By Sanita Lustika, (Latvia)
2^nd year BU Student, BA (Hons) Digital Media Design

When I think back to the time when I got accepted on the course it was both really exciting and also frightening time.  I was about to leave everything that is familiar to me and ‘jump’ into new life where everything is unknown and uncertain.

At that point one of my biggest concerns was to find a place where to live and sorting out my finances. I started by looking at some accommodation sites looking for a room near university, but that wasn’t very resourceful as many people didn’t respond and the ones who did wanted me to sign the agreement and send the deposit – the problem was that I was still back in Latvia and couldn’t go and do that in person, and I wasn’t certain about sending money to a stranger in another country..

In the end I realised I would be better off using the BU Accommodation Service. I chose to apply for Unilet (a student house) as my first choice and the Student Village as my second choice, and after some waiting  I got an email offering me a spacious room in a Unilet house, an 8 minute walk from university.  Accepting my accommodation offer one my best “big” decisions, after choosing university. Knowing where I’m going to live gave me feeling of security and confidence that I have a solid starting point for my new life in a different country.

I had considered Halls of Residence, but I preferred the idea of living in a house close to the Talbot Campus as possible to avoid extra travel time and paying for buses – In addition I could always get home for lunch in those one-hour brakes between lectures.
Once I arrived I discovered my Unilet accommodation was  a lovely house, with huge garden. I lived with two fantastic girls who were also studying courses in the Media School, so we all had something to in common to begin with. We were a mix of marketing, TV and digital media. During the year we not only become good friends, but also helped out each other with advice and ideas for assignments.

I guess I’m the type of person who likes to have a private space so the house with just two other people was ideally suited for me. We still went out to town and had some house parties, but in the everyday life it was mainly three of us hanging out in the living room. If I would have to choose my accommodation again I would still go for a Unilet option, especially because of my spacious and bright room.