Guest blogger Produced by

Sugandha Bhandari (India)

Hi everyone! I am Sugandha  Bhandari from India, currently doing my Master’s in Corporate Communication. Three months ago, if anyone would have asked me whether I would consider my student accommodation as home, I would have straight up answered them with a big NO. However, time changes perception!

Choosing your accommodation is another big step on the journey toward a masters, especially if you are moving from a different country. Last summer, I remember spending most of my time surfing the internet and making a list of pros and cons of all the student halls. Okeford House, located in Winton, is a residence hall that is only for postgraduate students. There are plenty of reasons why I chose Okeford House. Let’s see them in detail!

Distance! Distance! Distance!

Who doesn’t want to live near supermarkets, fast food joints, cafes and a pharmacy? Okeford House has it all. The local pharmacy is just a few steps away, while Waitrose, Lidl, and Wilko are just a two-minute walk. Pizza Hut and several food outlets are nearby, as well as a café for a lovely cup of tea in the evenings. You might already know that many shops in England close by 4 pm on Sundays, but the Lidl in Winton is open until 8 pm, which is an extra bonus of living in Okeford House. The best part is its proximity to campus! Okeford House is about a 12-minute walk from Talbot campus and when you don’t feel like walking you can always get on the bus…which runs every thirty minutes.

The perks of sharing a flat

Living alone can be lonely, so I didn’t want to stay in a studio by myself. But I also wanted personal space. I decided to stay in a shared flat where I share a kitchen and living area with my flatmates, yet still get the privacy of my own room. Living in a shared flat has its own perks, you get to meet people not just from different courses but also from diverse cultures.

Security is key

Okeford House is a very safe place to live. No one can enter unless they have a key, which gives you peace of mind. There is also a fire alarm drill every Wednesday which always keeps you prepared.

After three months of living here I have already made friends for life and a lifetime worth of amazing memories. Living at Okeford House is both calm and social. In my list of pros and cons Okeford House won! I hope it does it for you as well.

By Sugandha  Bhandari, India, MA in Corporate Communication, 2017/18