A year ago or so , I remember feeling all worked up, just thinking about the preparations I had to do for my transition from Malaysia to the UK such as Visa application,  ATAS certificate application, and many more.

One of the things I had to put a lot of thought into, was choosing the most suitable accommodation hall. Students who are from University of Southampton Malaysia Campus are guaranteed a place in one of the halls for the rest of their time here in Southampton, so I was quite unperturbed by if I was going to get a place to live, it was more of, which one? I was very vigilant with how I made my choice. What I eventually choose could very well be the factor that was going to make my life pleasant (or unpleasant) in Southampton.

The first factor I considered was, “What’s the cheapest option?” Obviously! For me, the price came first, then the luxury. I knew I could suit myself with something less comfortable and I was quite fixed on not wanting to spend too much for something I would eventually get used to. The cheapest options in the list of halls that were available were Bencraft, Glen Eyre and Wessex Lane. Just like that, I had already shortlisted three from the tens of halls that were available.

The second thing I looked for was, “How far were these halls from the main university campus?” Two years in USMC has taught me how invaluable it is to have your university just a few minutes away from where you live. Of course, during those dreadful morning classes, when you wake up half an hour after your alarm goes off, you’d appreciate a shorter distance to your class, a lot more! Glen Eyre is the closest to the university campus (in fact, it takes less than 15 minutes by foot), followed by Wessex Lane (probably 20 or 25 minutes by foot).

One major difference between these two halls is that more buses make stops at Wessex Lane than they do at Glen Eyre. So, if you prefer taking short walks travelling between home and campus, you’d fancy Glen Eyre. If you think taking the bus would make life much easier, you’d prefer Wessex Lane.

Wessex Lane is a large complex of halls which provides a more traditional student village feel, with a wide range of room types, vibrant social scene and close proximity to the popular student area of Portswood.
Wessex Lane is a large complex of halls which provides a more traditional student village feel, with a wide range of room types, vibrant social scene and close proximity to the popular student area of Portswood.

bencraft1
Bencraft offers our most affordable accommodation, suiting those who want all the fundamental facilities, services and student living environment provided in our University halls of residence, without the added extras and cost.

Glen Eyre is a large self-catered halls complex of 1900 rooms, but each individual hall still has its own character and community.Glen Eyre is a large self-catered halls complex of 1900 rooms, but each individual hall still has its own character and community.

Both halls have massive parks at walking distances. Glen Eyre has the Southampton Common whilst Wessex Lane has the Riverside. Common sights here include people playing football and Frisbee and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch some people playing fetch with their dogs too! If you’re an outdoor sports freak, you’d love both these parks.

All I have to say is, choose your UK home wisely! (You’re going to have fun anyway, so don’t fret too much)

Where am I going to live in Southampton?

Post navigation


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *