My experience finding accommodation while studying at Escape

Hi! I’m Freya and I’m currently a first-year Video Games Design student at Escape Studios. Before Escape, I lived quite far away from London, too far to commute. So, naturally, I needed to find affordable student accommodation in the area. The search for student accommodation can be extremely daunting at first, that’s why I’m here to help!

Why I decided to stay in accommodation

Before moving to London, I lived up north, which is not close to Escape by any means, so commuting wasn’t an option for me. However, I found the idea of moving away from home to be terrifying and it’s important to know that feeling anxious is totally normal! Moving so far across the country to a brand-new city was not an easy choice to make but looking back I’m glad it’s the choice I made!

How to decide where to stay

There are hundreds of options for student accommodation in London, and so the task of narrowing down these options can be stressful. The best place to start is to figure out your budget. Does your maintenance loan cover rent? Will you be working while studying? Are your parents helping? All these questions need to be considered so you can determine the maximum price you can comfortably pay.

Next, you need to consider location, as choosing sensibly can help you stay within your budget. Firstly, you need to consider what shops are in the area. For example, I live near both a Lidl and an Asda which are perfect for my budget. This is so important as you need to make sure that you can afford groceries. You also need to think about travel, considering which train lines you can access, if you can travel to campus via bus, etc as these will determine the length of your commute, which affects your travel cost.

Additionally, you need to consider what facilities you need. Do you need on-site laundry facilities or are you okay with a public launderette? Do you need dedicated study spaces? What about somewhere with social spaces and events? While these factors aren’t entirely necessary, they are still crucial to consider as they will determine the quality of your stay in accommodation.

There are many websites you can use to search for student accommodation (such as UniHomes and University of London Housing Services), however there are a variety of student recommended accommodation at different price ranges which can be found on the Escape Studios website to help your search!

Where I live

I discovered Grand Felda House through Escape’s recommendations. I considered some other options however I was quite limited by price. I opted for Grand Felda because it was reasonably priced and offered a wide range of additional perks. The building has dedicated laundry facilities, as well as study spaces, social areas, a cinema room and dining spaces, which are great for socialising and having fun with friends! It’s also located above Wembley Leisure Centre, providing free gym and pool facilities! Grand Felda House also has a simple, stress-free commute to Escape via a direct trip on the Jubilee line.

Overall, finding a place that’s right for you can be scary. But by breaking the process down and taking it step by step, considering what your needs are and what your budget is, then the experience will become much easier and far less stressful. And keep in mind that there will be a place right for you, you just have to find it!