To think 25 is too old to live in uni halls

[User5556774]

And a house share should be considered rather than halls?

My best friend from uni was 24 when we started (i had jjst turned 19) and lived in halls, she enjoyed it but then shes 40 now and still single and goes out more than I do lol

My halls a hundred or so years ago were open to all years, so 4th years would be around 22 anyway. So the occasional mid-twenties student didn't seem that much of an oddity. Why is it bothering you?

As others have said, some unis have halls accommodation that tends to be for older, postgraduate or mature students. Mine did. At 25 I think i'd have preferred that to be honest, but it does depend on the individual.

I spent all 3 years in halls as I didn't want to get into a private renting situation and by my 3rd year (I was 21) I was over living with 18 year olds.

We got on fine with the older students. If 18 year olds find living with mid-20 year olds “odd” they really need to expand their horizons.

What's the concern op? That's the 25 to might be preying on the 18 year olds? Or that the 18 year olds will feel their style is being cramped by having someone so old there?

We had an older foreign guy in our halls, we never really saw him, and never massively gave it too much thought. Halls made sense as he was basically on a gap year. He kept to him course mates I guess.

On the other hand is the 25 to is studying alongside the 18 year olds then there's no reason they can't get along fine

House shares with 2nd or 3rd years would still only be 19 or 20.

Trying to organise that must be far more complicated from another city when you don't know anyone Vs just putting your name down for halls

YABU.

My DP is 30 and stays in halls. Is it ideal? Well, no. Did the 18-21 year olds in his "hall" drive him slightly mad, yes.

However (before COVID!) he was only there 4 nights a week and home for the weekends, it was cheaper then private renting and more convenient as everything is sorted/included.

Plus, being deliberately vague, he only attends college for half the year and spends the other half overseas and trying to find somewhere to rent for 6 months at a time is a challenge.

Funny how a 7 year age difference seems so big at 18 but nothing once you're a bit older. 25 year olds are hardly ancient, I don't see why it would be an issue.

My now husband lived in halls at 32 and had a whale of a time. In fact I think some of the 18 year olds on his corridor were quieter and more sensible than he was!

When I was 18 years old and living in halls for the first time, I remember there was a postgrad living on the same corridor who was probably in his mid-twenties. He was really nice but I do remember sometimes he got quite fed up with us 18 year olds. At the time it seemed strange, but now I can understand his point of view completely! I think if I were you (assuming you are 25 year old), I would ask if it is possible to choose a corridor with slightly older students.

You’d be surprised how often 18yo appreciate having an older person around who’s adulted a bit longer and knows basic life skills.
How to cook, use a washing machine, change a lightbulb, survive a hangover...the list goes on.

Would it not depend on the individual?

I was in hell’s for the first three years with the same people (not in the UK). We had a range of ages from 19 to 45. We all got along brilliantly and stayed on touch. We even mage a comic book of our lives together and used to go away for weekends together.

well, the 18 years old will just have to live with it, Uni is about growing up, too, opening your mind, becoming more flexible and accepting, they are not children anymore, that's the whole point!

well, the 18 years old will just have to live with it, Uni is about growing up, too, opening your mind, becoming more flexible and accepting, they are not children anymore, that's the whole point!

I rather like this take.

Dd goes to a HE institution that doesn't do halls, so you just have to find someone to share a flat or house with before you get there. She shared with two MA students in her first year. She was absolutely fine and they got on really well.

When I went to uni, I think I was the only 18yo on my (very small) programme: the others were all older than me. Didn't occur to me to think it odd: I just assumed that now that I was an adult that's how things were and any workplace or shared house would be the same.

Students can be any age

Depends. Some 25 year olds will get on well with freshers. Also some unis are good at grouping people by age, so they might be put with 23-30 year olds rather than 18 year olds.

I had a friend at uni who was 26 when he started so requested the mature student halls. He hated it! Everyone else was over 30 and got annoyed at the slightest noise. He really wished he was in the grotty noisy halls with the rest of us.

@Ginandplatonic

Isn’t that up to the 25yo? There were older students in halls when I was at uni - presumably they preferred the simplicity of having everything organised for the? This was catered accommodation.

I wouldn’t have liked living that way at that age, but each to their own.

This.

I started Uni at 19 but had health issues and ended up dropping out for a long time before coming back in my mind 20s. I didn't know anyone to share a house with so went into student accomodation. It was ok but didn't really mix much with the others who were Freshers as didn't have much in common with them. Mostly I think she to different interests but also age. I just didn't find fresher type activities interesting

My best friend at uni was 27 - I was 18. She was an amazing person from overseas who has achieved amazing things for her home country. I never felt having her in halls was peculiar and I don't think anyone else did

I don't get the post. Are you worried about your kids? If so I think your children are too old for you to be worrying about them living in the same building as a 25 year old. Could an 18 year old have sex with a 25 year old? Oh yes they could but maybe they might actually enjoy it so what can you do! For what it's worth I was that 18 year old and had a pretty good time with my older man before settling down with someone more my age.

No-one in my halls was that age, there were separate flats for older students but it's not weird, everyone has different circumstances and they're all grown ups studying and needing somewhere to live.

I've never stayed in halls but I started uni at 25 and I don't feel much older than people that started straight from school.

I don't think 18 year olds will have any issue with it but their stage in life is generally different to a 25 yo. I think it is the latter who may feel a lot more out of sorts eventually

We had a 24 year old in our halls when I was 18, she kept herself to herself and generally everything was fine, if she'd wanted to get involved with what we were doing she would have been very welcome.

I went in 20's and did halls for 1st year it was mainly 18s with few slightly older in my block. The uni had housed people so with someone on your course. Despite the age gap i got along with them well & had a fun time, its was quite amusing seeing the differences at times plus relief that i was past those teen drama's. It likely depends on the individual, I think I'd have felt I had missed out on that uni experience if moved in with people in 2-3rd years.

In 2nd year found some final yrs/PhD students to share with off campus & wanted bit more quiet as i'm bit of an insomniac & living with so many people with variety schedules didn't help that. The downside was by then they had their own groups of friends & not as social as have a greater workload so not sure it would be that great for 1st year.

I don’t think so as we had several degrees that went for 5 or 6 years and people living on-campus, so there would have been a range of students from 18-24yo in the undergrad quarters. Can’t recall anyone saying the 18yo’s were perplexed by the 24yo’s, maybe I just missed that though . Maybe if someone starts at 25/26yo they could just put them in the post-grad quarters? That would work.

I went to medical school. Plenty of people in final year still living on campus.

Not every degree is over by the age of 21......