What you imagine before you go in (and what actually happens)
When you think about living in a student hall of residence, you picture a room that’s ready to move into, people your own age all around you, and things to do almost every day. And the best bit is that, in most cases, the reality is pretty much like that: you arrive at a place where everything is set up to help you study, settle in quickly and not have to worry about a thousand things all at once.
What hardly anyone tells you is that a hall of residence isn’t just ‘a place to sleep’. It’s the place where your university life begins: where you have breakfast with people who are going through the same stage as you, where you find support when you’re feeling overwhelmed by an exam, and where any ordinary day can end with an impromptu dinner, a group study session or a chat in the corridor that turns into a friendship.
The best things about living in a hall of residence (things you only realise once you’re there)
Are there rules and a sense of community? Yes. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Not at all. Living in a hall of residence means sharing spaces with other people: corridors, lifts, study rooms, the dining hall. It’s normal to have quiet hours, rules about visitors or guidelines for using the communal areas. It is precisely these rules that make day-to-day life run smoothly and ensure a minimum level of order.
You’ll also notice that everyone works at their own pace. Some people will study late into the night, others will get up very early; some will have work placements or jobs, some will be in exam mode, and others will be more relaxed. Learning to live with that forces you to organise yourself better, to respect others and to demand respect for yourself. It’s a crash course in adult coexistence that will stand you in good stead for everything that lies ahead.
The usual ‘drawbacks’ (a bit of noise, people passing by, busier days) tend to become part of the picture. You’re not in an empty house: you’re in a building full of life. The important thing is that you have spaces where you can concentrate when you need to, and most halls of residence are designed with precisely that in mind: study rooms, quieter areas, quiet hours and staff who’ll help you if things get out of hand.
The emotional side: community, support and feeling part of something
One of the great ‘secrets’ of living in a residence is how it supports you through the good times and the bad. When you do well in an exam, there’s always someone to celebrate with. When things don’t go your way, there’s also someone who understands and tells you, ‘It’s happened to me too, but it’s not the end of the world.’ Ultimately, sharing the university experience within the same building creates a very strong sense of community.
That sense of community is evident in a thousand little ways: in the group you go down to eat with every day, in the people you end up bonding with during exam time, in the first people you meet when you arrive in a new city and haven’t quite found ‘your place’ yet. It’s very different coming home after class to an empty flat than arriving at a place where you know there’s always someone around.
Can you feel homesick or miss home? Of course. But living in student accommodation makes that process much less lonely. You’re not going through that adjustment on your own: you’re sharing it with people who are at the same stage. And often, the friends you make in student accommodation become your closest circle throughout your degree or international experience.
What you pay (and everything that’s actually included)
When comparing options, it’s easy to focus solely on the total cost of your stay, and seen in that light, a shared flat might seem like the best option. But what you pay for in a student residence is almost never just the room itself. You’re usually also paying for utilities, Wi-Fi, cleaning, security, use of communal areas, study rooms, sometimes a gym, and in many cases half-board or full board. In other words, you’re paying for convenience, time and peace of mind.
You really notice this in your day-to-day life. You don’t have to worry about splitting bills, chasing people up for payment, dealing with faults with the landlord or arguing over who cleans what. All that’s already sorted. And if any problems do crop up, there’s usually a reception or maintenance team you can turn to for help in sorting them out.
If you look solely at the ‘gross’ price, it may seem that a shared flat is cheaper, but you’ll be sharing a bathroom and kitchen. At Bravo, we offer single rooms (among other options), which provide complete privacy, something a private flat doesn’t offer without a very high cost. But if you add up the rent, utilities, deposit, furniture, transport, food and all the time it takes to manage it, the difference isn’t always that great. And even if it were, for a great many people it’s worth paying a little more in exchange for security, amenities and an environment designed specifically for the stage of university life you’re currently experiencing. If you’d like to see this difference in real figures broken down by city, you can read our article on ‘How much it costs to live as a student in Spain: a comparison between cities.’
Who would benefit from living in a student residence?
The residence is particularly well suited if:
- It’s your first year away from home and you’d like a bit more support to help you settle in.
- You arrive in a city where you don’t know anyone and you’re worried about starting from scratch.
- You are an international student or an Erasmus student looking to settle in quickly.
- You value convenience, having services included, and not having to deal with contracts and paperwork.
- You like the idea of enjoying a lively atmosphere, meeting new people and feeling part of a community.
It can also work very well if you’re organised, want to focus on your studies and appreciate having study rooms, quiet hours and an environment where everyone else is also in ‘university mode’. It allows you to strike a balance between social life and concentration that isn’t always possible in other types of accommodation.
Could there be situations where a flat makes more sense? Yes: perhaps if you already have a close-knit group of friends in that city, or if you’re looking for a very specific level of independence. But for most people starting a new chapter in their lives, student accommodation is usually a very safe option and, above all, a very enriching experience.
What to look out for to make the right choice (and ensure a top-class experience)
If you’ve got a rough idea but are still torn between several different residences, there are a few questions that might help you make the right choice. Below, we’ve provided the answers based on what Bravo Students has to offer, so you can get a sense of what your day-to-day life might be like before you decide.
What services exactly are included in the price?
At Bravo Students, your monthly fee covers much more than just your room. It includes weekly cleaning, a fully equipped gym, a swimming pool and several games rooms with pool tables, fuzzball and ping-pong tables. There are also study rooms, lounges and a cinema where you can unwind, and some halls of residence even have padel courts, a football pitch and basketball courts.
How close is it to your university, and how long will it take you to get there each day?
It depends on the city where you want to study, but generally speaking, Bravo Students’ halls of residence are very well located. A good example is the hall of residence in Murcia, which is just an 8-minute walk from the campus, or the one in Zaragoza, which is just 3 kilometres away.
What are the study rooms and communal areas like?
At Bravo Students, the study rooms and communal areas are spacious, bright and designed to make you feel comfortable and give you your own space. You’ll find areas designed for focusing without distractions, and others with a more relaxed atmosphere for socialising, relaxing and spending time with your friends.
What’s the atmosphere like: more laid-back, more sociable, more international?
Bravo Students is proud to offer all three at once: peace and quiet, a social life and an international atmosphere. It is a quiet residence where you can study, yet at the same time very sociable; it’s rare to see anyone on their own in our communal areas. What’s more, thanks to programmes such as Erasmus, we welcome residents from all over the world, making every academic year a unique multicultural experience.
What type of room suits you best (single, double, studio, etc.)?
If you’d like to find out which type of room suits you best, the best thing to do is visit our website and see the options available in each city, or give us a call! We have a team at each hall of residence ready to help you. There are options for all kinds of students: from those who prefer more privacy to those who enjoy sharing a space and living together.
The better the hall of residence suits your personality and your study habits, the more you’ll enjoy the experience. Ultimately, it’s not about choosing ‘just any hall of residence’, but about choosing the one that best matches the sort of university life you want to have.
Living in a student residence: much more than just accommodation
Nobody tells you this about living in a hall of residence: it’s not just a place to spend the night, it’s the heart of your university life. It’s where you make your first friends, where you get organised before an important exam, where you return after your first day of lectures and feel that you’re not alone in a new city.
That’s why, when you choose to live in halls of residence, you’re not just choosing accommodation. You’re choosing a sense of community, support, comfort and a way of experiencing university life that offers far more opportunities to grow, meet people and enjoy the journey.
