DD offered shared accom at uni

[baldisbeautiful]

Anyone have any experience of this? DD got a place through clearing and they guarantee accom for 1st years but she has been offered the last choice on her list which is a shared room, and is understandably very dubious about this. It's also catered and has no en suite which she also didn't want but was totally prepared to live with that but sharing is something she wasn't really prepared for! Thanks

[bigbluebus]

I know of 2 1st year students who have managed to move rooms in student accomodation in the 1st few weeks - not due to sharing but other issues. It happens loads and the Unis expect it.
The up side of having a shared bathroom is that the Uni cleaners will clean it every day - unlike an en-suite where she will have to clean her own bathroom.

[2rebecca]

My son's year abroad is in shared accomodation. He's not bothered by it, it is the norm for that city, for international/ Erasmus students anyway..

[bojorojo]

I would have thought private accommodation would be expensive and lonely. It is an unrealistic idea on many fronts. However, dd shared at Bristol and it was ok. She was in a catered hall and they shared a bathroom too. It really is not the end of the world. No one in the old part of the hall had an en suite. So many students now demand en suite it is rather a joke and as for not going because you cannot share!!!!!

[SuburbanRhonda]

I live near Egham (where RHUL is) and DH works there - private accommodation in this area is not cheap at all.

Please ask her to give it a go. I'm another who shared in first year many moons ago. It was the best thing (still very close friends) and pretty normal then.

[JudyCoolibar]

RHUL is a good university and, unless your DD wants to try again next year, I would have thought it's worth taking the place but putting her name on a waiting list for single rooms.

[BigGreenOlives]

I shared a room with 2 other women for a year - we were all respectful of each other's needs & feelings, it was fine. We shared a bathroom with another room for 3, I don't remember any problems.

[Peebles1]

Both my DSs asked for shared rooms during their first year as it was the cheapest option. In both cases the other student didn't turn up and they got a huge room all to themselves. So you never know!

DS2 shared again in second year (he started again from scratch for various reasons, at another uni). This time his roomie did turn up. They weren't natural bed fellows but got on OK and have stayed friends two years on. I'd encourage her to give it a go, if you can't get it changed to a single.

[Dazedandconfusedtoomuchpeppa]

This happened to be in my first year! I didn't enjoy it but it was manageable. When people drop out throughout the year rooms will become available.

[Laniakea]

we had one bathroom (two showers, three sinks, two loos) between 6 rooms (twelve of us). That was worse than sharing a room!

[Bertieboo1]

I shared twice as did 2 separate years in the US. Still in touch with 1 girl but not the other, though we got on ok. Most of my friends managed to share pretty successfully but I am sure there would be options for moving around if it wasn't going well.

[NotDavidTennant]

I'd point out to here that she will only be sharing for a year max, and not even a full year as she will be home for the holidays quite a bit of the time. And if she doesn't get on with the person she's sharing with it won't even be for that long as she will almost certainly have the opportunity to swap to a single room later in the year when people start dropping out (if it'll help convince her then see if she can get on the waiting list for a single room now).

If she really won't go for it, then look into what private accommodation is available. For the love of god don't put her in a studio flat though! I can't think of anything worse for a fresher than sat in a little flat on her own while everyone else is busy making friends in halls.

Have a look online and see if there are any private student halls nearby, or search for local student letting agents who might need to fill odd rooms in shared houses. If all else fails get you DD on social media and see if she can find other students in the same boat who want to go in on a houseshare.

[NotSureYet]

Seriously? I went to uni in the states from 2005-2009 and shared a room in the first year. It was absolutely fine and totally normal. It's all part of the uni experience and almost guarantees you'll have a friend on day one which is especially nice if no one else you know goes to your uni or it's far from home. Being catered is also standard in the states and is great because you don't end up eating shit pot noodles every day for dinner.
It's only one year and I doubt she'll get the world's worst room mate. Even if they don't end up forever friends the experience will certainly not kill her. It's an important lesson in learning how to compromise and respect other people's differences.

[Hulababy]

Shared bathroom wasn't an issue - had that in houses and halls. En suites weren't really an option back then. It was fine. Obviously en suite would be lovely but not something that would put me off.

I also had catered halls for one year - again not something I would choose but it was the only one offered, and it was fine.

[Hulababy]

I had shared accommodation in my first year - not halls, but a shared house and not much left (also through clearing.) I hated it. No privacy - the girl brought lads back some nights to have sex - no way was I putting up with that in the next opposite me! Wait till I have gone away/out at least surely??

I moved after two terms and never shared beyond that.

[HanYOLO]

I shared, it was fine. Then a single room came up and room-mate moved into it so I got a huge room for less than the cost of a single. Was ace. shared a house with roommate for two years after and still mates.

Shared bathroom was no problem either, people were considerate towards each other.

[user7755]

I shared in my first year, exactly the same situation as your daughter. She should go for it, me and the other girl were very different and didn't stay in touch but it wasn't the end of the world and it was cheap more money for cigs and beer

[fairgroundsnack]

This happened to my sister. She was absolutely gutted and hysterical when she got the letter about it, said she wasn't going to go etc. We talked her round and when she actually saw the room it wasn't as bad as she thought. She and room-mate ended up close friends and moved into a house share together in their second year. I would encourage her to give it a go.

[RalphSteadmansEye]

I thought it was standard to share a room in Halls, too. Everyone did at my uni (early '90s). Also one bathroom (but with three shower cubicles) between 8/10.

It was fine. Plus, some people dropped out and left so lucky ones got a room to themselves. Or some swapped 'roomies' mid-term.

[StealthPolarBear]

I did. We got the smallest room too. We are still really good friends, twenty years on

[MaximumVolume]

I shared at Royal Holloway! You get the best rooms (assuming Founders, our had a turret!). My roomie is still a good friend. It's actually really nice to have someone looking out for you. Our nextdoor neighbour wasn't sharing & got really ill with flu. She didn't eat for 12 hours because no one realised she was in there, assumed she was out until we got worried and got security to open her door.

Anyway, my experience of sharing at RHUL is completely positive.

[BikeRunSki]

It was fairly normal to share a room back in the day! 80s/90s.

[gonegrey56]

My dd shared in her first year at Uni. It was a brilliant experience for her - the two girls got on so well, and having a "room mate" to go to all the terrifying Freshers events really helped my shy dd. A lasting friendship was made, and endures.

[Dancingupthewall]

I can see her chucking in the towel over this!

If sharing a room for a term will cause her to give up, she may not be ready for university. As others have said, generally, by the end of the Michaelmas term, single rooms are freed up as some students drop out or transfer.

Alternatively, she could take a gap year, earn some money, and work out if university is really what she wants.