In your first year at university, all experiences are memorable. You will move to a new city, start your higher education, meet new people… Living in a student accommodation is probably one of the most important of all the changes.

If you would like to know what to expect from this experience during your first year at university, these details will give you an idea of what you will experience.

More friends

When you live in the student accommodation, you’ll be surprised how easily you’ll make friends. Every day you will have the opportunity to socialise with other residents in the common areas of the building. Also, if you have chosen shared accommodation, your first friends in the accommodation will be your flatmates.

For some first-year students, coping with this new environment can be challenging; but when you realise that most of them are going through the same thing, the pressure will be much less. All the residents were once first-year students, so they tend to be empathetic and receptive to newcomers.

The best part of it all is that you will be surrounded by a friendly atmosphere made up of students from other cities and even countries. Therefore, there is a lot you can learn from your new friends in terms of customs and lifestyles different from your own.

Study-oriented

When you live in a student accommodation, it will probably be the first time you live in a study-oriented place. In the LIV Student accommodation, your spaces are designed to make it easy for you to concentrate on your academic assignments.

In addition, the furnishings are also designed to make you feel comfortable during your study hours. An example of this is that, in your room, you will have at your disposal a spacious desk together with an ergonomically supported chair, a board for your notes and a bookshelf for storing books.

On the other hand, in the common areas, you will be able to count on the study room. This is a space equipped with a large table, several chairs, super-fast WiFi connection and several power outlets to keep your devices charged while you work on them.

Thanks to these spaces, studying and doing homework in the student accommodation will be much more pleasant than anywhere else.

Unbeatable location

One of the things you’ll be thankful for every day is the fact that you live close to your university. LIV Student residences are located in Paranhos, the main university area of Porto, so when you live here, it will only take you a few minutes to get to your faculty.

As a first-year student in an unfamiliar city, living nearby is a great advantage. Not only does it give you the opportunity to commute back and forth in a few minutes every day, but it also gives you the chance to get to know the movement of the city little by little.

Your adaptation process will be more subtle and enjoyable the more facilities you have during the first year of university. Consider that if you live far away, you will have to take public transport that you don’t know yet, you might forget where to get off, get confused in the streets, and everything will be even more overwhelming than it already is.

Independence

In most cases, the first year of university coincides with the first year of independence away from home. The advantage of living in a student accommodation during this period is that the process of independence and adjustment will be more manageable and smoother.

Instead of being completely alone in an unfamiliar city starting university with a group of strangers, you will be in a controlled environment, accompanied by other students and under the care of qualified staff.

For all these reasons, living in a student accommodation will help you make a smooth transition from a high school student living with parents to an independent university student living away from home.

Leisure and entertainment

Another thing you will love about living in a student accommodation is the leisure and entertainment facilities. The philosophy of our university accommodation is that more than a place to sleep, it is a home for the residents.

For this reason, you will have spaces to entertain and relax such as the terrace, the swimming pool and the games room. As a first-year student, you probably won’t make friends right away and won’t have any acquaintances in the city, so the best places to socialise will be in the common areas of the accommodation. At least for the first few weeks of your stay.

After that, these spaces will become your favourite places to meet up with your friends in the accommodation. After all, living in a student accommodation during your first year of studies will be one of the best decisions you will ever make.