To ask if it’s a mature student would definitely be unhappy in halls

[Worriedmother666]

Person in question is 26.

Not necessarily!

Depends on so many things! What are the concerns?

Surely it depends on the person. And 26 isn’t that much older.

I am around that age and I can 100% say I'd be very unhappy and would struggle massively. Sometimes universities do try and group students together based on ages though.

I've also worked with students and seen the pettiness that happens when they live together. I would find that difficult to manage at my age.

I wouldn’t say “definitely be unhappy” but personally no I would not have wanted to be in my halls at 26 given everyone else was 18 (maybe a couple of 3rd year students who were 20)

Depends on the uni and hall & maturity of the 26 year old I guess

I would realistically say more than likely, at least if they are in undergrad halls. Some halls are more aimed at postgrad or mature students though so that could be a better option.

Depends. I went to a university with "colleges" and my college had 6 buildings. One of those was reserved for postgrads, 21 and up. There was also a whole college for mature students.

I would have been at that age.

There are halls and halls! At the university for which I work there are the main halls, and other accommodation aimed at mature/post-graduate students.

Surely it depends on the person and whether the other folk in halls are dicks or not.

18->26 isn't a huge gap.

It really depends...my uni tried to group similar groups together so my flat had all people that had taken a gap year and then other ones had mature students etc. Might be worth giving the uni a call

The alternative is student houses, which is obviously hit and miss as it’s not organised in the same way that halls are

I started my degree when I was 30. I lived in halls for my first and final years and really enjoyed it. It meant I made friends much more easily than I would have done otherwise.

18-26 is a massive age gap.

You’re throwing an adult who has potentially lived away from home, held down permanent jobs, had long term adult relationships both romantic and otherwise with a bunch of teenagers who are having the first adult experience.

I’d avoid unless there are special circumstances

I had a great time in halls at 26, still in touch with my flatmates several years on . We were all the same age though and all doing second degrees - and very similar personalities, all a bit quiet and boring, we preferred to drink tea and eat biscuits than go to the pub ! - so that maybe helped .

I was unhappy at 20! I had been out of home for a couple of years, and found it hard to relate to the other students. At 26, I definitely would have struggled.

My neighbour in hall was 30. He enjoyed it but moved back home after the first year.

I stayed in halls aged 22 after returning from a gap year.
I was on the 'mature' floor that was simply the floor that was reserved for those students who hadn't found friendsa house share going into their second year.
I was the eldest and tbh they were a real bunch of misfits and it was a really uncomfortable set-up.

I lived in private halls for the first year of my PhD at 26 and it was grand most of my flat were also postgraduate so similar ages. 26 isnt that much older than the 18 yo u dergrands so depends on the person

I had a great time at 18.

But I would have hated it at 26.

It's loud, you have to share a bathroom and kitchen with loads of others, people come in pissed and try to get into your room thinking it's theirs, loads of pranks went on in ours, people up making a racket til 5am, puke in the hallways.

This was 2002-2005 so students may be less mad than in my day.

It depends if they group all the older students together or not.

Depends on your personality and the halls. My dd is in a 21+ block and they matched her with quiet students (she has sn but wanted to try living in halls) was ok until covid!

I loved halls at 18 but at 26 it would've been horrible. Unless the 26 year old doesn't have much life experience I imagine it'd be pretty grim.

I'm only 28 now but by the time I was 26 I'd worked in proper jobs and lived in nice adult homes. Still liked a bit of a party but in completely different circumstances. Halls specifically for mature students may be better but still depends on the 26 year old in question

Ps dd has an en-suite bathroom and even a washing machine in her kitchen, a lot more luxurious than my halls experience. Private - some are fully self contained bed sits in her block

I was in halls briefly as a post graduate and was grouped with other post grads and one fourth year who'd had a couple of gap years. So we were all roughly 21-24, they became friends but we all spent most of our time in our colleges/departments and had separate social lives most of the time.

Oh and the next block had families! There's even staff staying there