Sharing living space with people outside the family is part of student experience for the majority, whether in halls of residence, or in various forms of shared private accommodation. This can provide an easy source of social support, friendship and fun, but it can also be difficult and stressful. The art of compromise is essential! See positive habits pages for assertiveness and social skills (links below).
Reasonably comfortable and secure accommodation is a very basic human need, so the distress caused by accommodation problems can very easily leave a way open for depression. Wardens and accommodation officers should be able to provide support for dealing with problems in university or college run accommodation. In private accommodation this is a little trickier, but the accommodation office should still be able to advise. See pages on culture and identity, and assertive communication (link below).
When looking for private accommodation, think carefully about who to live with. It can sometimes be easier to live with people who aren't your very closest friends. Take this housemate compatibility quiz to get a broad sense of who might be your most compatible housemates.
Most unis and colleges offer advice about entering the private housing market in their area. Be very careful when signing up to the significant legal contract a rental agreement represents – if your own institution doesn't provide fact sheets and checklists, use this one as a guide. For tips for avoiding problems with deposits, troublesome landlords, pest infestations and many more see this student housing guide.
Some level of financial pressure and debt is now an almost unavoidable part of student life. Some students need to be completely self-supporting while others have significant family support, adding complex social pressures to the already-difficult task of staying within a tight budget. Excessive worrying about debt can provide fertile ground for depression. So can taking a head-in-the-sand approach and creating a huge future burden of debt.
Most universities and colleges now provide financial advisers to help students find their way through the maze of funding. Many will provide information and resources to help with money and debt management. See one example of a useful student finance booklet here and an online budget calculator here. If depression is affecting you severely enough to prevent you working, then disability support staff can advise about the disabled students allowance.
Having a part-time job can help ease financial pressure, and may also be a source of good 'life' experience, fun and an alternative social life. Juggling work, study and social commitments can, however, offer a difficult time management challenge. Make sure your paid work still leaves realistic space for individual study time as well as your lectures and seminars. Keeping busy can protect you from depression, but over-committing and exhausting yourself works in the opposite direction. See the time management section on the study page.
