What to expect from living in a corridor

Greetings everyone!

As many of you have recently been admitted to LiU, I wanted to share some insights about living in a corridor, which happens to be one of the most popular ways for students to live in Linköping. This blog post will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of living in a corridor, rather than the process of applying. If you are unsure about the application process, feel free to check out our other blogs, as we have several dedicated to that topic!

Advantages:

Living in a corridor can feel like being part of a student village, making it easy to meet new people. Living with around seven other people offers a fantastic opportunity to connect with others early on, potentially forming long-lasting friendships. You’ll also have the chance to meet individuals from different countries, exposing you to a variety of cultures. Additionally, you might meet other friends of your corridor mates and build a diverse circle of friends who study different subjects, providing insight into a range of fields.

If you get along well with your corridor mates, planning weekly game or movie nights or cooking dinners together can be enjoyable. These activities foster a sense of community, helping you feel less lonely after moving away from home. Plus, if you ever need help, your corridor mates are close by. Student living areas often also offer various amenities, such as volleyball and tennis courts, a student pub and study-café, outdoor barbecue areas and free-to-book saunas. People that rent from Studentbostader also have the opportunity to book study and yoga rooms! This again gives you many opportunities to be social and get to know more people.

Living in a corridor generally also means being close to campus, which is convenient, especially for early morning classes. Linköping has an excellent biking infrastructure, so getting around is easy. However, biking to campus in 10-15 minutes is fantastic! Corridor rooms are also affordable, and some are already furnished, which is convenient if you’re new to the city and don’t have a car to transport furniture.  The rooms are relatively spacious and come with their own bathroom!

Disadvantages:

One significant disadvantage of living in a corridor is that common areas, such as the kitchen and living room, might not be as clean as you’d like them to be. Unfortunately, this might be something you’ll have to live with if you choose to move into a corridor room. When I first moved to Linköping, the common areas of my corridor were in a pretty bad state. However, after discussing the issue with my landlords and living with people who cared more about cleanliness, we worked out a weekly cleaning plan that has been working well, and living in a corridor has improved immensely for me thereafter.

Some of the corridor buildings might be old, which shows in their furniture, wall paint, and flooring. While this isn’t ideal, the lower rent compensates for it in my opinion. Also, ff you’re sensitive to noise when sleeping, make sure to bring some earplugs! With many students living in corridors, parties and gatherings can get loud at times, and the walls are kind of thin. However, with earplugs, you should be able to sleep peacefully.