Sharing a room university halls

[Accomodationsharing]

DD favourite uni and course is in London. The rooms close to the university are quite expensive but the twin rooms are more affordable. We actually live commuting distance; but happy for DD to do first year in halls.

Has your child shared a room? How have their experience been? Rooms are all en suite.

I shared a room. Long time ago. It was fine. Quite enjoyed it- I don't think I would have need as sociable without.
But- it helped that we were in different courses and had different friendship groups- as we were a bit like ships in the night- which worked well.

In my uni most first years shared. I didn't as had never shared a bedroom. In my life and it was a hideous thought. I found it odd others were OK with it. Mostly it worked out alright.

When I was at plymouyh poly in the 1980s I was on a one year course related to my work training contract, so all halls had been taken.

I was in a shared room and the place had 2 shared bathrooms. £33 a week with breakfast and dinner (large brunch breakfast on a Sunday and no dinner!). Most rooms were shared.

I shared with Vicky from Wales!

Then there was Derek, Adrian, Mark (whose Dad worked in Asia and loved butterscotch angel delight) and another guy I don't remember his name. Fabulous year 40 years ago!

I shared for 6 months and hated it. I do think it depends a lot on the sort of person you are- I’m someone who really needs time on my own and not to feel obliged to be “on” all the time, despite being quite a sociable person the rest of the time. Other people are ok it or even prefer it.

In America sharing is the norm for everyone at least at the start.

My dd shared a room in First Year. She was lucky they got on brilliantly and a few years later they are still great friends. The other student had come from abroad ad luckily they both had the same temperament. My dd had never shared a room as has two brothers. Some of her friends weren't as lucky but they all got through first year and it was fine.
My ds also shared a room at different university. I never even heard the guys name or him mentioned ever since..its like ds hardly knew he was there. But he had a fantastic first year, made loads of other friends and the sharing didn't hinder him in any way. He also had never shared a room at home.
It will be fine.

Thank you all. I guess is a bit of a lottery.DD has her own ensuit in the house, shared with her sister when little or on holidays, is sociable but also enjoys het own company and time alone. It is £100 difference per week

I’ve been to at least 5 weddings where the Best man or bridesmaid had been the groom / bride’s first year room mate!

That’s lovely

I think they do try to match people up who are similar age, same sex etc. You can often also change rooms if things are really bad.

This reminded me of a thing I watched about cruise ship staff accommodation. One person's room mate had come to the end of his contract so a new room mate moved in, which was fine, until 4.00am when the new room mate got out his prayer mat.

OP £100 would buy a night in a B and B if she was desperate for some solo time, although there are other options, uni libraries are not just for borrowing books.

I wouldn't. A friends roommate kept bringing random guys back and shagging them in the room. Another friend was a lark sharing with a night owl and both were miserable. Everyone I know who did really regretted it

I shared in my first year (not a uk university) and I hated it, like barbed I had similar experiences with roommate bringing people back, but I had friends who had lovely considerate roommates who they became best friends with. So it’s a bit luck of the draw of who you get assigned with, as that really does make or break the experience.

I shared in first year and didn't mind it, she was from a quite a different background (very posh boarding school, cosmopolitan, compared to working class me). It was an education in itself to meet people who I'd never otherwise have spoken to - it broadened my horizons, developed my confidence and helped me to make friends.

I think what made it manageable was that she was used to sharing from school, and I was out a lot with a different group.

DS2 shared in first year, didn't become best buds but it was fine as his roommate was involved in so many activities that he was rarely in and DS2 got plenty of peace and quiet ( poor roommate had to put up with his occasional snoring though!). He did get weed on one night when roommate was very very drunk!

Doesn’t sound good.

Apparently they have to answer a questionnaire and the university match them.

The difference is £190 to £290 per week. £3,900 a year which we may be happy to pay and compromise on other things as she will be living at home from second year; however if you end with a nice/compatible roommate it could be great

@user183515052 Im so glad you posted that. My DD went to boarding school and was used to sharing. As an insurance student she had no option. DD is on holiday with room mates from school right now. 20 years after they started!

@Accomodationsharing I think if you share you have to have a give and take attitude. There might be occasions when the room mate isn’t what you might expect but it’s a lesson in life to resolve issues. To get the uni you want (UCL?) it’s worth it. You don’t hang out in your room when you share. There’s lots of other spaces to go to. Also everyone else is sharing and they probably will want to make friends too.

I shared a room (US so was normal). It was ok. We got on without being friends. She did break a personalised mug that had been sent to me from Australia that I'd had for eight years though!
Because everyone shared I didn't mind but I felt lucky to get a single the following year. I think that young kids can put up with a lot more than you would post uni.

My dd shared a room at Durham last year and it was fine - they’re not best friends but happily coexisted - I think it also taught dd good skills in how to get along with people.

For her it was down to the college she wanted to go to which is 75% shared in first year - she desperately wanted this college and so sharing it was. Plus side was they had an absolutely massive room.

Mine shared with 2 others in the first year in central London. She graduated this year. They were all on different courses and are all still good friends.

How is it even a question if you save FOUR GRAND. She will be fine sharing - many of us did it and lived to tell the tale.

I shared in my first year, allocated rather than choice it was fine, however it was a huge room in an old house could've easily been big enough to put a wall down the middle and both rooms would've been bigger than some halls I've seen. The boys in the mirror room to ours used to play 2 aside touch rugby in there. (Durham)
It was a lovely way to get to know someone and my roommate had been at boarding school so nothing fazed her

We had 2 types of shared rooms - 1 where the entire room was shared and 1 where the bed was private but the desks were in a shared area. I was in the 1st type & hated it, best friend was in the 2nd and loved it

There are 2 beds and 2 large desks, side table/drawer by each bed, small partition between the beds (could be larger and offer a little be more privacy), but just cover part of the bed

I didn't share and don't think I could have coped with it, but some friends did. But by the end of the 1st semester they were all in single rooms because the drop out rate was high and the uni's priority was moving people out of the shared rooms into singles (rather than hall swaps/ensuite/catered requests)

One of my bridesmaids was my roommate from first year! Neither of us had shared rooms for years before that (though we both had with siblings when younger) and we only had one falling out, we lived together in my third year too and still love each other to this day. Not everyone got on so well but there were no massive fallings out on our floor anyway, everyone rubbed along.

Unis don’t have lots of spare rooms now to shift dc around and, in London, the cost difference is huge. Dc can and do share of money is an issue.