Students with their back to the camera walking near the exterior of their university accommodation

Living with us

Making our uni halls your home-from-home? Here are some of the ways you can get the most out of life at BSU.

Starting university is an exciting time – even more so if you’re moving into student accommodation and leaving home for the first time. It can also feel daunting – choosing where to live, budgeting, completing the paperwork and handling the legal stuff... not to mention wondering who you might end up living with!

If you’re worried about anything – from making connections, to finances, to how to share responsibilities with your new flatmates, please get in touch. Our Accommodation team is here to support you.

Quick links

Settling in

Get help from our student ambassadors

Campus Life Ambassadors are returning students who have already experienced the joys and challenges of moving to Bath and settling into life at BSU. They’re perfectly positioned to help you adjust to life in halls and make the most of your first year in student accommodation.

They'll organise a series of events throughout the year, to help you get used to the local area and meet new people. Expect walking tours, crafting sessions, and mixers. You could design and print your own tote bag, paint a plant pot for your room, or play board games or cards. Most of these events will be free of charge for you as a resident in our halls.

Agree on your living arrangements as a group

Worried about sharing your space with new people? That’s understandable – everyone's an individual and we all have different preferences and needs. Our advice is to communicate clearly and respectfully. Discuss your expectations and agree as a group how you’ll solve any day-to-day issues that come up. We provide a template agreement to get things started and give you a framework to work from.

Sharing a communal space is easier when you and your housemates know when cleaning gets done, which household essentials will be shared, who’ll do the recycling, and what time you turn down the music. Remember to always treat each other with dignity and respect.

Four students sat together in the Student Union with a pool table and pride flag in the background

Lifestyle preferences

You probably hope to meet like-minded people at your uni halls, which is why our friendly Accommodation team is here to support you throughout the application process. On the application form for accommodation, you can state your preferences for your halls, for example:

Quiet
Alcohol free
Mature students
Single sex/gender
LGBTQ+

We’ll do our best to cater for your preferences and bring you closer to other students who share your characteristics and values.

Welcome events

Welcome to Bath Spa accommodation! To help you settle in, we've put together an exciting calendar of events to help you meet other students and get to know your new home.

Join us at an event

Week one

Monday 23 September

Walking Tour

5.30-7.30pm

Join us on a tour and get to know your new home. This tour of Bath will be run by our CLA showing students what Bath has to offer, including the best coffee shops, bars, restaurants, train links and parks.

Tuesday 24 September

Boston Tea Party tea and cake mixer

5 - 7pm. BTP 8 Alfred St, Bath BA1 2QU

Pop along to the Boston Tea Party cafe the opportunity to get chatting with other students and make new friends. Tea and scones provided free.

Wednesday 25 September

Bowling

5.30 - 7.30pm. Bath Leisure Centre, North Parade Road, Bath, BA2 4ET

Enjoy an evening with your new friends with some ten pin bowling. Costs are covered by the accommodation team.

Thursday 26 September

Tote bag painting

5.30 - 7.30pm

Unleash your artistic side by decorating a blank tote bag with your own original bag. All materials included.

Friday 27 September

Mini golf

1 - 2pm. Victoria Park

Join us on the course at Victoria Park for an afternoon of mini golf.

Board game evening

5 - 7pm. The SU

Spend the evening relaxing with friends at the SU.

Week two

Monday 30 September

Quiz Night

5.30 - 7.30pm. The SU.

Get your new friends together and test your general knowledge in this teams quiz. There are some great prizes up for grabs.

Tuesday 1 October

Pizza night

5.30 - 7.30pm. Bath Pizza Co., 6, Green Park Station, Bath BA1 1JB

Enjoy FREE pizza at this social mixer in the famous Bath Pizza Co. restaurant.

Thursday 3 October

Plant pot painting

5.30 - 7.30pm

Style your own plant pot in this relaxed evening session. All materials provided.

Friday 4 October

Bingo!

5 - 7pm

A night of Bingo at the SU. Prizes include Sainburys vouchers, sweets and party bags.

Week three

Monday 7 October

Walking Tour

5.50 - 7.30pm.

Join us for a stroll through the history of the city.

Wednesday 9 October

Lego building

5.30 - 7.30pm. The SU.

Join the rest of your hall team to build your own style of accommodation. The one that scores the highest in terms of style and level of resistance will win some Sainsburys vouchers.

Thursday 10 October

Archery

5.30 - 7.30pm.

Practice your bow and arrow skills by shooting papers targets on the rugby field. Safety arrows provided.

Friday 11 October

Card night

5 - 7pm. The SU.

Learn new games and make new friends. There'll be classic deck games and more modern games like UNO available. Plus, there'll also be snacks!

Week four

Monday 14 October

Board game evening

5 - 7pm. The SU

Spend the evening relaxing with friends at the SU over board games. Pizza provided.

Wednesday 16 October

Film night

5.30 - 7.30pm. The SU.

Spend the evening watching films from 2000 in the SU bar. When you book, you'll get a questionnaire to vote for the film you'd like to watch.

Thursday 17 October

Archery

5.30 - 7.30pm.

Practice your bow and arrow skills by shooting papers targets on the rugby field. Safety arrows provided.

Friday 18 October

Arts and crafts night

5.30 - 7.30pm. The mezzanine.

Spend a relaxed evening with clay-based arts and crafts. Plus, you'll be able to bring your creation home to brighten up your room.

Help with costs

Are you eligible for a bursary?

For the 2024/25 academic year, we’re providing UK students whose household income is £20,000 or less with a £500 bursary to put towards rental payments and other housing-related expenses.

Eligible students will receive this payment automatically by 31 January 2025. If you’re in private accommodation, you won’t be eligible. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Awards team: studentawards@bathspa.ac.uk.

Scholarships and bursaries

Food for free on campus

To help supplement your weekly food shop, we run five free food larders across Newton Park and Locksbrook Campuses. These are based in the laundry rooms of Sophia (near Gardens), Langton courtyard (Lakeside) and Bankside House, Commons, and Locksbrook’s The Street.

You can take what you need, and each month the Accommodation team will top up the larders with a selection of food essentials such as tinned veggies, rice, pasta, and recipe packs. Check out our other forms of cost of living support, too.

Cost of living support