One student who was offered accommodation more than 30 miles from the university said it was “very stressful” and worried about commuting to classes.
Joe Carman, 18, is among about 250 new students at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) who have been offered digs in Liverpool and Huddersfield.
He said he would miss the “indoor experience” if he lived elsewhere.
According to MMU, 2% of freshmen were affected after “more offerees than expected” accepted places.
Mr Carman, who is from Leeds, said: “I have decided to go to Manchester Metropolitan University to live in Manchester.
“I don’t know where I’m going right now, so it’s very stressful.
“I’m on the waiting lists for all the dorms but I’ve been told there are over 100 people on it and it’s just not realistic – I won’t be moving into a dorm.”
Instead, he’s desperately looking for a private home in Manchester where he can move in with other students while he begins his studies in Animal Behavior and Conservation.
“Nothing is confirmed for me at the moment and I am due to move in two weeks. I can’t mentally prepare for anything or get anything because I don’t know what I need,” he said.
“Halls are like a great experience at university. Personally, I’m not bad with anxiety, but someone who’s had bad social anxiety and then moves in with second and third graders who might already be in an established friendship group isn’t ideal, is it .” ?”
The 18-year-old said he was concerned about relying on public transport for a return journey that could take up to two hours if he lives in Liverpool or Huddersfield.
MMU said it would cover travel expenses, adding: “We know this will be disappointing [students]and we are doing everything we can to find rooms in Manchester as soon as possible.”
Zoe Cooke, who runs the What I Wish I Knew About University web forum for students’ parents, said: “If you commute from home or an hour away, how do you get back after parties or other events or social gatherings ? ?
“This year was particularly bad because you had a lot of kids who were put on hold last year because of the Covid situation so I think a lot of places were offered that maybe shouldn’t have been.”
MMU said: “Manchester is an incredibly popular student city and there is significant demand for accommodation.
“We have offered places to our target number of students this year and planned our placements based on long-term experience of how many of those offers are likely to be accepted, while building a significant cushion.”
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