Advice please - change of heart?

[jb623]

I'm looking for some advice please. My daughter has a firm unconditional offer at Leeds to study this year and has received her accommodation offer. This wasn't her first choice of accommodation, she wanted to be with new students and to have a mix of ages as she is a 'mature' student but she has been allocated with only one other new student, the others having returned to halls. She is very worried about having one maybe two students only to go to Freshers week activities with.
Whilst this was happening, she received a clearing off from Exeter uni too but now the accommodation deadline has passed so no guarantees of her choice of accommodation. She chose Leeds because of the course but has been put off a little by the accommodation. She has always like Exeter, the other Uni, but the course and department facilities are a little dated but she feels let down by Leeds. I'm now not sure what to advise?

If she wants the course at Leeds I would think she should stick with that - I'm sure she'll meet new friends on her course etc.

I would suggest that the course is the most important and she will meet lots of ppl in adjoining accommodations and at Freshers Week activities-plus will make the most connections with ppl on her course.
I would not encourage changing Uni for this as her Exeter accommodation may not be any better...

There will be all sorts of people who do not make their offer or change their mind or drop out. Is there some waiting list that she can join so she can swap accommodation?

What accommodation has she got? If she's in a block then, even if immediate flat-mates don't rock her boat, she may find friends in adjacent flats.

It is a block I think and I will suggest a drop out list. I think reading around it she is also apprehensive about leaving her job, she's been studying on and off (unfortunate problems around A Level time) and is unsure if she's making the right decision. She can't see immediate progression in her job but feels 'too old' at nearly mid-20's going to university!

Tell her to get on social.media and she'll soon find people to go to freshers activities with. My dd only really gelled with one person in her flat but was still out and about loads making friends. And I don't know anyone who hasn't enjoyed Leeds uni.

My DS has just finished 4 years at Leeds uni, and absolutely loved his time there. He didn’t get his first choice accommodation either, despite being unconditional too. This, in fact lead to him mixing more outside of his flat mates and having a much wider circle of friends, which has been so much better for him.
Good luck to your DD, I hope she makes the right decision for her.

Don't change universities because of accommodation! Exeter has some pretty dodgy halls (I've stayed in them at conferences), and is usually over-subscribed, so it may be out of the frying pan, into the fire.

I went to Exeter, admittedly a decade ago and there was a real issue with accommodation shortages including private halls.
She could well end up needing to live either quite far out or with people who’ve had people drop out of their student houses so have well formed cliques/friendship groups

It is also worth noting that Leeds and Exeter while both excellent academically are very different in terms of “vibe.”
The cities are also hugely different.