Uni of Southampton accommodation waiting game

[SingingAvocado]

Hello, anyone else still waiting to hear about accommodation at Southampton? I know the deadline is Friday but lots of people seem to have been told already (going by the WhatsApp group DD is on), she applied in April, and it would really help us all to feel more settled knowing where she is going!

There is lots of information, but much of it is repeated and some of it is ambiguous or inconsistent, and there are too many apps. It took us an hour yesterday to work out my son's catering status at Highfield Hall because in one doc it said "Catered" and in another it said "Partially Catered" and in another it said "Partially Catered" only applied to non-catered halls (because it means a daily credit for buying food on campus). We've figured it out now. I suspect the system has evolved over time, but the documents haven't all kept up.

The bus situation is messy too - they get free use, which is great, but that requires 2 apps for two different bus companies and a code that they can only get when they check in, but some instructions wrongly imply that they get sent the code when they register for the app(s).

Needs patience and time to work through all this.

We were surprised to get a move-in slot for the 20th when online somewhere else it said Highfield Hall check-in was from 21st. 🙂

Hoping those still waiting hear today! Anyone's YP in Hartley Grove at Glen Eyre?

Wow I haven't hear of that system before. Normally students just log in have to do a few forms and then pick a slot (there may be less) but it's not like all logging onto the same system at once sort of thing. That seems like it can be done better.

Once she moves from Wessex Lane DD will be in Hillside House (marked as its former name, Brunei House, on some Glen Eyre maps online).

Still nothing. Can someone reassure me that offer of accomodation is made to students via their email? We've checked both personal and uni emails but nothing. I hope I'm not missing something vital. I guess I'll be on the phone to the office in the morning. Feeling a bit stressed, particularly after reading all of the issues with booking slots and watching videos that we haven't been told about yet.

@LimboLetty we received the offer on Aug 22nd to my son's email address. Did your DC definitely apply for accommodation? If so, they should have an email titled "Application for Accommodation at the University of Southampton" with an application reference number in it. My DC applied in May but they were meant to apply before 1st July.

Is anyone accepted the accommodation but the induction is not appearing on the portal so can not watch the video or book the moving slot

No. When your DC accepted, did they get an email saying:

"Thank you for accepting your accommodation offer at the University of Southampton. We look forward to welcoming you?into halls for your stay. You can find out more about living in halls, from practical information to activities and events, on the Halls Life website.

What happens next

The Essential life in Halls induction will be live from 10:00 on Wednesday 3 September 2025 You will need to complete this induction before you move into halls."

That's what we got. There was no reminder, but when we logged on to the accommodation portal (after queueing) on Wednesday, there was a link to the induction on the dashboard. From memory, I think we did have to self-navigate to the dashboard from the queuebot page - it didn't take us there automatically.

@GuestWW my DD is interested in bath is there anything you can tell me about bath

It is amazing! Please feel free to ask any questions or send me a message. My DD1 is thriving there.

Just a quick update for anyone still waiting. I rang the office who could only speak to me in general terms (will only speak about student's application to student which is fair enough) but it was confirmed that they haven't been able to meet their deadline of today for sending out allocations, could be today, could be next week. They were able to reassure me that if status on portal says 'submitted' (which it does for us) then all is well and we just have to sit it out.

Ridiculous as it sounds, despite reassurance, I still feel on edge.

This is terrible, at a time when our YP have so many unknowns things like accommodation are important anchors.

Unsettling to say the least. I do wonder if it's like this every year? I also get the impression that this happens at other universities too, apparently Bristol has a bit of a bad rep for going right up to the wire.

I'm so sorry, @LimboLetty – really feel for you and your DC. I hope next week brings good news but the wait is so unsettling xx

Finally! Uni accomodation secured, think it was 3rd or 4th on the list but honestly at this stage I'm just glad for it to be settled. All of the daytime moving in slots for Saturday have gone and after much deliberation have decided better to move in on Sunday then turn up Saturday evening to find everyone has gone out. I guess. This whole process has been awful but at least it's sorted now. Thank you for the support.

Oh, I'm so pleased to hear this @LimboLetty. I've been checking back in every so often to see if you'd posted. Which accommodation site? I think Sunday will work out fine. We've still not got a moving slot because of starting on one site and moving to another. I'm beginning to suspect that they are waiting to see which flats might have a spare room, and not keeping the future flat mates together.

That's kind @SingingAvocado.It's Wessex Lane, which I know is an unpopular choice on here but was our preferred site choice for various reasons. I hope you get your moving in slot soon.

We only favoured Glen Eyre because it is nearer the hospital and DD will spend a lot of her time on placements in hospital. She's already musing about what if she finds she loves her temporary Wessex Lane flat and / or flatmates and doesn't want to move! I'm so pleased your DC has finally got something sorted and you can start to plan and focus. Phew!

How are things @SingingAvocado,have you been able to get a moving in slot?

Thank you. It all finally came through on Friday afternoon: 2:30 on Saturday. She’s in block C on Wessex Lane.

Glad to hear it, what a relief. They certainly like to keep us on our toes

Southampton parents - have your YP's arrived and settled in now. We took our son yesterday (Highfield Hall). He has met a few people, and went out last night, but none of the other 5 students in his "flat" have turned up yet, which seems a little odd.

DD seems to be doing ok. Parting yesterday was a tearful affair but by the time we'd got home she'd messaged to say that she and all her flatmates plus the daughter of a friend of a friend who was a few flats away and her flatmates were going to the student union together for drinks. I was so happy to know she'd not be on her own. She went and got her student card this morning, with the aforementioned daughter of a friend of a friend, and two of her new flatmates. She phoned late afternoon when she was contemplating what to cook for dinner and we had a nice, and not to tearful, catchup. They are out tonight at a ticketed Freshers' event. She bumped into a boy from Highfield this morning who she was at secondary school with. It would be funny if he is your DS @happinoww! Some people are only arriving today but her flat was full by last night.

@SingingAvocado I think my DS will be going to that event tonight too! 🙂