Meet Zuzanna 👋

Meet Zuzanna, one of our newest Resident Content Creators, who lives with us at Bonington Student Village. Keep reading to learn more about what it’s like studying at The University of Nottingham and for some helpful tips for current and prospective students. Enjoy!

Introducing Zuzanna 💬

Hello everyone! My name is Zuzanna, and I am a first-year Dietetics student at The University of Nottingham, living at Bonington Student Village. I am looking forward to sharing my university experience with you. Some random facts about me include:

• I love going to the gym
• I'm an only child
• My favourite TV series is Friends
• I'm addicted to frozen berries

Living at Bonington Student Village 🏡

My course is taught on Sutton Bonington Campus, so I chose to live at the village to avoid wasting time and energy on commuting. Sutton Bonington is about a 30-min bus journey away from main campus (University Park), and I didn't fancy taking that trip every day at 8 am. I can literally leave the flat five minutes before my lecture starts and still make it in time!

Another decisive factor me was that I really wanted an en-suite, self-catered accommodation, and Bonington Student Village offered exactly that at a reasonable price. What’s great is that all the bills are included, and the rent price is fixed; it just comes out my account each term, and I don’t have to worry about keeping on top of any bills.

What I like about living at the village 👍

The main thing for me is that it really does feel like a village. There’s a great sense of community, especially during first year; most people decide to live at the village as freshers so all your friends are in the same place, and you can see them whenever. I have hit the jackpot with my flatmates, and we really do get along well, which makes the experience of living at university so much more enjoyable.

The Village Life and ResX events are also great. You get freebies and free food on multiple occasions, which is always a win! One major perk is how easily you can get deliveries to the reception. This might seem like a small thing, but for an amazon-addict like me, it’s a lifesaver!

What makes living at Bonington Student Village stand out is its location; it is more rural than other campuses and it is just filled with greenery and picturesque views. I can literally see horses and rabbits zooming around out my kitchen window. The area is great for walks, I usually take the root down to the canal, which is lovely and yet again, you see plenty of animals on the way. Not many campuses can offer that experience.

My top tips and advice 💡 

I'm coming to the end of my first year at university, and these are the things I wish I had known sooner…

• Make use of the library! We have a lovely library on campus, and the environment in there is much nicer to do your work in than your room- get out if it!
• Secondly, socialise… I cannot stress this enough. University has huge social aspect to it, and you don’t want to miss out on it just because you didn’t manage your time well and have a lot of work to catch up on. Add socialising to your weekly dairy.
• Go to societies! I think societies are one of my favourite things about the university experience. Yes, it might be a bit nerve-racking at first, but I can guarantee you’ll have fun and make friends. There are plenty of societies on Sutton Bonington Campus, but I also travel to University Park for the Salsa Society. I was a bit reluctant at first because I thought, ‘oh I can’t be bothered to get the bus, I’ll just embarrass myself bla bla bla’, but I was so wrong. Everyone is in the same position as you (it is a beginner’s class, after all), and you are there to learn and have some fun. Try all the societies that you can, and you never know, you might find yourself a new hobby like I did.

And lastly some practical tips if you’re coming to university next year...

•  Bring as little dishes and pans as possible. Your cupboards will be more organised, and you won’t end up with piles of washing up to do.
• If you’re planning to be walking around the lovely Sutton Bonington fields, get yourself a designated pair of shoes for that because it gets very muddy, and you don’t want to be cleaning your shoes all the time.
• Don’t forget to use your student discounts! Unidays, Student Beans- sign up to it all.
• No matter what anyone tells you, you do not need a drying rack… You will end up paying for drying anyways.
• I also haven’t yet used any of the stationary and fancy folders that I bought to uni with me because everything is on my laptop, so do with that information what you will.

If you're looking for student accommodation in Sutton Bonington check out our rooms available at Bonington Student Village.