Our story

From living in Halls of Residence to moving into a shared house, life at BU is an exciting journey – but one where you can decide how much support you need.

Will's story

For first-year BA (Hons) Media Production student Will, living in halls has been a great introduction to university life, especially as it was quite a change from what he was used to at home.

I live in quite a rural part of Norfolk. There’s even a farm opposite my house! Coming to Bournemouth meant quite a change for me in that respect – it’s a much more urban place to live. I thought it would take a lot of adjusting to that, but actually it’s been pretty straightforward and I’m very used to it already.

What’s made it easier is that I get on brilliantly with my new flatmates. We’ve got a really good dynamic and help each other out all the time, running errands for each other and so on. I absolutely love cooking, so I’m often in charge at mealtimes when we will all invite other friends from our courses round – we call it our extended family. We take it in turns to buy ingredients etc, and it’s a great way to just relax and spend time together.

Living in halls makes settling into university life really easy because you don’t feel like you’ve suddenly moved into a totally new phase of life – it feels more like a transition with things like security, nice flatmates, good facilities etc. All the bills are included and I opted in to the free bus pass too, which you can use to travel around Dorset, not just for travelling to Talbot (though that was the main reason I got it).

Living in halls has been a brilliant experience. Next year I’m moving into a shared house with people from my course, but I’ll definitely be staying in touch with all my flatmates and getting together often. I feel as though I’ve made great friends with people I would otherwise never have met, and it’s been a big part of settling in and enjoying life at BU.

Zeynep’s story

Second-year BA (Hons) Marketing Communications student Zeynep is living in a shared house, after spending her first year in halls, and agrees that halls provide a great stepping stone.

Coming to BU and not knowing anyone meant life in halls was absolutely ideal. Communities sprang up very quickly among those sharing the same blocks, so you make friends with far more people than just your flatmates. We’d all meet in the social outside spaces, so you gained a large circle of friends really quickly. It prepares you well for moving on to living in a shared house for your second year – though some choose to stay in halls-style living for longer. I’m living in a shared house in an area called Winton, which is halfway between our two campuses. It means it is easy to get to lectures, but also convenient for nights in town.

That said, one of the reasons I chose to live in Winton is that I really like the area itself, so there’s lots on the doorstep too –cafés, restaurants, bars and a really lively local culture that’s fun to be a part of.

I’m loving life in Winton now, and get on really well with my new housemates too. The increased independence from living in halls is enjoyable, but probably not something I would have coped with so well if I hadn’t lived in halls first. Little things – like paying bills between you instead of it all being covered in your rent – can take a little while to get the hang of, but overall, the transition from halls to a shared house has been pretty easy –and I’m looking forward to becoming an even bigger part of the local community through the rest of my studies!