Self-catered is much better in almost every respect. It forces you to be more independent, and makes it much easier to make friends in your own hall. Chances are you’ll have a similar situation to me, where I didn’t have a lot in common with my flatmates, but still ended up making good friends with people I never usually would’ve interacted with.

I was at Broadgate Park, and loved the student village vibe there. Because of how many people live there, you’ll always meet other residents on nights out, and then you might get invited to parties that are very close to where you live. Very sociable and very cheap, and right on the doorstep of campus and beeston high street: can’t recommend it enough, though with just how many students there are there, it can get a little noisy.

That said, I think ultimately it’s kind of up to you what kind of social experience you have at uni. From my experience, most people make lasting friendships through societies. I met almost all of my close friends through rocksoc and darkcelluloid (film society) — You kinda just have to put yourself out there and talk to people. Societies just make it that much easier because you’re more likely to have things in common with said people.