Monday 30-06-2025 - 15:14

By Youssef Bashir 

While it may sound like an exaggeration to some, choosing the right student accommodation can make or break one’s university experience for others. For exchange students like Loreto Serrano, who arrived from Madrid to study at Middlesex University for her second year of university, Ivy Halls is one of the accommodations that becomes their home and social hub. With the intent to document the honest student experience of residents at Ivy Halls, we interviewed Loreto about the highs, the lows, and everything in between when it comes to living at Middlesex’s furthest but most affordable student accommodation. 

 

First impressions matter, especially if you find yourself moving to a new country, which is a very common case, considering the significant number of international students at Middlesex. This is why we asked Loreto: 

What was your first impression of Ivy Halls when you moved in? 

While she admits she felt nervous, she mentions she was still excited. Having heard of some of her own friends’ positive experiences at student accommodations in Madrid, she arrived at Ivy Halls hoping for the same experience. 

“I was kind of scared because it was my first time living alone, but also very excited to meet friends, meet new people,” Loreto says. 

 

While there is a lot of information available online about each of Middlesex’s Halls, everybody knows hindsight is 20/20. In turn, we wanted to know: 

What is one thing you wish you knew before moving into your halls? 

Moving in with people the same age as you, especially those going through the same university experiences, means fast friendships. But according to Loreto, not all of them last. 

“I thought one girl was going to be my best friend, my ride or die, and then after two months, she completely abandoned me,” she admits. “And people I didn’t connect with much in September are now my closest friends, because we gave ourselves more time to build that connection.” 

While she wishes she had known it sooner, Loreto says she was glad everything eventually worked out. Her advice for newcomers is simply to take it slow.  

 

But that does not mean to let go of the opportunities that present themselves in those first couple of weeks, as became evident when we asked: 

What is your top tip for someone about to move into university halls?  

Her biggest piece of advice was to push yourself outside of your comfort zone during Fresher’s Week. 

“Go to every event in the first week! Talk to everybody in your kitchen and be nice to everybody. There are group chats where people make plans. Go to those plans! Try not to be stuck in your room.” 

 

However, the above is not to say it is completely on the students to create their own opportunities to meet and speak with everyone else, as the following question covers: 

Were there any events or activities organised for residents?  

Social events can help break the ice. Even if you only attend a few, they have the potential to become memorable moments of your time as a student. 

“We cooked a pizza once in the kitchen. The Resident Assistants gave us the ingredients. Another time, I went to a board game night and all my friends from the accommodation were there. I had a really nice time,” Loreto says. 

 

In that same vein, we asked Loreto: 

Did you feel a sense of community in your halls, or was it more independent?  

Funnily enough, for Loreto, the people assigned to the same kitchen as her were those who made her feel and became like family, even though she still valued her alone time. 

“We’re like family now. If I walk in and see my now best friend or my boyfriend, they’ll always ask me to tell them about my day” she says. “But sometimes I just eat in my room and watch a movie because I also need my space.” 

 

After going through the questions about community and fun, it was time to focus a bit more on the technical aspects of staying at an accommodation. So, we dug deeper: 

Were there any issues with noise, cleanliness, or maintenance?  

While noise in general is not a big issue to Loreto, she did mention that it was quiet most of the time, though she did add: 

“If it’s a Friday night and people are going out, I’m not going to complain. I’d do the same!”   

She says cleanliness, however, varied. “Some people had to move out of their block because their kitchen had insects, but mine was always clean. We even won an award for it!” 

Last but not least, maintenance was rarely needed, but quick the one time she did require it. “I remember one time my sink was leaking, but you just tell the accommodation team, and they figure it out. The next day they’ll come and fix it.” 

 

For the majority of people, an important thing to consider on top of the actual living experience at an accommodation is its location. This is why we wanted to find out: 

How convenient is the location in terms of getting to university, and the surrounding shops?   

While Ivy Halls is the furthest accommodation from Middlesex, Loreto says the location worked well for her.  

“It’s 20 minutes from uni by bus, so maybe you just wake up 30 minutes earlier than if you lived right next to the uni,” she says about the commute. Afterwards, a lot more came to her mind for the latter half of the question. “We have a Lidl just around the corner, an Iceland and a small and big Co-op. There's a lot of corner shops, a bunch of pharmacies and a GP next to us. There are even charity shops if you want to buy some clothes. There are good connections with the Jubilee line, the Northern line and Thameslink, so I'm quite happy with how it's located. Maybe it's a bit far from central London but it's near uni so it's either or.”  

 

Since Loreto seemed so pleased with the location, the cost of staying at the accommodation was naturally what we asked next: 

Do you think staying at Ivy Halls is good value for money?   

While the cost may not be an unexpected price to pay for rent in London, compared to the amenities offered in accommodations of the same price in Spain, Loreto found Ivy Halls a bit pricey for what it was. 

“In Spain, most accommodations have their own cafeterias where there are chefs who cook for you. And that’s the same price as here. So, I would say that for an accommodation that doesn’t have those facilities, it is expensive.” 

 

Keeping all of the above in mind, we wanted a genuine reflection from the heart. So, we asked Loreto, after having stayed at Ivy Halls for a year: 

If you could make the choice again, would you pick the same accommodation? 

Loreto’s answer was a resounding yes. 

“I would choose Ivy Halls 100%. It’s where I met my boyfriend and two of my best friends. The plans, the jokes, everything. I would repeat the experience 100%.” 

  

Overall, for students considering Ivy Halls, or for those who were wondering what an honest account of staying at a university accommodation is actually like, Loreto’s answers serve as a direct source to help you paint a much more detailed picture and make your decision.  

So, who knows? In a year, it could be your turn to sit down for an interview, ready to look back and talk about your time as a resident.