Alec Jones gives us the lowdown on housing

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So it’s that time again when some of us will be looking for a place to live next year. This is a period that can be stressful, and I’ve been thinking of how we can make this process easier. The Accommodation Fair is normally after Christmas. I’ve had discussions with major letting agents in Exeter, and they proved unwilling to release their housing lists later in the year. So, we’ve decided to move our Accommodation Fair back to November to make sure that when you’re making your decision, you can do it with the information and support you need.  If you are in first year, you will have heard all kinds of things about fi ding somewhere to live – I thought I’d use this space for some myth-busting and share a bit of my experience.

There are more than enough places to live.

Here are some things you may hear around campus, and the actual facts:

1) There aren’t enough houses: There are more than enough places to live. When people think of houses, it’s very easy to think about a 6-bed house on Vic Street. However, there are far more options than this.

2) Everybody’s signing for places: When you see on Facebook that somebody’s signed for a place, it’s easy to assume that this is the case. However, I know from experience this just isn’t true.  People sign at various times throughout the year and not all the houses that are available are released straight away.

3) If I don’t find the right place soon, there will be no good options left: After a few near misses, I signed for a house for final year after my summer exams, and it was an amazing place to live. Our Accommodation Fair this year is on November 22 in the Great Hall. Come to meet some local landlords, find out about what support options are available, and if you’re in a position to do so then you can think about booking viewings.

my advice would be to think very carefully about who you want to live with

We will also have our volunteer Accommodation Team available to look round houses with you and help you deice whether it’s the right decision for you. If you’re in first year, my advice would be to think very carefully about who you want to live with. Think about who you get on well with and don’t feel pressured into anything. There are loads of ways to find people to live with. Keep checking the Guild website for information about our flatmate finder events if you’re finding it difficult, we will be having a Flatmate finder event in Term 2 as well.