Guide to find your LSE accommodation
Guide to find your LSE accommodation
Finding accommodation in a new city, let alone moving out for the first time can be quite daunting. Many students at LSE decide to live their first year in a hall as it is easier to make friends, and go on to live in a flat with friends for their second and third years. I would say, living at Bankside was pivotal in making my first year at LSE worthwhile, as I met amazing people from all over the world.
I would highly recommend living in a hall because in my experience, I found that it allows for deeper connections than with your course friends and you get to literally live together and see them on a daily basis. Usually your hall friends are those who you will end up living with in 2nd year.
LSE has usefully compiled a list of its halls here http://www.lse.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation/search-accommodation
You will find what amenities are provided in each hall, what size the rooms are, and you can even envision yourself being in your room by using the 360º tour function. Most halls are within walking distance of LSE and offer different ranges of prices.
The two first questions you should think about when choosing your hall is whether you would like to be catered or self-catered. Most undergraduate LSE halls are catered, which means you eat dinner in a canteen and usually get breakfast on Saturday morning. I found that catered halls compared to non-catered halls are more social, as it allowed me to connect with other peers around dinner time. There is always a meat, fish, vegetarian, and vegan option served. One thing to note however, is that dinner is only served at certain times (5.30-8.30pm at Bankside for instance), so this allows for less flexibility.
Non-catered halls usually function on a flat basis – meaning only you and your “flat mates” have access to the kitchen. Usually the kitchen does get pretty messy, but this would allow you to cook food that you like and be more independent with your eating time.
A second question you should ask yourself is whether you would like to live in an LSE hall or in an intercollegiate one. This comes down to personal preferences, sometimes it is good to step aside from the LSE bubble, but you might also feel that UCL students are overwhelmingly represented in intercollegiate halls.
Your preferred London area (Bloomsbury, Trafalgar Square or South Bank for instance) could also be of importance, as well as whether there is a bar, what bathroom is offered in your hall, etc.
I had the opportunity to visit halls during the Offer Holder Open Day, and completely fell head over heels for Bankside. Bankside was by far my favorite choice because of the area, if your bathroom is shared it is only with one other person, the rooms are very spacious, and there is a bar. But this is in no way an endorsement, and only you can know what is best for yourself!