Accommodation for postgraduates

Being able to accept your offer for one or more additional years of study is an amazing achievement, but it can be stressful if you haven’t ironed out the kinks in your postgraduate plan. Before you even start your postgraduate course, you will need to decide where you will live and this may not be as easy as during your undergraduate years, as many of your friends may have already left the city. You might be moving to a new city entirely and you may be on a much lower budget than you previously were as an undergrad.

This article will cover the accommodation options available to Master’s and PhD students and the possible considerations you will need to make when choosing and moving into postgraduate student accommodation.

Master’s students

A university offering a Master’s degree may only provide you with a loan for tuition fees and not an additional maintenance loan like you would have received during your undergraduate degree, which may mean that you will have to work on top of your postgraduate degree to pay for living costs. If you are doing a full-time Master’s degree, this can be challenging. Many people choose part-time postgraduate study and have a full-time job alongside it.

Despite the availability of libraries and study spaces, postgraduate students will inevitably spend much of your time working from home, so choosing the right accommodation for your postgraduate course is important as you will need to balance comfort and affordability.

Full-time Master’s students, who may have a lower budget, might want to look into postgraduate university accommodation, such as halls of residence, which is shared accommodation with a private room to save on living costs. If you are a part-time Postgraduate student, you may have a full-time job and you may wish to find family accommodation, perhaps solo living is the best option in this case, however, both options are still available to you as a Master’s student.

Read about accommodation for Master’s students here.

PhD students

PhD students receive a small grant which is often much lower than the average starting salary so living on this alone can be difficult. Your PhD will take up as much time as a full-time job and you may also need a part-time job to pay for living costs. If you are studying a part-time PhD you may also be working a full-time job.

Postgraduate accommodation such as halls of residence are still available to those studying a PhD but the campus accommodation is often distributed on a first come first served basis and shared with international students. The rising demand comes with increasing costs.

You may find that with your busy schedule that you would prefer to live alone; in a studio flat or an en-suite room with shared facilities. If you have the budget, you may even wish to choose a private apartment where you can have peace and quiet and personal space to yourself for study. You may also need the space for family visits.

Read about accommodation for PhD students here.

Accommodation considerations for postgraduate students

Once you have decided on which kind of accommodation you would like to live in during your postgraduate study, you will then have to make decisions on what kind of lifestyle you are looking for. With whom and where and will you live according to this choice?

Set realistic expectations for your lifestyle and social life. Ask yourself, will I have the budget and the time for hobbies and socialising? On the other hand, don’t completely neglect the social aspects of your lifestyle. Depending on your priorities you may choose city centre living or a more peaceful remote location.

Mansion Student offers many accommodation options for postgraduate students in the heart of major university cities, including Leeds and Nottingham, so you will be able to easily access campus buildings and your place of work.

With the added stress of a limited budget, it can be beneficial to live in private postgraduate accommodation where utilities and rent are all included in rent payments to make monthly budgeting easier. This all-inclusive approach is also very useful for shared accommodation as it removes the stress of splitting bills and worrying about your flatmates’ gas and electricity usage.

Take care to consider whether any of your housemates are non-students as they will not be exempt from paying council tax and if you are sharing a tenancy you may have to pay your share.

Read more about accommodation considerations for postgraduate students.

Renting with Mansion Student

Ironing out all of the student accommodation variables as a postgraduate student can be difficult, so taking away the guesswork is what sets Mansion Student apart from other student accommodation services.

We can offer a range of all-inclusive studio flats, shared flats, one and two-bed apartments and even en-suite rooms. Regardless of your circumstance, we have an accommodation option that is suitable for your lifestyle and budget. Our secure, private rooms come with plenty of study space, we have reliable WiFi and many more amenities to make your postgraduate studies a positive experience.

We have in-building leisure and social spaces including gyms, cinema rooms, games rooms and common rooms to make socialising and getting active that little bit easier if your schedule is busy or you are tight on cash. Alternatively, if you are looking for a more exciting social life then you can be confident in finding it within the heart of major UK cities including Newcastle, Leeds and Durham.

We specialise in student accommodation which is why council tax is accounted for and your tenancy agreement will align with the academic year. If you want to explore your options, get in touch with us today to enquire about our accommodation options for postgraduate students.