Why Our Summer Lets Could Be Perfect For You

Why Our Summer Lets Could Be Perfect For You

Are you looking to experience the summer in Birmingham? Our Summer lets are a great option! Our student properties are right in the heart of Selly Oak and will give you the flexibility of exploring the lovely student city of Birmingham. You will also have a chance to meet up with your university friends and try a wide range of activities happening this summer including festivals, day events and lots more. Still not convinced? Keep reading to see why renting our student summer accommodation can be beneficial to you. 

Convenience: If you're a student and have summer classes, internships, or research projects for your university course, renting summer accommodation allows you to stay close to campus. This eliminates the hassle of commuting long distances and will save you time and money.

Continuity: Renting summer accommodation ensures continuity in your living arrangements. Instead of moving out of your current student accommodation at the end of the academic year and then finding a new place for the next academic year, you can simply transition from your regular accommodation to summer housing. This eliminates the need to find temporary housing or deal with the stress of moving twice.

Flexibility: Summer accommodation typically offers more flexibility in terms of rent duration. You can rent for a shorter period, such as a few months, rather than committing to a full-year contract. This is particularly useful if you have plans to travel or if you're unsure about your living situation for the upcoming academic year.

Cost-sharing: If you have roommates during the academic year, renting summer accommodation together can help distribute the cost among multiple people. This can make summer housing more affordable and economical for everyone involved.

Access to Amenities: Many student summer accommodation provides access to various amenities such as communal spaces, study rooms, gyms, laundry facilities and social events. These amenities can enhance your summer living experience and contribute to a well-rounded student living experience.

Networking Opportunities: Living in student summer accommodation allows you to interact with other students who may come from different academic backgrounds or institutions. This can foster networking opportunities, broaden your social circle, and potentially lead to new friendships or collaborations.

Rent Includes Bills: In our modernly designed properties, the cost of rent includes utility bills and broadband too. Many of our properties also have private parking, round-the-clock security, CCTV and a ready team to attend to your maintenance needs at all times. 

It's important to note that the reasons for renting summer accommodation may vary depending on individual circumstances. Consider your specific needs, budget, and plans for the summer before deciding whether renting student summer accommodation is the right choice for you. 

Looking for Summer Student Accommodation? Unihousing Can Help!

Here at Unihousing, we have some of the best properties all around Selly Oak with varying prices and sizes depending on whether you want solo or shared living. 

Unihousing is a student accommodation provider near the University of Birmingham, operating since 1984. All of our accommodation in Selly Oak is owned by us, so we can respond quickly to any requests using our qualified team of tradesmen. Our property office is located on Bristol Road, only a short walk away from all of our accommodations. This means we can deal directly with our tenants.

Unhousing was selected as the Number 1 Student Letting Agent in Birmingham by the UK's biggest fresher community, Unifresher.

Contact Unihousing today to find out more!

11 Tips To A Stress-free Routine At University

11 Tips To A Stress-free Routine At University

Although being at university is something that many students look forward to, it’s important to remember that it can also be stressful and overwhelming at times too. Taking care of your mental health and ensuring you are staying on top of your workload will help you maintain your stress levels, and keep you feeling motivated. Here are a few tips on how your time at university can be made less stressful and more successful.  

Always Have a Plan. Something as simple as having a to-do list where you can write things you plan to accomplish in a day, week, or even a month, will help keep information and dates out of your head and onto paper. This will also help you stay ahead and accomplish more whilst being less stressed overall. It can be extremely helpful to have all of your notes, information, and important dates all in one place, to ensure you aren’t forgetting anything important. 

Avoid Multitasking. Focus on one thing, instead of taking on multiple tasks at the same time. Studies have shown that multitasking is physically impossible. Concentrating on one task at a time will also keep you more focused, keep your stress levels down, and will ensure the task is done to the best of your abilities. 

Break It Down. Let’s be realistic here, many students struggle to get motivated to revise, and sometimes it just isn’t much fun. There is nothing worse than trying to force yourself through a study marathon when you are not in the right head-space. Breaking down your work and study tasks into manageable chunks will not only give your brain more structure but will likely give you better results and a better study experience overall. Make it a point to reward yourself for every completed chunk. This is progress. 

Sleep. Studies have shown that without enough sleep, you are more likely to have problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving. Sleep deprivation can also contribute to poor mental health that may affect your studies and overall university experience. This highlights the fact that sleep is an important part of your university routine to help keep you sharp and focused. So make it a priority!

Have a Schedule. Looking at your past experience, when are you the most productive and attentive? Do you work better right after school or after you've eaten dinner? Are you more productive in 90-minute blocks or half-hour spurts? Knowing these details will help you create a schedule that works for you and keeps you organized. Whether you write your schedule down on paper or postdate notes, or you have reminders on your phone, creating a schedule that works for you will help keep you on top of your studies. 

Take Notes. Writing helps us process our thoughts better, as it’s a way of downloading what our brain has understood from a concept. Writing down notes will help keep you more engaged during class time. The notes you take will serve as reminders for your revision and study. It is always much easier to reread the notes you’ve written than to read from a textbook. Therefore, embrace taking notes and see how it saves you time in the long run.

Stay Away From Cramming. Although this practice has helped some, it is not sustainable and rarely gets you long-lasting results. The idea of studying is to understand and once you’ve grasped a concept, it sticks with you. This comes with regular practice through being attentive, reviewing your notes and taking practice tests by yourself to evaluate how well you understood the subject of study.  

Set Aside a Study Space. The human mind works in patterns and sequences. There are spaces where you feel more relaxed and ready to take on new ideas, and then there are those where you cannot concentrate or focus on getting anything done. It’s important to try and find a space that you feel helps you maximize your productivity. This can mean getting away from everyone, going somewhere secluded, going to your local library, or finding a spot around your house. 

Regularly Ask Questions. As basic as this may sound, try to ask questions as much as possible for clarity and understanding. This will help get you answers to most of the concepts you do not understand. The reality is that you are in school to learn and you should not be afraid to ask questions.

Look For A Study Group. Having group discussions and study groups with people who are doing the same course as you is a great way to learn, stay motivated, and understand any confusing concepts that you might have encountered. Chatting these through with your fellow course-mates will help you get through your studies swiftly, and successfully. You also are presented with an opportunity of meeting new people with similar interests. 

Create Time To Do Things You Love. Although studying is extremely important, you also need to set aside time for your social side. Meet up with friends, go out for a movie, have some drinks, or do whatever else you might enjoy. This is also really good for your mental well-being.

Looking for Student Accommodation? Unihousing Can Help!

At Unihousing we have shared accommodations for everyone, from small friend groups to big friend groups and everything in between, there's housing for you and your friends. With our housing being just a walk away from the university it means you and your friends don't have to worry about getting up too early or coming home too late to do anything after uni.

Unihousing was selected as the Number 1 Student Letting Agent in Birmingham by the UK's biggest fresher community, Unifresher.

Contact Unihousing today to find out more!

Understanding Your Way Around University in Birmingham

Understanding Your Way Around University in Birmingham

Let us start by saying welcome to a whole new world, where careers are shaped, bonds made and memories built; some that last forever. Our starting point will be to affirm your choice of joining the ‘student city’ of Birmingham and let you know why studying at a university in Birmingham is the best choice for you.

The overall standard of education in Birmingham is very high. It is known for having some of the highest-ranking universities in the QS World Rankings, Times Higher Education Ranking, and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Below we have listed some of the information you will need to understand your University and your course a bit better.

What Are the Term Times for Universities?

The majority, if not all, of UK universities, usually split the academic year into three terms across two semesters. Semester one runs from the start of the new academic year in September and ends before Christmas, while Semester two tends to start in January, running until the start of the summer break, which is normally in June.

For most universities in Birmingham, term one will start in the Autumn at the beginning of the new academic year, and finish in the middle of December after which you will have a winter break. Term two, or spring term, starts in January and ends in late March. And lastly, term three, the summer term, starts in April and ends in June.

Just like other universities across the UK, universities in Birmingham also tend to have reading weeks part-way through a term to give you time to catch up on your course reading and projects. 

What Is Studying at A Birmingham University Like?

The most common type of undergraduate qualification studied at any major UK university is a Bachelor's degree. This can usually take up to three years of full-time study to complete, but there are exceptions, in courses such as Medicine and Dentistry.

During each academic year (Stage), you are required to complete several different modules as well as completing a dissertation in your final year. At the start of each stage or academic year, you will get a timetable showing your modules and the classes for those modules. These classes can include lectures, seminars, workshops, or tutorials.

What Do University Assessments Look Like?

While at the university, each module that you study has a credit weighting. The majority of modules are worth 20 credits each, however, if you complete a dissertation as part of your third year this is usually worth 40 credits.

As a full-time student in an undergraduate degree program (Bachelor), you must complete 120 credits in each academic year of study. For a full honors degree (MA), you need 360 credits throughout your three-year degree.

Although each course is different, prepare to be assessed on what you have learned in each of the modules. These won’t be abrupt and you will be notified ahead of time about when the assessments are coming up, which should usually give you ample time to plan well and revise. Your work is marked and there are moderating processes in place to make sure marking is fair and consistent.

University assessments can be in the form of coursework, examinations, group work, essays, reports, presentations, dissertations, etc. 

How Does the University Grading System Work?

Generally, your final university degree will depend on the results from your assessed work, and the results from each module in an academic year combined. At most universities, the mark you get at the end of your first year (Stage One) doesn’t count towards your final degree. 

This allows new students to have the time to understand the way their course works, perfect their academic skills, and to enable them to get in the right mindset to study at a degree level. Your final degree is based on Stages Two and Three of the 'Honors Stages' of your degree program. Your overall marks from these two stages are combined to give a final score that leads to your degree classification. The majority of students tend to step up their energies and efforts to be able to excel at the highest level.

What Other Activities Can You Do at University?

If you are someone who gets drained from ‘over studying’, why not consider trying other activities alongside your studies. Many universities have sporting events, social events, clubs, and summer programs that will pique your interest. Make the most of these by meeting new people and above all, enjoy the experience.

“Since Birmingham is a student city, if you feel like socializing then you’ll always be able to meet new people. The most common situation was to go out for dinner and then a couple of drinks in the bar, and the locals are always happy to start up a conversation. There’s always something to do and the music events here are fantastic.” – Student.

Student Accommodation with Unihousing

Unihousing is a student accommodation provider near the University of Birmingham, operating since 1984. All of our accommodation in Selly Oak is owned by us, so we can respond quickly to any requests using our qualified team of tradesmen. Our property office is located on Bristol Road, only a short walk away from all of our accommodation. This means we can deal directly with our tenants.

Unhousing was selected as the Number 1 Student Letting Agent in Birmingham by the UK's biggest fresher community, Unifresher.

Contact Unihousing today to find out more!