Accommodation for 16 yr old student in Guildford?

[klepage]

Hello,
My DS has a place on the Music Technology Diploma course at the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in Guildford for September 2018, when he will be only just 16.

I'm now looking into different options for accommodation, as we live far away.

1. YMCA: looks fantastic, but is very expensive and the contracts are for 51 weeks including breakfast and dinner 7/7 - a bit of a shame when he would be coming home for all his holidays
2. My parents: he could stay with them and commute but that would mean a 90 minute commute both ways and as there will be nights when he will finish quite late I'm not sure about that
3. Lodging with a family who live in Guildford - that's where I'm hoping you will have ideas :-). I'm thinking along the lines of a nice family who are used to teens, maybe with older kids already at Uni who might have a spare room, and maybe a dog, and who would look after my baby for me during term time :-)

All advice welcome!

Hi

I went to acm a few years ago doing higher diploma music tech - didn't stay to do degree though.

From what i know there are many acm students that tend to stay at YMCA or Scape for there first year and enjoy being there, but like you say its expensive but good socially.

1. A good option i took the train back and forth from winch everyday so its doable but still expensive my entire student loan went on this to be honest.....and it could mean traveling for a 2hr lesson and that's it.... also i missed out on extra things that were optional but didn't start till 5 or 6...

1. i think acm now provide help finding private accommodation might be worth ringing or going on there site and browsing under student services.

Acm is a great place if you know what you want from it but if you don't its a waste of a year and normal college is better....hence now doing full time in retail xD

Does the college have accommodation links? My DDs did when she was tossing up options for her art college 16-18 year course. In the end she commuted (70 minutes each way).

She didn't have late nights however, her course was packed into 2.5 days a week. So, she work at home the other days and the "commute" didn't seem so bad.

Do you know the timetable?(I'm.guessing perhaps it's different for his type of course)

DD moved 2 and a quarter hours from home at 16 - she is now about to graduate 4 yrs later

SHe had a landlady (whic didn't cook for her) & it's been good - few hiccups but generally good

Thanks very much for all your comments so far. Interesting to know how others have handled a commute.

Next on my list is to ask for the timetable, or at least this year's timetable to get an idea, even if next year's will change slightly.

@user1493240749 - you say you had a student loan at Diploma level ? I thought student loans were only available at Degree Level ?

@Kez100 - yes, ACM have an accommodation team, but options for private accommodation seem to be reserved for 18+. The only option they have suggested for 16-18s is the YMCA. And yes, on this course it sounds like the lectures will be packed into 3 days but the facilities are open all the time and DS would probably spend more time there.

@KatyMac - good on your daughter! Congratulations for her and for you. What type of accommodation did she go into at age 16?

Happy Friday, all.

SHe had a landlady (who didn't cook for her)

She has had the same landlady for all 4 years

It was a higher diploma course which is kinda the same level as 1st year uni I think - it seems acm have changed how there do there courses since I was there though- if i applied now it be the 3 year degree course as it looks like my course is now squashed in hence why you can do a two year course and skip it. so i don't think you can get funding as your son is 16 so the government fund the course, I was 19/20 when i went.

It might be worth ringing up and seeing if there's any help available for living costs though to be honest i ended up working part time to fund everything as its expensive..... your son might be asking for a macbook for xmas if he hasn't got one already lol.

Is there any other course he could do closer to home? Where is home?