Added 27th October 2009

The student population has exploded in recent years – as has the demand for student accommodation to meet varying budgets. Once a place at a university or college has been secured then it is time to focus on finding the right sort of student accommodation to fit your budget.

Student accommodation in London can appear costly, however many of the leading student accommodation management companies ensure that utility bills are included in the costs and are normally found close to the campus.

The first place to look for a suitable provider is via the internet, using simple search term such as “student accommodation” followed by the area. This tends to lead to pages of results – including their locations via Google Maps. It is worth working through the first couple of pages of Google and identifying costs, facilities and the benefits given by each company. For example, if security is not a high priority according their details and there is little information relating to support (or even an onsite management team) – then it may be worth contacting the company to find out what is available. Secondly, invest some time into finding students, both old and new, who have attended the same campus.

Facebook and Twitter can be a great place to find people who are joining or currently studying at your university of choice to ask questions. It can also be the first step of making new friends before the first term begins.Students looking for accommodation in London can really benefit from making friends in London as the universities tend to attract a large number of overseas visitors. Leading colleges such as Imperial College have a wealth of information available via their many online channels including their website, Facebook Pages, Twitter Pages and bloggers who are attending courses.

The web is also home to many blogs written by students and this can also be a good source of information – giving information on the social side of university life as well as tips and information that may be useful in making the decision.

Many of today’s universities partner with professional student accommodation providers, and approaching universities to get these details can also help save time – and offer instant peace of mind. This information is available via universities and college websites in some instances