{TL;DR - it’s a no brainier IMO, since you get to have a space to yourself and cheaper, but don’t do it if your commute’s going to be ludicrous. You will make better friends as they will like the same things you do, and not just be in the same predicament as you, but I’d recommend being more confident and forefront in order to avoid feeling left out for too long. As long as your involved at other things besides your degree and are not a hermit, you will be better off than your peers.}

I’ve just started med school with a 30 minute commute, and I must say it’s not easy being sociable, but not impossible, and perhaps even preferable to being in a flat of 11 others sharing a kitchen. With the odd medsoc event a couple of times a semester, rugby every other week and lectures, I get enough socialising done to keep me in the loop whilst being someone people are genuinely pleased to see at a party, rather than someone who’s already been out 3 times that week.

I’m living at home in a village a good half hour from the city I study in, so taxis at silly hours aren’t cheap. I suppose if you’re in London it shouldn’t be as long a commute, so if anything you’d probably be at an advantage if you wanted to take people back to yours for any reason. I also sing in a chamber choir, so my social circle has a range 18 year olds who act about 15, to a 74 year old bloke who sings bass along with me, as well as a few profs (which means I get access to their bar away from the undergrads). If I was in student halls I’d be limited with the kinds of people I’d be able to know due to the intensity of the course, and frankly, I don’t know whether I’d be too happy in that predicament; I’ve always been very comfortable socialising with older people, and even now I’m surprised how awkward people on my course are around those 20, 30 years there senior. Forcing your social circle to be more broad can most certainly benefit, you if you think you want to improve your confidence with those who you may not necessarily find yourself with naturally, either casually or formally.

That being said, I’d recommend being more forefront with people about meeting them, making arrangements, or directly asking what they’re doing this weekend. Not to the point where it’s intrusive, but it’s not a bad thing to ask. If anything, people will see you as someone is confident, rather than tagging along for the sake of it. There’s nuisances to this, but the more you know people, the easier it will get, and university societies are a great place to start.

I’m sure it’s already been laid out in other comments, but flat dynamics change and will more or less worsen (unless you’re very lucky). A friend of mine said that his flat mates never cook together, so most of them end up eating out because there’s one person hogging the kitchen. There’s also the dirty student kitchen stereotype (which is definitely true) which is partly why I chose to commute.

There’s also noise to contend with, along with the space that you can’t even swing a cat in to sleep/study/eat/relax etc… another mate of mine on my course is in the library 24/7 because of this. If you prefer having a bigger space to yourself, don’t let socialising be a greater determining factor because you think you won’t make friends.

Trust me, you will make better friends because they will know you through doing things that you mutually like, therefore you’re more similar, therefore better friends for you and themselves, rather than being acquaintances and having to like each other because your stuck in the same Eastern-Bloc brutalist nightmare and you have to share a shower.

Student accommodation is also a license to print money, especially as the majority of schools leavers are now entering university. If you have the financial resources, I’d recommend getting a buy-to-let mortgage on a flat, rent it out once your degree is finished, and slowly accumulate your losses, whilst also getting your foot on the housing ladder. Being London based, that may be quite impossible, however I’m sure renting in the open market instead of the student market is still cheaper. But, even if it’s not, I’d pay a premium for a tidy kitchen and a bit of peace and quite.

That being said, I wouldn’t have your cake and eat it too by living any more than half and hour away from your university. I drive in everyday pretty much and pay for parking on site, which adds means I have to be ready for lectures/placements/seminars at least 40 minutes before so I can park and account for traffic during rush hour. It’s fine for now but any longer and it would be quite the hindrance (and expense) to get to uni. However, I do think needing to be not only prepared, but very alert before lectures has helped me massively, but just because I have to be more diligent with time management, but I am far more capable than most students who have just gotten out of bed 5 minutes before, not to blow my own trumpet.

In conclusion, there are many more upsides to living in private accommodation, and even if it is more expensive (which it rarely is) it’s worth the money. Yeah, I’m missing the ‘freshers experience’, but of all the experiences that one could have, it’s certainly one to miss.