University halls nightmare

[justjax]

My niece is about to go to Reading Uni. She applied for halls of residence on the day she got her results and has been phoning every day since, but today got an email to say she hadn't got a place and was on the waiting list. She's devastated and doesn't know what to do. She really doesn't want to live in a house - she's never really been away from home before and it would just be too big a step. Does anyone have any suggestions of what she can do from here?

There's often private companies who have properties which are the same as halls of residences, so she gets a room and shares the facilities. 2 secs and I'll look for you.

www.accommodationforstudents.com/reading.asp Scroll down, there's a section for private halls. She needs to have a look at these.

I didn't get into halls when I first went to uni, and it turned out to be fine. It may be scary, but it will be fine in the end.

Ask the accommodation office about what other options there are. And the waiting list may turn out okay - it's quite likely some people who have accepted places will change their minds before they get there.

My ds went straight to a house last year and is an only child and a little bit spoiled and he has been fine

It will be fine
She'll be in a house with freshers
She'll make friends on her course too
She'll learn to cook & clean for herself which you don't get to do in halls

Halls are a nightmare to be honest. They are noisy, people steal your food, you can't sleep and the pissing cleaners wake you by ramming the hoover into your door (and they are expensive). She's far better off getting a house share.

Thanks guys. It's good to know there are private house options too, but I guess I just feel for her as I know how I would have felt, going to Uni and not getting into halls. It seems so unfair that despite asking every day and clearly being as on top of it as she could have been, they've left her hanging for three weeks and now left her without a place at all.

They have done her a favour. Honestly. Check the link above, there's a lot of places on there.

has she joined this group?

The private halls on that link are all close to the university. Particularly the Loddon house one (if she's on the whiteknights campus). It's in an area where there are lots of students living and in fact is closer than some of the older halls of residence. They still have some rooms according to their website. Good luck. I know it's scary, but she'll have a fab time and Reading uni is lovely.