Shared apartments, spare rooms and roommates in Glasgow

This Scottish city has several universities that welcome international students every year, and they all have different locations. When looking for a shared flat to live in, you should consider the neighbourhoods closest to your institution or those with good public transport connections, such as the Woodlands or Kelvinhaugh/Yorkhill neighbourhoods if you are going to the University of Glasgow.

As far as your roommates are concerned, if you want to exponentially improve your English, they should be local or at least of other nationalities, so you can make an effort to speak that language on a day-to-day basis.

Advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in Glasgow 

These are some of the most outstanding:

Advantages of sharing a flat in Glasgow 

• The buildings in which the spare rooms are located can give access to different facilities, such as balcony, terrace, garden, gym or even leisure room, games or cinema.

• In general, there is a wide variety of flats to share in neighbourhoods with good locations in the city, such as in the centre if you want to be close to the most popular entertainment areas or in the West End to be close to the University of Glasgow.

• In the student residences, you can choose between single and shared rooms. The latter has a more affordable price per person.

Disadvantages of sharing a flat in Glasgow

• The only space that you will have completed for yourself is your room since the common areas are shared. However, this can also be an advantage because sharing with other students will make your day more lively.

• The temperature in Glasgow is usually very low, the average in the hottest month is 15ºC! This means that heating is often used a lot. If the expense of the invoices is not included in the price, it can generate arguments with your colleagues.

Apps for your international exchange programme in Glasgow

There are several apps for students that you will be able to access to make your exchange easier, as they give access to a large amount of useful information about the procedures you have to do, different aspects of university life and life in the city. On many occasions, some young people give advice, such as taking advantage of all the discounts they offer for students (in food stores, transportation, etc.) since life in the city is usually very expensive.

How to meet people in Glasgow

These are some ways to meet people in the Scottish city:

Student Associations in Glasgow 

Each of the universities in Glasgow has Students' Associations that you can join. There are all kinds, such as different sports, careers, interests and nationalities. In addition, you will also be able to join ESNs that have a presence in different institutions, such as the ESN UofG at the University of Glasgow or the ESN Strathclyde at the University of Strathclyde.

Facebook groups for international students in Glasgow 

In the ESN Facebook groups and pages, you can see the different activities that they are planning and for which you will be able to sign up, such as language exchanges, “speed friending”, ceramic painting, party nights and pubs meetings, among others. Thanks to all these activities you will be able to meet people in Glasgow, of various nationalities and careers.

WhatsApp groups for international students in Glasgow 

Some of the WhatsApp groups that you can join are those created by ESNs and by student associations. In them you will have the opportunity to introduce yourself and meet other students, both international and local, being able to organize plans on your own in the city.

Tips for living in a shared apartment in Glasgow

Keep these tips in mind for living in Glasgow:

• You can enjoy different festivals and events throughout the year in this city, its cultural offer is varied. Some of them are the Glasgow Film Festival or the Celtic Festival, in which you will be able to learn more about their culture.

• If one of your flatmates is a Glaswegian and at first you don't understand him when he speaks, don't worry! It is known that the Scottish accent is very strong and over time you will get used to it.

Frequently asked questions about sharing a flat in Glasgow

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