London uni for a Londoner

[Brian9600]

DD has her heart set on an undergraduate course at SOAS.

We live in North London. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of what London uni is like for a Londoner. I think a large part of the experience of university is living away from home so I’d encourage her to stay in halls, however odd it might seem when presumably some people will be commuting from further out than we are

More generally, I have a vague idea that it’s harder to meet people at somewhere like SOAS than at a collegiate or campus uni. Any thoughts?

I thought SOAS was in a lot of financial trouble?
Well I did it (not SOAS though) and didn't have a great time tbh. Halls for the first year but because I went home quite a bit to see family and friends there, I didn't build the intense friendships that I might have done living away, in another city.
I came home for the second year and intended to go back into halls for year 3 but didn't get a place being low priority as a Londoner, with a home nearby.
It was a bit rubbish really and is one of my regrets in life, although I ended up with a degree from a more prestigious institution than I would have if I had moved away.

Thank you. That’s the sort of thing I’m worried about- will London be less of the full experience. I hadn’t realised that it might affect her priority for a place in halls- I will look into that as living at home is definitely not part of the plan!

She probably won’t get a room unless there are special family circumstances. The SOAS building is right in the middle of a group of London uni buildings, so there will be loads of other students around.

We are in the same boat - not sure what exactly we will do (he doesn’t want to leave home yet!).

DH stayed at home (as did I). He had a great time, I didn’t really make any friends (I’m horribly shy). So I suppose it depends on the person.

Maybe year 1 at home to get her feet under the table then move to a flat share?

Considering the uncertainty at present, uni closer to home seems like a good plan.

Maybe year 1 at home to get her feet under the table then move to a flat share?

I'm not sure that will work really - the strongest friendships tend to made in halls accommodation, not in class (especially when a lot of class might continue to be online even next year).

Im a Londoner who stayed in London to study and totally regret it. I wish I had tried living out of London when I had the chance. I want my kids to try studying outside of London because of this!

Why does she want SOAS? IMO SOAS is a different beast to most other course options and if she is looking to study something like African Studies then it may well be worth it. I know on MN (and to some extent in RL) people talk about the experience, but university is first and foremost about education and studying the course that most suits your interests. I looked at SOAS for a literature degree a while ago with someone I mentor and honestly there is little like it anywhere else.

I agree with others she will be unlikely to be given a room in halls, but there are plenty at SOAS who live at home and whilst people might normally move in with people that they met in halls that is not a given and could still happen.

I think part of the issue here is that we aren't comparing UCL and Durham, very few places have the focus that SOAS does - but it is also quite small even if the wider 'campus' is shared with UCL and BBK.

Bear in mind that some SOAS halls of residence are quite a distance out (e.g. Wood Green). Several are in & around King's Cross.

Personally, I think living at home as an undergraduate straight out of school can only really work if you & your daughter have a very clear understanding about her change in status from being a sixth-former. If you are able to let her come & go with no questions asked if she is out late (or all night) or brings friends home, and no expectation whatsoever that she has meals at home with the rest of the family, you might be able to make it work. This will not be easy, especially if she has younger siblings at home. It's much easier to allow your children freedom when you can't see how they're using it. But, of course, living in halls comes with a hefty price tag in London.

I'd have thought somewhere like SOAS, which covers quite a narrow range of specialised courses, is probably an easier place to find like-minded friends than a bigger, more general institution. Having said that, I was at a specialist science institution in London in the nineteen-eighties and didn't have much in common with 95% of the other students there.