Deciding where you want to live in your first year of university can be a tough decision, which is why I am going to give you an insight into why I chose to live at Mill Street, and what it was like living there for a year.

I applied for university quite late, and by the time I came around to picking my accommodation, a lot of them were already full. Fortunately, I spoke to someone at the accommodation stand during the Leeds Beckett Open Day and they informed me that Mill Street still had spaces! It was too late in the day for me to go and view the rooms available, but when I went home, I had a look online, and knew that it was going to be a good place to live. The online virtual room tours of Mill Street were extremely accurate, and my room looked exactly as I was expecting.

Louie's bedroom at Mill Street accommodation

Once I arrived I was welcomed by the staff at reception who talked me through everything I needed to know before moving in. They gave me my keys, a welcome pack and then guided me up to my new flat. One of the first things I noticed when I moved in was how clean the place was… it’s fair to say it didn’t stay that way for long! All my new housemates were all very friendly and welcoming and it wasn’t long before we all got to know each other. The kitchen and living room were spacious and there was a large flat screen TV which really helped me to start socialising with my new housemates. For any of you who are worried about moving to a big city and are thinking about moving into Mill Street, you’ll be pleased to hear that the security was great and you feel very safe. There’s 24-hour security surveillance, and during the day there is always someone on reception to answer any of your queries or to report any issues to. If you ever have any problems, the staff are quick at fixing the issues and are very approachable.

Living room sofas and chairs, Mill Street accommodation

Mill Street is in the south of the city, about a 10-minute walk away from the heart of the City Centre and a 20-minute walk from the university’s city campus. If you’re based at Headingley campus, Mill Street is just a 10 minute walk from Leeds’ bus station, where you can hop on a bus up to Headingley for just £1.

Mill Street accommodation kitchen

Mill Street is located conveniently close to Kirkgate market. Many of the market’s stalls have student deals, and it is great for students who want to buy lots of cheap food. There is also a Co-op just around the corner which is open till midnight and I found this extremely useful throughout my first year. (Top tip – they also do student discount!). For those of you that are vegetarian or vegan, there is a great pub to eat and drink at called Wapentake which serves amazing comfort food. It is located on Kirkgate, which is about 10-minutes from Mill Street. It also has £2 pints on Tuesdays which is excellent when you’re on a student budget and fancy a quiet drink.

After living in Mill Street in my first year of university, I can confidently recommend it to any other student. I have met so many great people here, some of which I am still living with now, and others I am still in contact with. It provided me with a space where I felt comfortable, and a space which I could make my own. I will always remember my first year at Mill Street and hope that those of you who move there enjoy it as much as I did.

More from the blog

All blogs