Daniela Villanueva

It's wonderful that the people you meet in halls turn into your best friends. This is especially true of living in catered halls as everyone gets to know each other at meal times, which has helped to build a really fun and friendly community.

I have met people from my halls that I’m simply blessed to know and that I would’ve never known if I had not chosen Elvyn Richards. I found that by making friends in halls first, it makes you a little less worried when you go to your lectures and try to make friends there. Being friends with your flatmates will change your life and make your first year unforgettable. If that doesn’t happen for you, there’s always plenty of societies to get involved with and find your community there. 

Socially, halls are just perfect. When everyone lives on campus it’s so easy to go to each other’s flats and have film nights, drinks or whatever you want. This is what makes you closer to your friends, because you are so close and share so many moments together. 

Academically, living so close to the library makes it mentally easier to study and bring myself to the place where I can best concentrate. I am literally always at the library, so It’s wonderful that it’s only a 1 minute walk away. I don’t need to walk far to get to lectures either, which makes me attend more lectures and seminars.

My favourite memory is when it snowed at 3 am on campus. My friends and I were up late watching movies but went outside when we saw the snow and it was truly joyous to see that everyone was outside as well. People were throwing snowballs at each other and running around on the Elvyn grass like children, you couldn’t find a more beautiful community of friends laughing so hard together under the falling snow. That is definitely the moment that I felt sorry for everyone not living in halls. 

You can find a big sense of community by being part of committees, both in your hall or for societies/academic departments. I am part of the creative writing society, English department and Elvyn committee. It feels great to do things for others and make them feel as at home as you do. Being part of a team makes me feel like I’m part of something great that works for the better good of everyone. 

The skills that I have learned by working on hall committee are simply too many to count, and will help me in future employment. Being able to help form a friendly, joyful and united community during Freshers’ week events has been my greatest achievement as hall chair.

Having a Hall Warden has felt like a wonderful parental figure for us, as we know we can trust her and that she will be there for us no matter what. She has helped every single one of us living in halls and has always been understanding and honest with us. 

Living in halls felt safer and easier than go into housing without knowing the town first, especially as there is such an incredible team of staff to support you. I also really wanted to feel like I was part of the university and campus by living in halls. 

I visited the campus university twice before applying. I knew that where I lived it was going to influence my university experience radically, and Loughborough was just perfect. I choose the UK because of it’s rich culture, history and literature, and I choose Loughborough specifically because of it’s beautiful campus and academic rankings. If you can’t visit campus in person, the accommodation website is incredibly helpful. I can honestly say that, as an international student, it was clear information about the process and well represented what each hall was like. 

Overall, living in halls is the joyful, bizarre and full of laughter cozy-rollercoaster ride full of laughs and various fun experiences. I know you will have an amazing time here. I am certain that great things await everyone that joins the hall, I made Elvyn Richards my home and I know it will be an amazing home for future students too.