Band 8+: Your friend has been offered a place on a course at the university where you studied. He/ She would like your advice about finding a place to live. Write an email to your friend. In your email, describe where you lived when you were a student at the university. Recommend the best way for him/her to look for accommodation. Warn him/her of mistakes students make when choosing accommodation.

Dear Nishma,

I was over the moon to hear from you, and I appreciate your request for me to give you some advice. I’d be happy to help you in any way I can.

When I was a freshman, I mostly stayed outside of the dorm, in the neighborhood. There are lots of student housing in the community that are affordable and furnished. I stayed on Dunsmore Street just 10 minutes walking distance to the university. The house I lived in had 4 furnished bedrooms and a shared living and kitchen area with an attached washroom in each room. The best way to hunt for such rental is the Facebook marketplace, a lot of students post about the lease and sublease on the platform and it is the fastest way to find accommodation. You can also visit the housing support facility from the university for new students but this process takes lots of time and paperwork. Lastly, I’ll warn you about scams and a fraudulent that goes around among new students, therefore, always verify the landlord, address, and authenticity of any advertised rentals. Give me a call once you find anything that interests you and I’ll help with the verification. I am so excited to have you here and can’t wait to see you.

With love,

Sarina