{"id":1535,"date":"2025-12-04T10:27:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T10:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/?p=1535"},"modified":"2025-12-08T15:33:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T15:33:19","slug":"my-guide-to-choosing-second-year-accommodation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/my-guide-to-choosing-second-year-accommodation\/","title":{"rendered":"My Guide to Choosing Second-Year Accommodation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi everyone, I\u2019m Javine, a second-year Computer Science student and proud two-time survivor of the Kent accommodation process.<\/p>\n

Spiralling About Accommodation<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re currently spiralling about where to live next year, trust me, I\u2019ve been there. I remember sitting in my room back at home, acting like I was choosing a long-term investment property and not a bedroom with a slightly questionable mattress. So if no one else has told you, it\u2019s really not that deep. You will not ruin your life by picking the \u201cwrong\u201d block.<\/p>\n

Figuring Out Your Priorities<\/h3>\n

The first thing that saved me from losing the plot was figuring out my priorities. Budget was my main one<\/a> because, shockingly, Student Finance does not stretch to a luxury lifestyle. I made a tiny spreadsheet so I could see how much money I\u2019d actually have left after spending on food, social life and travel, that alone stopped me from applying for anything that would\u2019ve left me living off pasta and vibes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Location Reality Check<\/h3>\n

Location is another thing I massively underestimated. Do not lie to yourself and pretend you\u2019ll enjoy a 20-minute walk to your 9am. Lets be real, You won\u2019t. Especially during winter time. Being close to everywhere I needed to be has genuinely saved me from multiple breakdowns, so that\u2019s something to consider.<\/p>\n

Room Type Expectations<\/h3>\n

Room type was my focal point in first year. I was convinced I needed an ensuite, which is how I ended up in Tyler Court<\/a>. It was nice, don\u2019t get me wrong, but I also didn\u2019t properly think about whether it was worth the extra cost. This year in Keynes Houses<\/a>, I\u2019m sharing with just one person and honestly? It\u2019s the same vibe just cheaper! First-year me would\u2019ve sobbed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Living With Friends (or Not)<\/h3>\n

I also made the choice to not live with friends. Not because I don\u2019t love them, but because I love them too much to argue over whose mugs been in the sink for a week. I\u2019d rather keep my friendships intact and my kitchen sink peaceful. Plus, a lot of them wanted to live off campus, and since I personally adore sleep, campus made more sense for me.<\/p>\n

Things I Wish I\u2019d Known<\/h3>\n

There are a few things I wish I\u2019d understood earlier. Storage space<\/a> is always smaller than you think, so bring less stuff! If you apply early, you actually get options instead of whatever\u2019s left after everyone else has finished panicking. But its also never too late to apply!<\/p>\n

The Truth About Budgeting<\/h3>\n

Budgeting<\/a> is also not just \u201crent + food\u201d. It\u2019s nights out, takeaways, train tickets home, societies, emergency coffees and all of those impulse buys. Not to mention birthdays and holidays. Sometimes paying a little extra for convenience is worth it, but sometimes the cheaper option is smarter.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n

At the end of the day, there\u2019s no perfect accommodation. There\u2019s just the one that fits you best right now. I\u2019ve loved being on campus both years, but the best choice is whatever makes your life easier, not harder.<\/p>\n

\n

Go online to find out more about returning student accommodation<\/a> at Kent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Blog written by: Javine Ebrubah<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi everyone, I\u2019m Javine, a second-year Computer Science student and proud two-time survivor of the Kent accommodation process. Spiralling About Accommodation If you\u2019re currently spiralling … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74974,"featured_media":1539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[247846,246077,246709,247356,247905],"tags":[143731,247853,246077,246709,247356,247872,183806],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1535"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74974"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1535"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1543,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1535\/revisions\/1543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/accommodation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}