By Georgia Geddes

Postgraduate BU Student, MSc Forensic Osteology

When it comes to picking accommodation, a little research goes a long way!

First things first, find out which campus your future course is based on. Talbot Campus is the main campus, whilst Lansdowne Campus is right in the heart of Bournemouth. Depending on which one you’re going to be at, you might want to consider different accommodation. Once you’ve figured that out, speak to askBU future students, about how many days a week you’re likely to be on campus. Then think about whether you’re going to spend much of your free time at Uni, like going to the gym, the library or Dylan’s (BU’s answer to your local pub). Are you going to join any sports teams or societies and where do they meet?

When you’ve got a good idea of all this, you can make a well informed decision about where you want to be. You can start factoring in your own priorities. Is it important for you to be near a good transport system? Do you want to live on campus? Would you rather be closer to Bournemouth town centre? How many people do you want to live with? Are seaside views a must have?

I’d suggest making a list of all the accommodation choices BU offers, have a look through the web pages and write down some pros and cons for each. Try and pick some practical ones as well as some personal ones; as convenient as a particular accommodation might be, you’ve got to want to live there too!

For me, I had a hard time choosing between Student Village and Corfe House. I’m originally from the Midlands, so there’s not a beach in sight. Corfe House could boast sea views! But the draw of my own studio flat on campus was hard to ignore. When I went on an Open Day, I found out I’d only be on campus about 2 or 3 days a week, with the rest of my time spent doing self-study. With that in mind, I went with my gut instinct and picked the sea views.

Whilst I can’t vouch for any other accommodations, Corfe House was a great choice for me. There’s a great postgraduate community, a supermarket on your doorstep and views of Poole Harbour from your window, I can’t imagine living anywhere better. All it’s missing is a balcony.

My advice to you is to attack the accommodation problem pragmatically, but don’t forget to think about what you really want from your accommodation. Ask questions, through social media, e-mails, in person- however you like, and really make sure you do your research, it’s worth the effort!

In the end, though, wherever you end up, you’ll meet fantastic people, make great memories and have wonderful experiences… But it is nice to have an en-suite.