Differences between student halls and residences

What is a student halls?

A student halls is a building which houses accommodation for students from a specific university and which is affiliated to that university.

What is a university residence?

A university residence is a building which isn’t necessarily affiliated to any university and which houses both higher education students (usually studying bachelor’s degrees) and postgraduate students, or those studying for specialized vocational qualifications.

Main differences between student halls and residences

The main difference between a student halls and a residence is that the former is affiliated to a specific university, while a university residence doesn’t have to be. However, there are other differences between a student halls and a residence:

• Difference 1: Method of access
  A university residence is open to students attending any university. In contrast, to enter a student halls you have to be studying at the specific university to which the halls are affiliated. Moreover, to access certain student halls you have to complete a series of tests or meet certain requirements.
• Difference 2: Rules
  A student halls usually has entrance and exit times along with obligations to take part in certain activities or use certain services. Consequently, student halls tend to have stricter rules than a university residence, where the professional services are often outsourced, meaning that residents can use their own initiative to organise meetings, activities, etc.
• Difference 3: Accommodation
  Another of the differences between student halls and a residence is that the first tends to insist students live there for the entire academic year, while in a university residence the time you stay varies and there is no need to stay for the whole academic year.
• Difference 4: Rooms
  In a university residence, rooms tend to work like apartments and include a kitchen and bathroom, while in a student halls these services are more centralized and students have to share the bathrooms, dining room and kitchen.
• Difference 5: Facilities
  A university residence usually has better and more modern facilities, as well as more varied locations because they benefit from private investment. Meanwhile, the facilities offered by student halls depend on the budget of the university they are affiliated to and consequently the buildings are older and located close to the university to which they belong. This means that some student halls are more limited in their transport links or leisure facilities.

Student halls or residence. Which should I choose?

Once you know the differences between a student halls and a residence, it’s time to choose between them. And you may wonder: which should I choose? At micampus we recommend you evaluate all the options and choose the one which best suits your tastes and needs and will give you the independence you seek during your time at university.

If you would like greater independence, it’s clear that a university residence is the place for you. And at micampus we can help with our wide variety of university residences across all of Spain.