How to Turn Your Student House in Selly Oak into a Student Home

Moving away from home to study at university is a big change for many people. It’s important to look for the special touches that can help make your student house feel just like home. This will make your time at university less stressful and can help you enjoy living in your Selly Oak student house. Getting this right can be a game changer for you to lead a happy and successful lifestyle whilst you are studying at university.

We understand the importance of being comfortable in your living environment. That’s why all of our properties have double glazing and gas central heating, and come with white goods such as a washing machine and fridge/freezer. Having these essentials provided in your student house will help to make you feel right at home. Some of our properties include en-suite bathrooms and open plan living areas for added comfort and convenience.

Sometimes we can do without the stress of paying utility bills, which is why some of our properties come with bills included with the rent. This helps to reduce the hassle when renting with us. In addition, all our properties are located within walking distance of the University of Birmingham and the useful amenities on Selly Oak’s Bristol Road. This means you can enjoy short walks to and from lectures and easier grocery shopping.

We aim to provide a homely feel to our Unihousing student houses. By using colour and lighting correctly in each room and using quality décor and furnishings, this helps to create a space where you can feel relaxed, at home, and studious. This space is going to be your home for the academic year, so it’s important that it fits your definition of home.

How Lighting Can Create a Homely Environment

It is amazing how creative use of light can transform a room. Most places will only have one central light to illuminate your room which is usually in the form of a typical ceiling mounted light. This can make the room feel small and often colder than the room actually is. Our student homes use spotlights which create a more modern and open environment helping the rooms to feel more spacious, light and airy.

You may wish to add a personal touch to your room by using coloured fairy lights. This is such an easy, cost effective way of making your room feel cosier and more enjoyable to be in. Desk lamps are an essential when you are studying to help you see what you’re doing, and make you feel more studious. Lamps can also add a nice little bit of extra light to your room if you have it on during the evenings too.

However, you don’t have to entirely depend on artificial light. Try and have your curtains open with natural light coming in as much as you can. Studies have shown people are more productive when working in natural light, so keep that in mind when you’re studying. You can maximise natural daylight by using free standing mirrors and any mirrors that may already be provided.

Using Colour to Express Yourself

Using colours to express yourself can really help make your student house in Selly Oak feel like a home. Our student homes use a neutral tone to the paint work and all floors have laminate wooden flooring. This means you can use your own taste in colour to brighten things up the way you like it. You can add accents of colour by using the before-mentioned coloured fairy lights, as well as cushions, rugs, photo frames, and of course your choice of bedding.

Adding a touch of nature can also be a good way to make your student accommodation feel more homely. Plants are always great for student rooms, they add a lovely colour and help make the air feel fresher. If you’re worried about keeping the plant alive, you could invest in some artificial plants for the same affect.

Enhance Your Room Using Photos

While some may view this as cliché, especially in this digital age, using photo frames to display photos of your friends and family is a wonderful method of making your student house feel more homely. Most of our Selly Oak student lets come with a pinboard ready to use to display your photos and happy memories. If this is too old-fashioned for you, you could invest in a digital photo frame to display a selection of photos.

Make Your House Smell Like Home

Another great way to add that homely touch is by using fragrance. You can buy plug-in fragrances, sprays or potpourri. Please be aware however, that candles are often not allowed in student accommodation. A good alternative is a diffuser, which can provide a large number of scents and fragrances to help make your house smell like home.

Live with People You Enjoy Being Around

Choosing your housemates is an important decision, as you’ll be spending a whole year around them. You should make sure that the people you’re living with are tidy, responsible, and respectful about boundaries and your space. Of course, you should choose people who you know you’ll enjoy being around as well.

Living with people who refuse to clean, are noisy at unsociable hours, or help themselves to your leftovers in the fridge without permission can create a stressful environment. Just because you are friends with someone doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be a good housemate. Once you’ve got a group of people to rent with, you should look at the following things to help smooth over the house search:

Agree on a Budget

No matter how nice the place is, staying inside a realistic price bracket is fundamental when choosing your student accommodation with Unihousing. Some of our Selly Oak properties are inclusive of utility bills, however, for those properties that are not inclusive, we recommend establishing and agreeing to keep to a budget for those utility bills. Don’t forget you will also need to budget for food and any other daily or weekly expenses you have.

Have a Look for Yourself

Perhaps the most important part of house hunting is to see the property for yourself, and preferably during daylight hours. This will give you the best idea as to whether you can see yourself living there. By seeing it in person, and not just through images on the Internet, it’ll also give you a chance to ask the current tenants about the house/landlord and any issues they’ve faced.

Brush Up on the Legal Bits

Contracts:
Taking on a Unihousing property means signing a contract. You have rights as a tenant, which you can speak to the Student’s Advice Centre at university about, before you sign all the documents. The tenancy contract is a legally binding document, because of that we recommend you don’t sign it until you have been to view the property and are sure you want to live there. If you are renting with friends, it is advisable to come to an agreement around finding another tenant if you have to move out before the contract terminates.

Rent:
Your contract with Unihousing will specify how much the rent is, when it should be paid and if utility bills are included or payable separate. It may also include any instances where you will be charged extra fees for replacing lost keys, late payment of rent or calling out the landlord for problems caused by the tenants.

Tenant’s obligations:
This section normally takes up a large part of the tenancy contract. Unihousing contracts will define what you are responsible for when it comes to the home you’re about to sign for. As a tenant, your responsibilities typically include general maintenance, keeping the property clean and tidy, behaving in a respectful manner towards neighbours and how the property is to be handed back at the end of the tenancy. Read these clauses carefully and ensure you fully understand them before signing the contract.

Landlord’s obligations:
In the contract it should state what the landlord is responsible for. This will normally include any major house repairs and maintenance, and ensuring the safety of gas, electric and fire at the property. According to Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, a landlord should give 24 hours’ notice before entering the premises, unless it is an emergency. Most of Unihousing’s properties come fully furnished and with all appliances. If any of the appliances become faulty or there is an issue with furniture such as beds, you can raise the issue with our dedicated maintenance team.

Deposits:
Typically, your contract should acknowledge receipt of the deposit, which should be similar in price to a month’s rent, and how it will be returned to you at the end of your tenancy. If the contract doesn’t say anything about this, then get your landlord or letting agent to amend the contract or provide you with a written receipt.

Visit our website to find your student home for the next academic year. 

6 Apps That Will Make You More Productive at University

Sometimes it can be prudent to take a look at making your life a little more organised. You can do this using a few helpful apps, which could be used to make your uni experience run a little bit smoother and hopefully, make you more productive. It can be easy to fall into a slump and start procrastinating, but hopefully by using one of the following apps you can improve your productivity.

1. Evernote

Note taking isn't everyone's favourite method of organisation, but it can be the ultimate time-saver. By taking detailed notes in lectures, workshops, one-on-ones with tutors and while conducting research you can save yourself extensive hours of looking up certain facts or info you might need down the line. We can’t remember everything, so taking notes can give you more mental space for more important things.

Evernote is a useful, free note-taking app, ideal for fully customisable note-taking. With this app, you can add images, audio, and files from Google Drive and even little sketches and handwritten notes that might help jog your memory. Evernote gives you the ability to use whatever medium best suits you and the project at hand. Additionally, you can add tags to organise your material and even create reminders within the app. This would be extremely helpful for remembering all the important things that could otherwise be forgotten, like deadlines, lectures and even household chores or needed groceries.

Evernote also offers a range of extensive templates to choose from, including a menu plan, daily planner, travel calendar and even a personal stress log. With this app you can ensure that all areas of your life are organised and in one place, which means everything is easy to find and maintain. It can also help relieve a lot of unneeded stress in your life.

2. Google Drive

Uni work can be a hassle when you are working on bigger projects and using bigger files. Google Drive is an excellent asset for file storing and sharing and is widely recognised. Particularly for group projects, having a program where you can all share files in one place and have access to everything is hugely beneficial. You can also create Google Docs which can be edited by multiple people, meaning that you don’t all have to be in the same place. From extensive videos, photos and other media, to PDFs and word documents, this app has you covered.

Do you have a backup of your work? If you don’t, you should get a backup of all your university work onto Google Drive. If the worst comes to pass, and your computer is either broken or lost, a backup will save all of your work. Losing your work can be disastrous and stressful; so save yourself that stress by making sure you have a backup.

3. Forest

One of the main difficulties with university life is the constant over-stimulation and stress from your phone, computer, and the rest of the world around you. Forest is a brilliant app to help you disconnect from your phone and other technology that can be preventing you from focusing and creating your best work. Though it’s important to have time to chill out, it’s also crucial to disconnect when there’s work to be done.

Forest’s whole premise is to help you focus on your work while simultaneously helping the environment and making a positive impact on the world around you. When you open the app, you plant a seed and leave your phone to go concentrate on your work. If you leave your phone for long enough, you’ll receive a reward and your seed will grow into a tree, which can become a real tree via the app’s partner, Trees For The Future. So, you are not only using this app to focus on your life and work, but you are also contributing to the development of nature and our ecosystem.

4. Todoist

As your projects, essays and lectures can start piling up high, there are apps out there to help you manage your tasks and reduce your stress. Todoist helps you organise your tasks and projects in priority order, by managing your important dates both in university and in your personal life and can also help track your process against your own goals. In order to better organise each task, you can also create and add sub-tasks, to plan out your projects and goals step-by-step.

Starting is always the first and hardest step, and it can be daunting looking at a blank sheet of paper, unable to figure out where to go or even where to start. Todoist allows you to break your assignments down, helping you focus on all your work step-by-step in a way that feels organised, stable and easy to maintain. You can create simple steps and goals to give you the confidence to keep moving forward until your projects are finished and your goals are achieved.

5. 24me Smart Personal Assistant

For some of us, we can get lost in starting up an organiser and/or a planner. They can feel overwhelming at times and don’t always have all the helpful features to help keep you organised and on top of life. 24me Smart Personal Assistant is a personal organiser that stores your calendar, all your tasks and notes in one place so you can easily view and manage your upcoming dates and deadlines. Sometimes we end up having too many apps for too many different things, but with this app, you can bring it all together in one.

Knowing your weekly, monthly and even yearly plans can give you back a bit of your sanity. If you are plagued by that feeling of forgetting something you know was important, this app could be for you. By having the ability to quickly add and remove tasks, dates and deadlines, 24me is sure to help with your productivity and will save you much needed time.

6. Google Calendar

We have reached our final app on this list. To round off the best apps for organisation and staying on top of your dates, Google Calendar simply has to be added to the mix. If you are needing a clearer and simpler calendar app, this app does wonders in keeping track of daily events and appointments. One of the main features is the ability to sync your university timetable to the app, allowing easy access to the times and locations of all your lectures and classes.

Since this app can be connected straight to your email, it can also automatically add certain events/dates like appointments, flights and birthdays. You can also set tasks for yourself and receive reminders throughout the day and week to help you get on with your schedule and stay in tune with life and all its’ busyness.

Another interesting feature that Google Calendar offers, is the ability to combine/sync your calendar with someone else. You can create mutual calendars with family members, partners or friends, as a way of staying connected with other people’s schedules and events that are useful for you to know. This app has a lot to offer and can add a significant amount of organisation and stress-free living to your day to day life.

Staying on top of university life can be extremely challenging to do on your own, so why not try some of these helpful resources, and see how much your stress level can decrease and your organisation skills can increase. Don’t let the busyness of life take you over, but instead, control it and make it work for you.

Another way you can reduce your stress at university is by sorting out your student accommodation for the next academic year. Whether you're looking for a 1 bedroom student studio or a shared student house, we can help. By contacting us today, you can make sure you get the best choice of accommodation, and reduce your stress during the exam season.

Contact Unihousing today to find your ideal student accommodation!

4 Reasons Why it Can be Hard to Revise

Now that the Spring term is in full swing, have you gotten back into a normal routine? If not, it’s important to identify what’s causing this so you can get back to your revision and studies. It’s completely normal to feel anxious and to struggle with motivation, especially during this time of year. Below, we look at 4 possible reasons why someone can struggle to get into a normal, healthy routine, and what can be done about this.

1. Denial

It can be hard to face reality, especially after the hype of the Christmas holidays. It’s extremely common to experience a sense of denial as your schedule fills up once again and your responsibilities begin piling up in front of you. It can be tricky to start revising and preparing for your exams and course work when you feel like this.

So how do you deal with it?

Though revising can be a really daunting thing, deep down, you know that the earlier you start, the better. By starting to revise as soon as you can, you will ease the pressure and have more time for breaks and rest as you go along. Your motivation is more likely to be higher and you will also feel more confident going into your exams, since your brain won’t be racing around and telling you that you didn’t start revising early enough. Studying with friends can also help with this.

2. Procrastination

This is probably one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome. After giving your brain time to relax from your studies, it can be extremely hard to get it back into gear. It’s common to struggle with an intense wave of procrastination, where you physically feel like you can’t and don’t want to get back into revising and studying in the new term.

What can help with this?

Try writing to-do lists and set goals for yourself. It could also be helpful to fill out a timetable for yourself including all of your exams, lectures, meetings and hand-in dates. This can really help get your brain in gear without over stimulating it with hours of revision. Creating lists, timetables and written goals can also help you be more excited about the year and might even give you a kick of motivation. Additionally, the act of finishing a goal or ticking something off gives your brain a healthy dose of success and satisfaction, which then helps you gain confidence and energy to keep going.

3. Panic

Something else you might experience is a sense of panic as you get back into university life and your weekly workload. Sometimes when we first look at our exams, projects and all the work we have yet to do, it can be extremely overwhelming and even disheartening, and it’s then very easy to give up before we’ve even started. Sometimes we don’t start revising early enough or put certain things off unnecessarily, but this is not the end of the world and you can get on top of your studies again.

What should you do?

Similar to the previous issue, it’s massively helpful to sit down and plan ahead. It can be so overwhelming to keep all of your ideas, plans and dates all in your head, so make sure you bring them out either on paper or in digital form. When you have big projects coming up, it can be extremely helpful to create specific plans for that project, whether that’s creating a timeline of events and goals, mapping out your ideas or creating lists to ensure you deliver all of the desired criteria. This applies to exams as well; by creating a revision plan you can ensure that you are revising all the sections that you know are important.

We commonly panic when we haven’t truly assessed our situation, which can then make us feel like our heads are no longer above water. By planning everything out, you can physically see what you have to do and that it is possible to finish it all before your fast-approaching due dates and exam dates.

4. Burnout

Getting back into normal university life can be tiring, so much so that you might feel like you’ve lost all your energy. With the intense workflow and being thrown back into university life, burnout is a common issue. It can be difficult to avoid, particularly when assignments begin piling up without your control and you need to start juggling several things at once.

How do you get through it?

Though burnout is very common, this doesn’t mean there is no way to get out of this phase. Rest is a huge factor. With our busy lives, it’s extremely important to ensure you are taking time for yourself, whatever that looks like. It’s also vital to separate yourself from your work when you are done for the day, whether that’s seeing friends, having alone time, exercising, watching films or taking a walk. Make sure you disconnect from your assignments when you are done, otherwise you could start feeling overwhelmed and uninspired. University work is extremely important and should be a main focus, but people do their best work when they are also taking care of themselves day to day.

Relief and satisfaction

Once you’ve handed in your assignments and finished your exams, you should feel a huge amount of relief and satisfaction. It’s important to remember that the stress and anxiety you feel about your studies is only short-term, and as long as you take appropriate measures to combat the issues listed above, you can definitely make it through your revision. If you feel like you need help, your tutors are also there when you need it, so don’t be afraid to talk to them about what you need to improve on for future projects and exams. Most importantly, make sure you enjoy the good moments; they keep you going through the harder times.

Remove the Stress of Accommodation

A big source of stress for many students is finding somewhere to live during the next academic year. Like with many things, the sooner you get this sorted, the less stressed you’ll be later. You’ll also have a much bigger choice if you start looking now. At Unihousing, we have a number of student houses and studios that are suitable for those attending the University of Birmingham. Fully furnished and fitted with everything a student could need, don’t miss out on finding your ideal student accommodation.

5 Tips to Help With the Winter Blues

Wintertime, thought by some to be the most magical time of the year. But is it? For a lot of people, this is simply not the case. Though many of us can get excited and full of life for the Christmas period, the freezing-lack of sun during these months can be really challenging for some. Not to mention the massive come down after the Christmas hype, followed by heavy amounts of revision and January exams.

Happy New Year to us all! The winter blues is no joke - when the entire country is covered in cold, damp rain spells with some spouts of snow, it can be extremely challenging to stay on top of your day-to-day life. Tis the season when mental health often suffers for many of us, so it’s important that you are not only taking care of your immune system with all the colds flying about, but also taking care of your mental well-being and introducing self-care into your daily routine. Here are a few tips to help keep your head above water until Spring.

Embrace the Winter Wonderland

Though there might not be snow on the roads yet, fresh air and exercise are extremely important for our mental health. Even though it might feel like the last thing you want to do, if you can try your best to put on your heavy coat; don your scarf, hat and gloves; grab some friends and head out the front door, you’ll find it can make a huge difference to your brain chemistry.

Not only is it a nice way to sneak in some exercise, but a change of environment can give your brain a sense of liberation and relief, rather than hiding away at home. Try taking a hot mug of something nice with you as you walk to make the walk feel more leisurely and relaxed.

Source Your Own Light

Yet another difficult part of winter is the lack of sunshine. Unfortunately, there is no way to pull the sun out of the clouds to make winter days full of sunshine. But the good thing to remember is that the shortest day of the year (21st December) is now behind us, meaning that things can only look up from here. Days will be getting lighter and brighter and little by little things will get better.

One thing you can do in the interim, is make your home feel as warm, sunny and cosy as possible. Having a good light source in your living space can really help brighten your mood during the darker month. Try putting up some fairy lights, buy a table lamp or even try using therapy lamps in your space to make it feel light and full of life. The lighter your living area is, the more your concentration will improve, helping you with your revising, day-to-day chores and generally feeling more inspired.

Get a Move On

This time of the year is truly one of the hardest when it comes to motivation. It can be extremely difficult to start or get back into exercise routines, particularly if you are struggling mentally with the season. However, it is still a crucial part of getting through these next couple of months.

Exercise is proven to help improve your mental well-being and decrease your stress and anxiety levels. As hard as it is to get yourself out into the world, you’ll much likely feel better for it afterwards. Try exercising with friends, whether that’s going to the gym, having a run through a park, taking up a sport or even finding cool independent classes to try out locally.

Having someone else there with you can help to ensure you get out of the house. It’s harder to be accountable to yourself, but it’s significantly easier when you and your friends can keep each other accountable and enthusiastic. Don’t forget that you can also stick on a YouTube video, roll out a yoga mat or put your dancing shoes on for an easy and quick exercise fix.

Eat Hearty, but Healthy Food

With the Christmas food starting to wear out of your system, it’s important to keep to a healthy diet, giving yourself plenty of energy throughout the days and weeks. Winter can take so much more out of us mentally than at other times of the year, so it’s important that you are eating good, healthy food and plenty of it. Try to avoid the temptation to eat only feel-good foods that give you comfort, but don’t supply you with the long-lasting nutrients that you’ll need to really thrive and feel the best.

It’s cold, which means it’s easy to eat carb-rich foods, like endless amounts of pasta, bread and rice with little greens. But sadly, consuming larger amounts of these foods will leave you feeling bloated and lethargic, which can affect your mood in a negative way. Try to slot in as much fresh food and veggies as you can into your diet, focusing on things which are highly nutritious which can supply you with the energy to keep yourself afloat throughout the day.

But, if You’re Really Blue…

It’s important to remember that the ‘winter blues’ are real and can strongly impact a person’s life. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is an NHS-recognised type of depression that is very real and does require attention. If you are feeling low, it’s OK to ask for help and to seek support in whatever ways are best for you.

Always remember, don’t give up on yourself. As hard as this may seem in the really low points, you are not alone. Let the people around you know what they can do or not do to help you through the hard months. Remember to talk to your help channels at university, whether it’s your tutor, or the student support services.

Unihousing – Here to Help

One of the causes of stress that many students experience at university is student accommodation. However, Unihousing are here to help make the student living experience as stress-free as we can. Not having your accommodation sorted for next year can make your exams and revision more stressful, but by contacting us and sorting your living situation for the next academic year now, this can eliminate this source of stress.

We have a wide selection of accommodation still available for the 2020/2021 academic year, including modern student studios available in Selly Oak. These spacious studios are ideal for students at the University of Birmingham, so make sure you book your viewing today.

Book your viewing for student accommodation today!

How to Structure and Write Amazing Essays

Essays are a regular standard for university and wrapping your head around what examiners are truly expecting out of you will ease the stress when you’re writing your essays. Even if you are someone who really enjoys writing, learning the theory behind writing a well-rounded essay is a critical skill to learn and put in practice. Here are a few tips and things to remember when essay season begins!

Prep Time

1. Spot the keywords

Before you even start writing or planning, it’s important to go through the assignment and examine it in detail. You need to know and really understand what the examiners want from you and what they will be expecting from the essay. A helpful tip is to analyse the content/assignment given to you and spot the major keywords. This will help you figure out how to format your essay and focus your writing.

When looking over your assignment, there are a few words to look out for to better understand the goal and expectations of the essay. With the word “explain”, you are expected to provide a heavily detailed description. Other words/phrases such as “justify”, “discuss” or “critically assess” all require you to engage in a debate or even a full discussion, with the expectation that you will challenge or provide a supportive argument with regards to the subject.

2. Spot the subject

Another important tip for creating the best writing you can, is to ensure that you are crystal clear on the subject you have been asked to write about. This is the main purpose of your essay in the first place, so if you forget about the original subject you will most likely loose a lot of marks from the overall piece of work.

When examining the given assignment, it is important to figure out what the intended focus is; is it a person, event, scene, key concept or a mixture? Once you have found this piece of information you need to ensure that everything you discuss in your essay links straight back to the above subject.

Planning

1. Word count

Planning before you actually start writing can save you a lot of time in the future from extra editing and cutting and can generally help to ensure your writing is well paced and makes sense. Start writing down some of your ideas, focusing on your intended key points and making sure you link the best possible evidence to go alongside and support your ideas.

2. Structure

It is important that your writing makes sense and is clear throughout and a big way to help with this is to gather all your ideas and research and begin to structure them into paragraphs prior to writing. This will help you visually see what the sections look like and whether they work. You will also be able to figure out whether you have paired the best evidence accordingly to your ideas, giving them as much power and accuracy as they can have.

Once you have put everything into sections, you can then start to assign each section with a word count. Try leaving 500 words for the intro and conclusion and decide how to best use the remainder of your word count. Do all sections need the same word count? Are there any that will require more in-depth writing?

3. Organisation

As you go along planning and organising your sections, focus on clearly illustrating the key points you want to make, always leading right back to the initial focus of the essay. Don’t just concentrate on the information that you have gathered, but rather making a point that best helps you answer the initial question.

Writing Time

1. Construction

As stated previously, the way you construct your essay will heavily affect the overall flow and how clear the points you make will be. It is also extremely important to begin each paragraph with a strong topic sentence. Start by creating a clear analytical point that showcases what you aim to explore in this paragraph. The rest of the paragraph is solely focused on backing up this point, trying to make it as convincing as possible.

Put in key evidence or counter evidence to support your ideas, but also make sure you explain your evidence and why it supports your stance. Once your writing is pretty much finished, read your essay out loud, paragraph by paragraph, preferably even to someone else. This is a crucial step, as it will help you hear if your grammar is correct, your paragraphs make sense and whether your writing flows naturally.

2. Introduction

The introduction of your essay is a very important part of your essay. Examiners do not like being surprised, so the introduction is where you are expected to sum up your argument in a short but strong way. This is where you will need to set your scene and answer the initial question immediately.

Tell your examiners exactly what you will be doing and writing about in this essay; you can give information as a preview to the content you will be providing, like key events, scenes or even theories. Use this introductory paragraph to showcase your aim clearly and in an interesting way, ensuring you stay away from waffling and keep it short and concise.

3. Conclusion

Similar to the introduction, the conclusion needs to be a strong and concise piece. This is your chance to once again state exactly what you wrote about, how you proved your key points and show how much you engaged with the essay topic you have written about. It’s also the last paragraph the examiners will see, so it’s vital that you can end with a bang that will leave a lasting impression.

Start your conclusion by repeating the key argument using 1-2 sentences, to remind the examiner what you have talked about so far. Just like the introduction, it’s important that you avoid waffling and keep this paragraph short and strong. In some subjects, something you could even try is finishing with a statement of change and providing a way forward or a possible solution. This can be a very powerful finale for some topics which it applies to.

4. Sources

To make it easy on yourself, try gathering potentially useful information as you go. When using your sources and information, always ensure you are giving the reason as to why it’s useful; does it come from an expert in the field who has conducted research, someone who has a wide knowledge and experience of your topic, or does it corroborate with the other source material you have provided? It is also important to find a diverse range of sources and information which all points right back to help prove the points you are making.

The more essays you write, the more confident you will feel. Even though they can be daunting at first, essays are a big part of university and once you have mastered the technique, you will have the ability to create phenomenal pieces of work to be proud of.

Unihousing

Do you have your accommodation for 2020 planned yet? Unihousing offer modern, spacious student studios and houses that are all within walking distance of the University of Birmingham. Fully furnished and fitted with all the student essentials, don't miss out on your choice of accommodation.

Browse our available student accommodation today!

Pre-Christmas Plans and Birmingham Student Accommodation

 The end of the year is not far away and Christmas is on the horizon. There’s plenty of time to plan for the festive season as the time approaches, but for now it’s a good idea to get organised, work and have fun before you head to Christmas.

If you’re unhappy with your current student living and accommodation, then get in touch with Unihousing. Based in Selly Oak, Unihousing are registered lettings agents who specialise in student studios and houses. The high-standards and impressive furnishings of Unihousing’s Selly Oak student studios and houses is sure to make your student experience comfortable and enjoyable.    

Taking a Break     

At this point in the year you probably feel as though you’d benefit from a pause in the study schedule. So why not have a little get-together with friends? You could take the lead on organising this, meaning you don’t have to wait to be asked or invited to something.

Doing some planning now will set-up something fun. It also ensures you get a good chance to see everybody before things get busier in December and people start drifting off to other places for the Christmas period.

What’s the Plan?

If you can’t think of places to go out to, maybe start by considering places that are comparatively cheaper. Or find those offering special student deals. Or see where you can get discounts through other websites to narrow down your choice of places to go to with your friends.

You might choose to just have a gathering at your digs or someone else’s. This can still be a great way for you all to socialise and have a good night together.         

Sort Your Aims

Although you’ve maybe had enough of thinking about uni’, it’s definitely worth ensuring you reach the year’s end in the fashion you want to. This could involve a thorough evaluation of how you’ve done so far. You could then see where to improve and what to do next. Be honest with yourself, take a positive approach, and give yourself real focus going forward.    

  

Birmingham Student Accommodation with Unihousing

For a fresh start to living in student accommodation, you might want to get in touch with Unihousing. Unihousing’s Selly Oak student studios and houses have spacious interiors and are equipped with all the furnishings needed for student living.

They are also brilliantly located. Great for student communities, our Selly Oak accommodations provide quick and easy access to public train and bus services. Also nearby is a range of shops, amenities and nightlife options.

Contact Unihousing today to find out what we can do for you!!

Your Uni’, Your Facilities, Your Experience!

When you’re at uni’, it can be easy to fall into routines and not notice things around you. You may find that the facilities around you are something you’re aware of but have not really looked into. If you find yourself heading home after lectures or meeting with mates without ever making the most of what’s available, it might be worth taking a look into, as it could really change your experience at uni’ for the better.

Student Studios with Unihousing

Your accommodation is a big part of your student life. With Unihousing, Selly Oak student studios and houses to share are of an impressive standard and are ideally situated, too. Furnished with everything that the modern student should need from day-to-day and highly affordable, Unihousing Selly Oak studios and houses are the end of your search for better Birmingham student accommodation.

Sports Facilities

One fantastic way to combine fun, fitness and the opportunity to make friends and socialise is through playing sports. You’ve probably come across the sports facilities at your uni’ before, but even if you don’t think of yourself as a particularly sporty person, it’s an opportunity you should consider as there are many benefits that come with playing sports or going to the gym. And if it’s done on your own time at your own speed, there’s no pressure.

Socialising

The Students Union should be pretty easy to locate at any uni’. And that’s great for you because it can act as a nice starting point for making friends or spending time with mates when you want a break from the routine of lectures and studying. Utilise this facility as it’s there for you and can make your academic experience more enjoyable. It might also be a good way to meet people if you’ve struggled to make friends since starting at uni’ in September.

Library Services

This next entry on the list may be less interesting perhaps, but it’s important. The library is a tool and it’s a tool that can help you, lessening the pressures you might face as you study. Researching when you need to for assignments is of course essential. There’s nothing to stop you reading around the subject when you can though, maybe even ahead of lectures on a particular topic, as this can deepen your understanding of what’s involved and make your learning much easier as a result. If you don’t know where to begin, try asking a librarian, as they have been trained to help students like yourself to find the material you need.

Medical

You may also discover medical facilities at your university. Your health is very important and not something to take for granted. Make sure you get registered with your local doctors and dentists, so you can visit them straight away when you have a problem. It might also be worthwhile saving their numbers into your phone.

Student Groups/Student Societies

Have a look into the societies that can be accessed through your university. It might actually surprise you as to the variety of different groups that are on offer through your uni’. By not getting involved you may miss a chance to take part in something that could really be good for you.

These groups can act as a way to build friendships, especially as they bring together people who share similar interests, making it less difficult to ‘break the ice’ when meeting others. Plus, if you choose to try and set-up your own group this could provide you with skills and experience that become advantageous to you and your career following your graduation.

Better Birmingham Student Life with Unihousing

Spacious and well-presented, Unihousing’s Birmingham student accommodation is well-suited to today’s student needs and is unmistakeably convenient, too. Alongside this, though is the fact that Unihousing’s student studios and houses are perfectly located, making access to the local trains and buses hassle-free. It also means the local shops, supermarkets, pubs, clubs and restaurants are within a short walk from your front door!

Contact Unihousing today to find out more about our properties and register interest!