Shared room on campus vs own room a bus ride away?

[Lemoncurd]

Daughter is going to her insurance university choice (Bath), which means that accommodation is through the second round of applications and not guaranteed.
The options remaining are shared rooms on campus or city centre accommodation. One of the city options is solely for 1st year undergraduates.

She can't decide what to prioritise, we and most adults keep saying she should go for campus. She and all of her peers feel that they really wouldn't want to share a room but still would want to be on campus if possible.

She is introverted, has been treated for anxiety for a few years and social anxiety was a factor. Being on campus might be better for this and helping her to make friends more easily, but at the same time she is someone who needs time to herself to get away from things (had 10 people over for a sleepover but took herself off to her own room to sleep!).

Appreciate that she might not get the accommodation type she chooses anyway (if any!) but anyone had any experience of shared rooms or any thoughts?

I actually went to Bath and had friends that lived in the City Centre accommodation (St John’s Wood I think?), albeit a long time ago now! By all accounts there was a good atmosphere there and still felt like uni accommodation - they would still come up to all the nights out etc and just crash on people’s floors if they didn’t want to travel back.
I’d suggest she get herself joined up to a selection of clubs/societies that she is interested in, so that she has plenty of “ready made” nights out planned. Plenty of them will go off campus and into the town for the evening anyway!

Don't share. I had a horrible time in my shared room - exactly opposite timetable to my roommate so massive friction about getting up for my (4/5 days) 9am lectures and not having a place to "hide" when overwhelmed is tough!

I also had a horrible time in a shared room on campus. Just a personality clash and my roommate brought a guy back one night and expected me to put up with it. The off campus accommodation sounds fine especially the one that is for first years.

I’m an introvert and sharing a room with someone sounds like absolute hell. I don’t think actually being on campus matters that much. If she has a private room in shared student accommodation, she’ll still be around lots of other students. I went to a different Uni but chose to live in city centre halls/then shared house rather than on campus and definitely didn’t feel like I missed out, being in the city I think gives more social options than being on campus where there is just one bar, and she can still travel to campus if she wants.

Shared room is such pot luck
I wouldn’t consider it, especially for someone introverted with a history of anxiety who needs their own space sometimes!

I would take city centre own room over shared. I shared at boarding school and that was my red line when I went to Uni. I am also introverted and hated never being in my own headspace at school.

There is a huge amount of student accommodation in Bath now and so many pubs/clubs etc do student discount so she won’t miss out or fail to make friends. I’d go for a city centre room. The buses are pretty frequent.
Where is the city centre accommodation?

Has she seen either type of room?

Shared is a gamble... you might find a new best mate, or you might live in hell.

Definitely go for own room

As an introvert, sharing a room would have been my absolute nightmare. I found it difficult enough sharing a student flat; no way I would have wanted to share a room as well. I didn't think many places had shared room these days? Every university accommodation I've stayed in (quite a few due to conferences) has been single rooms.

I missed out on the grades for my 1st uni choice due to being incredibly ill during my exams. I got in but by the time the appeal went through the only available accommodation was shared. I turned it down and went to my second choice.

The thought of having to privacy as an anxious introvert was awful. She should defo go for the city centre room.

I shared in my first year (not Bath) and got a huge en-suite room. We had a mezzanine floor where our beds and bathroom were.

We got on ok, weren't the best of friends but not mortal enemies either. We didn't see each other after first year but no hard feelings on either side.

Yes, if I pulled I had to go to his but that was no biggie.

I actually got quite a bit of time by myself in the room as we didn't do the same subject. We had lectures at other times. She also worked a lot in the evenings and I worked at weekends.

Dd had a dreadful time last year with some of her flatmates. At least she could go into her room away from them .

I wouldn't advise her to share.

OP does your daughter have a diagnosed condition? If so, the disability office at Bath University might be able to help? Not saying they can magic up a solution, but maybe offer to put your daughter on a wait list for single, on campus accommodation?

It sounds as though a single, private room would be more manageable for your daughter with her anxiety.

she will not get any time to herself if sharing a room.
definitely off campus in her case.

I shared a room in my first year and it was hell. Just the worst experience of my life.

Own room. Every single time.

I shared a room and am still friends with the person I shared with more than 3 decades later. We were lucky. (We're very different as well - probably wouldn't have met otherwise.) It can work.

Bear in mind that the university may not have a single-sex policy for shared accommodation (most have moved to (self-declared) single gender).

If she’s introverted. Do not share!

Your description of her sounds like sharing would be a major cause of anxiety. Bath is relatively small, and easy to get around. I’d go for the city centre accommodation. Might be better if she hopes to get a job too.

I couldn’t share as an adult. If someone is introverted, they need their own space however young.

Weirdly I’m very introverted and was quite shy as a teenager. I shared a room and it was great, we became good friends and it also made me socialise more. But as others have said, it’s very much pot luck.

I shared at uni 20 years ago. I knew the girl slightly from our home town and we were studying in the same department, different courses. It worked fine, we weren't best friends and didn't remain in touch but it was definitely positive. We got a much bigger room as well.

Agree don’t share. I’m introverted and had to share rooms two years at university. It was awful. No privacy. Roommates pulling all nighters when you are trying to sleep for an exam next day. Clothes being “borrowed”, period supplies “disappearing”. Shared rooms usually mean shared bathrooms/showers too and that was worse.

Given learning is likely to be hybrid rather than only f2f , go for own room. As long as there are other freshers around being on campus(which is out of town) may not be a huge benefit. Do they run shuttle buses to/from uni events?