| As children grow up parents start to look into the ins | | | | After their first year and sometimes before, many |
| and outs of further education for their siblings, and quite | | | | students feel ready to break from the bonds and |
| often this comes at a great cost as in a lot of cases | | | | security and sometimes crowded dorms and want to |
| the chances are that the chosen University may be | | | | have a little bit more independence, so they start to |
| many miles from their home town. | | | | look at private or rented accommodation out side of |
| Parents tend to focus on the financial aspects of this | | | | the University campus. |
| chapter in their child's development and quite often | | | | This is of course when the social aspects of your |
| tend to miss what is important to their maturing | | | | teenagers personality tend to come to the fore and |
| teenagers, so here is an idea of what's important to | | | | the lure of the social scene tends to be more |
| them and the options to consider from both an | | | | important than easily getting to classes so what do |
| accommodation perspective as well as social one. | | | | teenagers look for here. |
| Expectations of a young student can be very similar | | | | To give you some idea Sheffield has an area that is |
| no matter what country they are from, after all kids | | | | nicknamed by the students the "Golden Mile". The road |
| are kids and adolescence all think they are more | | | | is a thruway for students that is littered with many |
| grown up than they really are anyway. | | | | pubs, food places and shopping, and a very short |
| Lets look at Sheffield in the UK for example. Sheffield | | | | distance away is where a lot of student housing is |
| University has been described as one of the finest | | | | cantered and the housing that many 2nd and 3rd year |
| universities in Britain, ushering in minds of greatness and | | | | students call home. It's close to the university and |
| creating adults that do great things and lead wonderful | | | | offers many amenities to take the mind away from |
| lives through the high distinction of higher education. | | | | the rigors of college studying. |
| But being a student at Sheffield University can be | | | | Most university towns and city's have these golden |
| somewhat unnerving. Picking classes is tough enough | | | | areas so make sure you do a little research before |
| as is searching for financial aid or having to work and | | | | coming on your preliminary visit, so if your child does |
| pay it yourself. | | | | want to live off campus, you know where to find a |
| Finding a place to live (which may not always be the | | | | good location where they will be surrounded by lots of |
| right one) on the other hand is also a challenge | | | | other people of their own age. |
| especially if you are not a local. So one of the golden | | | | The added advantage of these slightly out of town |
| rules is to start the search for suitable accommodation | | | | hotspots is of course that food and drink can be much |
| as early as possible and definitely don't wait to the last | | | | cheaper than in the centre of a town so your child's |
| minute, because in some Universities there is barely | | | | (or your) budget will go further. |
| enough student accommodation to go round. | | | | The City and Town Centres however, tend to offer a |
| Generally speaking there will be a wide variety of | | | | totally different proposition when it comes to student |
| accommodation available before it starts getting | | | | accommodation. Often much closer to the party |
| booked up, starting with of course with the Halls of | | | | venues City and Town centre accommodation will |
| residence. The halls of residence seem to be a safe | | | | tend to suit those teenagers who really like to party |
| bet for first year students as they are close to (or | | | | and make the most of the social scene which can be |
| even within in some cases) the universities themselves. | | | | a bit of a double edge sword for a student party |
| Sheffield University for example has two halls of | | | | animal, on the one hand they will need to study but on |
| residency where students can live, work and play (just | | | | the other they like to let themselves go. |
| a little - have to study!).Being close to the University | | | | So if your child is the party type, it may be best to |
| means that students can easily walk or cycle to | | | | steer them gently towards slightly out of town |
| classes and meetings (especially handy for the late | | | | accommodation for the sake of there education and |
| sleepers). | | | | of course not forgetting your pocket more than likely. |