Tales from upmarket student digs ...

SAVIO Baptista, 28, who is from Toronto, Canada, is studying law at Strathclyde University. He is in his second year of staying in Collegelands in Glasgow, which is run by Fresh Student Living and offers allinclusive bills and facilities such as games rooms, 24/7 staff, and laundry and bike storage facilities.

He said: “I just liked the fact there was so much offered with the £120 a week that I pay for my room. You get WiFi and I can control my own heat.

“In terms of social life it is great.

“If you want to take a break and go hang out with people, you can go downstairs.

“People are typically paying between £95 and £120 a week in student halls.”

Baptista, who also works parttime as a resident assistant at Collegelands, said the location of the property also made it attractive.

“The library is close by so it makes studying a lot easier and it is just good to be near campus as there is so much happening,” he added.

“A lot of people do choose to move out of student halls after first year and go to the west end or Sauchiehall St and get their own privately-rented flats.

“They pay quite a bit less, so they are happy on cost, but it is not so good from the travel perspective.”

Meshaal Furqan, 21, from West Yorkshire, is studying for a Masters in biomedical engineering at Strathclyde University and staying at St James House in Glasgow run by CRM Students, which offers facilities such as a gym, cinema room and games rooms.

She pays £135 a week for a room in a “cluster” flat and said the all-inclusive bills and ability for flexible payment plans was an important factor in choosing the accommodation to help make sure her costs were kept within budget.

She said: “It is a great location and really safe.

“There is a great mix of people here – we have a wide variation in the people who come here and what they do. There are international students and undergraduates as well.”