Five years ago, there were more than two hundred empty rooms on campus. Nowadays, each room is rented. Students like to live on campus and in Enschede. That is the conclusion of Acasa-manager, Martijn Holterman. In Enschede, it is relatively easy to get a room and rents are well below the national average. The student housing organisations have seen, in recent years, that the campus is increasing in popularity. "It is expected that the demand for housing in the coming years will continue on a limited scale, with the greatest demand coming from foreign students.
One of the students is Matthijs Baas (23), now in the second year of the Bachelor's programme in Public Administration. Eighteen months ago, this young man from Ommen moved into one of the characteristic pyramid housing units of approximately 17m2 at the edge of the campus. "I liked that I could live independently and do my own cooking. I did not necessarily need to go to the center of Enschede. Here I can run, enjoy nature, work out and go to the supermarket. Actually, I have everything within reach. "
Different nationalities
"The campus is a unique place to live, work and play." Holterman adds. In recent years, the University and Acasa have done a great deal to make the campus attractive. For example, it has expanded the facilities and supply of various types of housing. Also, the available courses have been updated. "In our accommodations, we also see an increasing diversity of residents. Last year we were able to welcome as many as 72 different nationalities into our housing units. All these different cultures make, in their own way, a special contribution to the campus."
Enschede is the best university town
That it is popular to live on campus is also evident from the results of the National Student Survey which were published in early June. Enschede is, according to the students, the best university town when it comes to housing. "The cost of a room is lower than I expected. I pay 289 euros per month and then I also have access to the Internet." When making the choice to study in Enschede, Matthijs also considered the mentality of the people. "I've gotten to know a lot of nice, down-to-earth people here. I also have nice neighbors. I do not know them all, but we do have a Facebook group for our green square ". (Every pyramid housing complex has its own color. Matthijs lives in the green painted house in Witbreuksweg).
Registering for a room
To qualify for a room on the campus, you can register at Acasa. Rooms in housing groups are channeled through the co-option system and, for self-catering rooms, the first-come, first-served principle is used: the room-seeker who responds first to an available room is given that room. The international students are housed via Acasa in collaboration with UT. "It is wise to look for a room well before the beginning of the new academic year. During the summer and at the beginning of the new academic year, demand is greater than supply," said Holterman.
If everything goes well, Matthijs will have one more year to go. Until then, he is happy to stay where he is. "I would certainly not discourage students from living on campus. I'm certainly enjoying myself here!"
