Still no accommodation for September

[Penguin7208]

DS is heading into his final year at St Andrews and still hasn't found anywhere to live. The cost and availability of accommodation is making the whole process incredibility stressful. The uni knows he doesn't have accommodation due to their tracker, but there has been no help from them, or no advice what to do if he doesn't have housing by September (orientation week is less than a month away).

Any ideas? Is it just a case of continuing to search for places and hope somewhere is found.

And just to say to everyone, St Andrews has just become so unaffordable for so many people. It isn't just housing, even sports clubs have stupid fees now. The uni keeps praising itself for being inclusive, but it is anything but.

My son doesn't need to waste his time in tutorials if they don't help him.

He's had a look but I think not knowing the city at all is making him a bit cautious. He really doesn't want to end up in a really terrible area that is 60+ mins to St Andrews.

Has he tried contacting the estate agents in case they know of flats where one of the students has dropped out etc? Our family have a student flat in St A (was my home in the 90s before anyone goes mad about btl) and I know the EAs keep an eye on these things.

I sat through the Maths Department open day talk and was not impressed at all.

Dundee is fine and the buses are very regular. It has two universities so anywhere in their vicinity would be good.

They might be regular, but there still plenty of places where it would take a while to get to St Andrews.

Yes but it would be better than having nowhere to stay surely?

Ds has two ex school classmates who went to StA and they have both lived/commuted in from flat shares in dundee since 2nd year and socialise in dundee. The impression he has is a large percentage do this.

Just looked on spare room.com - there's a couple of options on there.

Frankly, no. If it is worth the cost, yes, but it isn't just a case of "somewhere is better than nowhere". Unlike many people, he isn't willing to throw thousands of pounds on an overpriced place or a place ages away from where he needs to be, so will end up even more isolated than if he just stayed at home, just to say he has found somewhere.

2:1 and we know what the plans are for after uni. That isn't a worry.

What a relief he's found somewhere OP. The housing situation in this country is appalling. Especially for students.

I know it isn't rare, but even Dundee has it's own issues with housing, and St Andrews kicking the not rich students isn't going to help.

But yes, Dundee is an option and is looking there.

I don't think he has.

I would agree, and that's probably why I'm coming across the way I am here.

First two years mostly online with lecturers who refused to do anything about handwriting not being readable, third year filled with strikes and a marking boycott (he's still missing a grade), a housing crisis, lecturers asking for feedback but essentially going through a list of reasons why the students' feedback is wrong, student loans barely increasing in a cost of living crisis., plus some other stuff that annoyed me.

And yes, some of this isn't the unis fault, but it is still part of his uni experience.

I have to say you come across as slightly snippy. I live in St Andrews and know the local area. I'm really trying to help. If it's only St Andrews he will consider or staying at home then he will just need to register with all the letting agents in the hope a room comes up or stay at home. He could try and post on a St Andrews FB page to see if anyone can help him with a room? There are a number but I don't know which might be the most helpful.

I know that I'm not coming across nice and friendly, but frankly, the solutions aren't as simple as you make out, and it's the same kind of thing the uni has done.

The uni keeps ignoring students about the housing crisis.

"Just move to Dundee" where they also had issues with housing, with housing going quickly, or being terrible quality, and a lot of students really dislike living.

"Just live in Cupar/Leuchars" where quite a few other students are looking and any adverts for student properties get closed within hours.

"Just live in Sr Andrews" where properties are almost certainly massively overpriced and again, have massive demand.

Students keep telling everyone who will listen this, yet a lot people keep ignoring them.

I'm not the uni though and if those suggestions have been made then I guess that's what he needs to do. I understand your frustration. I still have outstanding work which needs to me marked but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

I just think the uni experience has been completely decimated in recent years. Student loans are going up by less than 3% yet rents and food prices are soaring. This article from The Guardian does not surprise me in the slightest.

One in three of England’s university starters ‘may live at home’ this year | Higher education | The Guardian

Maybe the best option for your DS then is to live at home and 'commute' in for the lectures he has to attend? I agree with others that it's very sad that he is missing the whole 'Uni experience' but if he hasn't made a circle of friends or got involved in societies, sports etc maybe he should just stay at home rather than spend the money on rent? Not sure where you actually live?

Uni doesn't suit everyone, my DS has just graduated and had the most wonderful four years ... but he had a huge circle of friends, was involved in lots of clubs, sports and societies, plus activities in the city not just 'student' things so it was a completely different experience (& clearly a cheaper and easier location for accommodation).

Oh!!! Sorry.

He technically only needs to be in class for 2 classes per module per semester (so 8 times in total) plus exams at the end. We aren't exactly close to town but you could stay overnight if its in the morning, or if in a day if its in the afternoon. As far as he can tell, there's nothing stopping him living nowhere near uni considering he isn't an international students so no visa requirements.

He also says that lectures and tutorials don't really help much, with lectures recorded anyway. It wouldn't be detrimental if he wasn't there, at least at the start.

We have 2 Unis within 8 miles. Near to the Unis there has been a huge increase in AirBnBs, something like 30 to 300 in a couple of years. Seems like the students are taking a room for one or two nights a week or month rather than paying for accommodation.

I do just want to say thank you to you all!

I know I've been a bit snappy but I just got a bit stressed with it all. He worked so hard to get there and the whole experience has been disappointing, but hopefully he manages to still have a happy last year, wherever he ends up living!

I sympathise @Penguin7208 . Students have been very unfairly treated.