Student accommodation: From spawn point to boss mode

Welcome to your next campaign – Student Life: The Housing Edition. The map’s wide open, the NPCs are unfamiliar, and before you even start your first quest, you need to get your base sorted. Whatever you’re studying, your accommodation is more than a place to sleep: it’s your creative HQ, your production studio, and your sanctuary when crunch mode hits.

Here’s your level-by-level guide to finding high-score student housing. And no, the cheesy gaming references don’t end here – sorry.

Level 1: Choose your zone – select your spawn point

MetStudios has campuses in Berlin, Brighton, Bristol, London, Manchester, and Leeds – each with its own vibe and student lifestyle. Selecting where you live within your chosen city can shape your day-to-day student experience more than you might expect.

• Check out our city accommodation guides

Key things to consider when picking your spawn point (neighbourhood):

Distance from campus

Some cities are huge (London, we’re looking at you!), so travelling in from afar can be both impractical and expensive. The last thing you want is to roll out of bed in the morning and have to embark on an open-world side quest just get to class. It’s not just about the distance, either. Some neighbourhoods that look really close to campus on the map can actually have a ridiculous commute time. Ideally, you want to choose housing with an easy, direct public transport route to campus.

Check out our creative cities guides for gamers and animators:

• Creative Cities: Bristol
• Creative Cities: Brighton
• Creative Cities: Leeds
• Creative Cities: London
• Creative Cities: Manchester

Nearby amenities

Take it from us – regardless of whether you’re a social butterfly or prefer to stay in your cave, you’re still going to want a corner shop nearby. A nice local pub within walking distance is a big bonus, too.

If you’re looking forward to embracing student nightlife, try to base yourself close to the city centre, or at least an easy bus/train/tram/Uber ride away.

Your preferred level of stimulation

Some of us are adventurers and explorers but, for others, noise and bustle is just too much to endure. If you need peace and quiet to feel your best, a quieter residential neighbourhood with less student housing might be a better option.

Level 2: Inventory check

You don’t need to build a full command centre (unless you want to), but having the right setup can make a huge difference to your comfort and productivity. Here’s a handy checklist:

Must-haves for creative students

• Solid desk space with decent lighting
• Reliable, high-speed wifi
• Room for your computer setup, including that all-important drawing tablet
• Plenty of power outlets

Nice-to-haves:

• Natural light – even if you’re more of a night owl, natural light is really important for your mood and focus
• Blackout blinds – for those late-night rendering or drawing sessions and early-morning lectures
• Shelving or pin board space to display your artwork or mood boards

Level 3: Solo or multi-player?

Do you thrive in multi-player mode, or need your own single-player campaign? It’s important to pick the right kind of living environment for your individual needs.

House sharing

Most students opt for shared accommodation, as it’s usually the most cost-effective solution for students on a budget. The key is to find housemates who are on your wavelength, and who share your views on noise, guests, and – perhaps most importantly of all – cleaning! Many a co-op campaign has fallen apart over passive-aggressive notes about the washing up.

Lodging

Some students prefer to live as a lodger with a family, which can feel more like a home from home. There’s a surprisingly high number of families who take in student lodgers for a little more household income, and this can be a great option if you feel like you need a bit more support or a gentle move towards living independently.

Living solo

While this is not a financially-viable option for many students, if you can bag an affordable bedsit or flat and need your own space, going solo can be a good move. You have control over your own home, which is ideal if you’re neurodiverse, need peace to work, or simply cannot deal with other people in your space.

Student halls

While BIMM University doesn’t have its own halls of residence, we do have an exclusive partnership with Amber, which provides amazing student halls in all our campus cities. You’ll want to book yours via the BIMM website for discounts that aren’t available on the main Amber site.

• Book your student accommodation now

Boss Battle: Budgeting for the win

Rent varies a lot between different cities. London is on the pricier end, while in Leeds and Manchester, your money will go somewhat further. If you’re still weighing up whether to rent a house share, become a lodger, live alone, or opt for student halls, it’s a good idea to weigh up the differences in cost. After all, as a student every penny helps.

Other things to budget for:

• Rent – including the deposit, which is usually one month’s rent upfront.
• Bills – gas, electricity, water, and internet. Some student accommodation comes with bills included in rent – instant bonus XP!
• Food, travel, and course materials.
• Leisure – whether leisure means the gym, the pub, or buying new games, your social life at university matters as much as anything else for your wellbeing and personal development.

Luckily, students are exempt from paying council tax, but you’ll need to make sure you complete the necessary paperwork as soon as possible.

Game over – or high score

Finding the right accommodation at uni can make or break your student experience. It’s best to start your search early and get as much information as possible to make the right choice for you. You can find online communities of students heading to the same city as you all looking for house shares – this is a great way to meet likeminded freshers, who may just end up being friends for life.

Need more help? Our student support team can work with you to find student housing that suits your needs – we’re here to make sure you respawn in the right place – ready to level up IRL. And that is the very last annoying gaming reference (for now).

We can’t wait to welcome you to the MetStudios community!