Living in Student ResidencesSituation, expectations and preferences of students

Selected results of an empirical study on behalf of the

German National Association for Student Affairs (DSW)

Fritz Berger, DSW Board Member

http://www.studentenwerke.de/pdf/Wohnen_im_Studium.pdf

1. Current living situation and their assessment: inter alia overall satisfaction, criteria for "good living", preferred form of housing, the image of the student residences

Content structure of the survey

5. Students looking for accommodation between March 2008 and March 2009: type of requested accommodation, occasion of the search, typical forms of successful search for accommodation

2. Current residents: inter alia exact form of living, reasons for choosing a particular residence hall, pros and cons of a residence

3. Former residents: inter alia retrospective satisfaction, reasons for high or low satisfaction

4. Never lived in a residence: inter alia impression / assessment, reasons for not moving into a residence

Features of the online survey in “living in student residences”

- Field research of the survey on housing: March 2009

- data analysis: completed questionnaire of 8‘500 students, 40% rate of return

- only information of German students

- representative by gender, institution of higher education, academic semester, old/new federal states, faculties

- Online survey as part of the HISBUS Panels

- HISBUS-Panel: fixed online panel listing currently ca. 22‘000 students who take part in approx. 10 surveys per year

Where and how do you live mainly during the semester?

18%

67%

1%

13%1%

Parent/Relatives

Apartment/Own Apartment

Other living form

Dormitory

Subletting

Room in a residential group 5,2Single Studio apartment 3,8

Single room with share facilities3,6

Apartment for student and families 0,4Twin bett 0,1

Current living form in dormitory in details (in %)

Forms of Living in Student Residences

Facility managers of current residents(based on all current student residents, in %)

74%

9,60%

16,40%

Student union

Church institution

Other insititution

Why did you chose a student residence?(Based on all current student residents in %, max. 2 reasons)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Low rent

Convenient location

(close to the University)

Lack of time in theApartment search

Living togehther with otherstudents

No reasonable alternative

Friends/Relatives/Fellow studentalready lived there

How satisfied are you with your current living situation?(Shares of satisfied / very satisfied, in %)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

satisfied/very satisfied

never lived in a dormitory lived in dormitory currently in dormitory

What students in student residences rank higher than students in other forms of housing?

% of students in residence halls

% of all students

low rent 79 % 75 %convenient location to the univercity 80 % 64 %live in a community with neighbors 71 % 53 %sufficient duration of lease 61 % 49 %the possibility to communicate and meet with neighbors

54 % 30 %

Barrier-free, accesibility for disabled 13 % 7 %

Currently in student residences: Is there something that bothers you in your student housing?(max. 3 reasons; in %)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Size of my room/Living area

Noise in the wider residential environment

Cleanliness/Hygiene in shared kitchen

Cleanliness/Hygiene in shared sanitary areas

Lack of common areas(ex. Club-, Sport-, reading and other leisure room)

Other problems/conflict with neighbors/roommates

Attitude of other residents in shared kitchen(ex. Cooking habits)

Composition of the residents

Nothing

Currently in student residence: What do you like particularly well in your residence?(max. 3 reasons; in percent)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

proximity to the university

Low rent

Internet access

Good place (in an attractive part, Close to the centre

Social interaction with other roommate /

Neighbors

Possibility to make a contact withOther students

Adequate privacy

Size of my room/ Living area

Good local transport

good condition of technical equipment(sanitation, heater)

Nothing

Students who have not lived in residences, what are the most important aspects for you to choose a student residence? (max. 3 aspects; in %)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Low rent

cleanliness, hygiene

Good construction equipment

(ex. own bath)

Size of my room/living area

Internet access

Proximity to the university

Would never move into a student residence

Currently in a student residence: Would you choose living in a student residence again?(in %)

10%

76%

14%

No Yes, for the exact dorm Yes, but in another dorm

in the garden area at the student residence „Neue BURSE“ in Wuppertal

Conclusion: Life can be quite pleasant in our student residences