De Montfort University Business Programs

• I found my accommodation via a traditional google search. I also used Instagram to find the accommodation where I was living.
• My monthly rent was £900. This is quite an expensive option. My rent was too high but I was ready to pay the price for the facilities offered by the accommodation. The usual facilities like en suite, wifi, electricity bill, water bill, and heating bills were included in the rent, but what stood out about this accommodation and why I was willing to pay that price was because:
• I was living in a premium en suite room. In the room we were provided with the washer & dryer. So basically, each independent room (not shared) had its own washer & dryer in it. 99% of the time the washers and dryers have a separate room for the building residents to use them but in this case the washer & dryer were in each independent room. So no sharing the washer & dryer with other residences.
• They offered free breakfast (Monday-Friday) every week. This was a great deal for me personally. Although the breakfast wasn't lavish or anything, it was croissants and cornflakes. On special occasions we used to get lavish breakfasts.
• They also have free coffee in the accommodation always.
• Challenges faced by me:
• Since I was attending the January intake and due to personal reasons I could not book my accommodation early in my admission stage I had to book during December time. Now December is a time for Christmas and everyone's in vacation mood. The problem is that it becomes difficult sometimes to coordinate with them via emails and calls (since you're not in the UK yet). Due to the festive season and vibes, most of the staff members are either on leave or not in the mood so this factor can be challenging for you to either book yourself in. I faced a similar challenge.
• Suggestions:
• If you're an international student booking it from your home country, please make sure to ask for a virtual tour of the whole place (not just the showrooms) so that you can at least have an idea about the place before paying them. And don't worry, you can always ask them politely for the virtual tour via email or phone call; they won't deny it.
• Make sure to book your accommodation well in advance. And by advance I mean at least 4-5 months prior to living there. Why i suggest this is because all the good accommodations fill up fast, and it'll be quite difficult for you to get a place for yourself. A disadvantage of booking late is that sometimes these accommodations increase their prices for the late bookers to take advantage of their situation. So try to avoid that and if you can, then book 4-5 months in advance.
• Searching for accommodation is pretty easy, I'd say, because there are websites available for students to seek the right accommodation for them. But apart from the traditional methods, I'd also recommend using Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook groups to find the accommodation suitable for you.
• There's a service in the UK for international students where these students can order the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom sets before they even arrive in the UK, and these sets will be delivered to their accommodation that they've already booked.
  • These sets include: Dining plates set, Cutlery set, Cooking Pan set, Glass set, knives, Chopping board, bedsheet, Pillow, Pillow cover, Blanket, Towel set, Bathroom equipment, etc. You can customise these sets according to your preferences and the quality is also good. This service was really helpful for me and I highly recommend all students do that, as it can save you A LOT of time and you'll be stress-free from day one.

• I used online platforms to find my accommodation.
• I had taken an ensuite room with a shared kitchen and living space at Castle Court by Unite Students. The monthly rent was around 500 pounds.
• I had to contact multiple sites to get my booking done. The availability of good properties was also an issue.
• Start seeking accommodation beforehand as the last-moment ones are highly-priced and you might not even get a suitable one if though you are willing to pay more.
• My accommodation was right next to the college campus. Most Indian students stay in student accommodations only.

• I opted for off campus accommodation but there were options of on campus accommodations as well. The off campus two bedroom apartment costed us 120 pounds per person per week. There was deposit of around 800 pounds with the owner which we got full refund when we vacated the apartment.
• The apartment had two bedrooms fully furnished with a study table cupboards, beds and chairs. The kitchen area has a dining table, a sofa, a refrigerator and a washing machine. All grocery stores were very nearby and this place was only 400 meters away from the college campus so it was very easy to walk to the classrooms.

• I found my accomodation on the DeMontfort University website only. They have collaborations with several student accomodation companies. My accomodation was Unite Students. It was somewhat expensive compared to other accommodations but facilities were excellent.
• I used to pay £650 per month. The staff was very helpful and informative. It was situated just behind the University. It took me 5 mins. To reach my building.

I chose this country since I did not require a Visa here. The reason I chose this University because it was the highest rated in the shortlist I had since I just had 2 years of work experience, I was limited to options. Overall it was a good experience since it was a very new experience, just had issues with getting a job.

This University ticked all the boxes that I had in mind for a great place to do career advancement for the next two years. One of the many things I like about this university is the enormous-beautiful-widespread campus, Its global rankings, the courses they offered, their UK rankings , employment opportunities after graduation, and finally a good life off campus as well.

Course curriculum had specific topics that interested me. Was research based.