Georgie Penfold

I wasn’t looking for what you’d call the typical student living experience when I arrived in Portsmouth.

I was accepted onto a Paramedic Science course, which I knew would be pretty full on, so I wanted a slightly different environment to spend my free time in.

I chose not to apply for halls, and instead looked for housemates in a privately rented house. I wanted to live with people I’d get on with and want to have a coffee with. I was lucky enough to find people who would become some of my best friends, two of which I still live with now.

Better yet, the house was right by the sea, which was really important to me, being from the south coast. Even though there were seven of us in the house, moving in and getting settled was pretty seamless. Bills were included in our monthly rent which was one less thing to worry about, and the contract ran month-to-month, meaning that if for whatever reason someone had to move out suddenly, it wasn’t an issue.

What I liked most about renting privately was the freedom it gave me, socially and in my everyday life. On a course like mine, you sometimes need a release from what you’re learning day-to-day. Living with people from outside my course allowed me to make a diverse group of friends – some of the funniest people I’ve ever met – and as a result I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything by not living in halls.