Living in Student ResidencesSituation, expectations and preferences of students
Selected results of an empirical study on behalf of the
German National Association for Student Affairs (DSW)
Fritz Berger, DSW Board Member
http://www.studentenwerke.de/pdf/Wohnen_im_Studium.pdf
1. Current living situation and their assessment: inter alia overall satisfaction, criteria for "good living", preferred form of housing, the image of the student residences
Content structure of the survey
5. Students looking for accommodation between March 2008 and March 2009: type of requested accommodation, occasion of the search, typical forms of successful search for accommodation
2. Current residents: inter alia exact form of living, reasons for choosing a particular residence hall, pros and cons of a residence
3. Former residents: inter alia retrospective satisfaction, reasons for high or low satisfaction
4. Never lived in a residence: inter alia impression / assessment, reasons for not moving into a residence
Features of the online survey in “living in student residences”
- Field research of the survey on housing: March 2009
- data analysis: completed questionnaire of 8‘500 students, 40% rate of return
- only information of German students
- representative by gender, institution of higher education, academic semester, old/new federal states, faculties
- Online survey as part of the HISBUS Panels
- HISBUS-Panel: fixed online panel listing currently ca. 22‘000 students who take part in approx. 10 surveys per year
Where and how do you live mainly during the semester?
18%
67%
1%
13%1%
Parent/Relatives
Apartment/Own Apartment
Other living form
Dormitory
Subletting
Room in a residential group 5,2Single Studio apartment 3,8
Single room with share facilities3,6
Apartment for student and families 0,4Twin bett 0,1
Current living form in dormitory in details (in %)
Forms of Living in Student Residences
Facility managers of current residents(based on all current student residents, in %)
74%
9,60%
16,40%
Student union
Church institution
Other insititution
Why did you chose a student residence?(Based on all current student residents in %, max. 2 reasons)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Low rent
Convenient location
(close to the University)
Lack of time in theApartment search
Living togehther with otherstudents
No reasonable alternative
Friends/Relatives/Fellow studentalready lived there
How satisfied are you with your current living situation?(Shares of satisfied / very satisfied, in %)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
satisfied/very satisfied
never lived in a dormitory lived in dormitory currently in dormitory
What students in student residences rank higher than students in other forms of housing?
% of students in residence halls
% of all students
low rent 79 % 75 %convenient location to the univercity 80 % 64 %live in a community with neighbors 71 % 53 %sufficient duration of lease 61 % 49 %the possibility to communicate and meet with neighbors
54 % 30 %
Barrier-free, accesibility for disabled 13 % 7 %
Currently in student residences: Is there something that bothers you in your student housing?(max. 3 reasons; in %)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Size of my room/Living area
Noise in the wider residential environment
Cleanliness/Hygiene in shared kitchen
Cleanliness/Hygiene in shared sanitary areas
Lack of common areas(ex. Club-, Sport-, reading and other leisure room)
Other problems/conflict with neighbors/roommates
Attitude of other residents in shared kitchen(ex. Cooking habits)
Composition of the residents
Nothing
Currently in student residence: What do you like particularly well in your residence?(max. 3 reasons; in percent)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
proximity to the university
Low rent
Internet access
Good place (in an attractive part, Close to the centre
Social interaction with other roommate /
Neighbors
Possibility to make a contact withOther students
Adequate privacy
Size of my room/ Living area
Good local transport
good condition of technical equipment(sanitation, heater)
Nothing
Students who have not lived in residences, what are the most important aspects for you to choose a student residence? (max. 3 aspects; in %)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Low rent
cleanliness, hygiene
Good construction equipment
(ex. own bath)
Size of my room/living area
Internet access
Proximity to the university
Would never move into a student residence
Currently in a student residence: Would you choose living in a student residence again?(in %)
10%
76%
14%
No Yes, for the exact dorm Yes, but in another dorm
in the garden area at the student residence „Neue BURSE“ in Wuppertal
Conclusion: Life can be quite pleasant in our student residences