Good public transport links may also be important to get to a part-time job, do fieldwork for your dissertation, or just branch out to see new parts of the city.

Our Woodhouse Apartments in Leeds, for example, are in a handy location for the universities, but in a slightly quieter spot making them a great choice for third-year students.

Space

As you’re (hopefully) spending more time studying in your third year, extra space for revision resources and personal belongings can be helpful. You’re much more likely to find this in purpose-built student accommodation than in a shared house or university halls of residence. Purpose-built rentals are designed with the changing needs of students in mind and will provide dedicated areas for quiet study. They also contain more features than you’ll find in the average shared house. At our Ernest Place accommodation in Durham, for example, there is a cinema room, gym, roof terrace, on-site maintenance and much more.

Costs

As well as your weekly/monthly rent, there are also bills and other living costs to consider. If you share a house with other students you’ll have to set your utilities up yourselves and pay these bills separately to your rent. On the other hand if you live in Mansion Student purpose-built accommodation all of your utility bills and contents insurance will be included in your rent.

Mansion Student properties have been designed with the needs of today’s students in mind in some of the UK’s most popular student cities. Fitted with attention to detail, they provide a range of luxury benefits and amenities. We’re a reputable company that places student welfare at the heart of everything we do, which includes our clear pricing policy and Hospitality and Maintenance teams on-hand to support every student at every property. We’re dedicated to helping give you a ‘home from home’ that you can enjoy in your third year at university, combining excellent locations with security, convenience and quality.

If you’d like to know more about third-year student accommodation, and how Mansion Student can help, contact a member of our team today.