Many of you will be housed in residence halls during your term abroad.
Housing contracts usually run for 40-50 weeks, and schools may have shorter contracts for those students coming for one term. Some accommodations are run by independent contractors, not the school, so check the terms of the contract carefully before you sign.
Accommodation plans might include catered (cafeteria food that you purchase on a meal plan) or self-catered (shared kitchens in which you prepare your own food). Some halls offer both. Most catered accommodation offers breakfast and dinner, Monday–Friday, and are closed Bank Holidays and during school closures. Many catered halls also have small shared kitchens.
If you have any food allergies, are gluten-free or vegan, do not apply for catered accommodation. If you are going to Oxford or Cambridge, this is not a problem.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (UCL)
Guaranteed housing for full-year students who accept their offers and complete their online housing application before 31 May. Single term students are normally allocated housing but it is not guaranteed.
Halls of Residence: Catered.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/accommodation/residences/halls
Student Houses: Self-catered. Students provide and cook their own food in shared kitchens.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/accommodation/residences/student-houses
Students may also live in privately-rented flats.
KING’S COLLEGE LONDON (KCL)
Housing is not guaranteed for study abroad students, application deadline is 8 June.
Catered (Intercollegiate Halls) and self-catered residences, privately-rented flats.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/abroad/atkings/accommodation.aspx
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/residences/Our-Residences/Our-Residences.aspx
CITY UNIVERSITY LONDON
All students live in self-catered accommodation, though rooms are not guaranteed.
http://www.city.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/accommodation
http://www.city.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/accommodation/international-and-exchange-students
LSE
Housing is guaranteed for all General Course students who apply before 30 June. You may be housed in a hall of residence or intercollegiate hall. Students may also live in privately rented flats.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/study/generalCourse/prospectiveStudents/whyTheGC/lifeAtLSE.aspx
EDINBURGH
University housing is guaranteed for all full-year students. Apply as soon as you have accepted your offer, and before 16 August. Pollock Halls offer catered accommodation, others are self-catered.
http://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/new-and-prospective-students/visiting-and-exchange-students/
OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE
Students may eat lunch and dinner in their college dining halls, and there are also shared kitchens available. Some colleges have weekly formal dinners, at which academic gowns are worn. Check your college’s website for more information.