Okeford House is an accommodation unit specifically for postgraduate students, about 20 minutes’ walk from Bournemouth University, off Wimborne Road.

I live by myself in a studio flat, meaning my room contains my sleep and study area, along with a kitchen, shower, and bathroom all in one unit, but having flatmates is a much more common living situation in Okeford. In flats with multiple flatmates, each one has their own room with a sleep and study area, bathroom and shower, shared kitchen and common area.

With Okeford being a postgraduate-only accommodation, it means that I end up seeing a good number of my classmates around the building, which is always nice as it means there are plenty of friends to have round for dinner and movie nights! Okeford does not have a 24 hour reception, which can make receiving mail and packages a bit difficult, and sensitive smoke and steam alarms can make for the occasional inconvenience, but it doesn’t take long to get into the swing of things and avoid any major problems.

My top tips for booking accommodation are to book early, and to book according to your campus. Bournemouth University has two main campuses, Talbot and Lansdowne, with accommodation fit for both. While it’s not too difficult to get from one campus to the other, booking accommodation close to your main campus will make getting to and from classes much quicker and easier, especially for early morning lectures!

Okeford isn’t far from campus, and it’s just minutes away from a number of grocery shops (and more importantly, coffee shops!). It’s a relatively quiet place, with the exception of the occasional Friday night get-together, but it really has made for a cosy home away from home.

By Alex Parker