This is part of a series of guidance about community relations provided for students.
‘Studentification’
Studentification is a term that has been made up to describe the effects that a large student population can have on an area. This isn’t all about what the students actively do to an area, it’s also about the changes that occur as a result of their presence.
‘Accidental’ Impact
One such trend, which no-one would claim is due to the malicious intentions of students, is reducing school numbers; if an area has a high percentage of houses turned over to shared student accommodation, it’s likely to have a low percentage of school-aged children. This can lead to reduced school populations, and ultimately the closure of local schools, causing a big problem for those families that remain.
Other features of ‘studentified’ areas include:
- Large transient populations, leading to less cohesion in the community.
- Streets that are virtually vacant during student vacations.
- Higher burglary rates, as criminals target areas where they think student houses might offer ‘rich pickings’.
- Some landlords living outside of the area may not have much interest in the external appearance of their property, making areas appear shabby.
- Many local shops close down to be replaced by takeaways.
As a student, it’s important to recognise that your presence in an area has implications beyond that caused directly by your behaviour; these factors amplify the impact of any problems that are your fault – if a neighbour didn’t already have to put up with high crime rates and closed schools, they might be more likely to turn a blind eye on the odd occasion when you forget to put your bin away promptly after collection.
Lowering your Impact
So what can you do? Well, you could make a choice to live in an area with a more balanced population – most permanent residents will not mind having a few students living on their street, and only begin to resent it when the student population grows too large. This decision could also have benefits for you:
- If you get friendly with your neighbours, they might be able to keep an eye on your house while you’re away.
- Rents are often inflated in areas with high student populations, so picking another area could save you a packet.
- A permanent resident community will often be able to support a more diverse range of local shops and services.
- Many areas less popular with students have lower incidences of burglaries, so you’re less likely to have the heartache of losing a computer with all your essays on it.
- When you’ve got a coursework deadline or an exam looming, you’re less likely to be disturbed by other student neighbours having a party at an inconvenient time!
If you decide you really do want to live in an area with a high student population, it’s particularly important that you’re considerate about your actions, due to the effects that you’re having simply by your presence.
Summary
- Students have an impact on an area just by their presence, even if they are ‘well-behaved’.
- Consider living in an area with a lower student population – it could be better for you and better for the community.
- If you do decide to live in a ‘studentified’ area, it’s particularly important that you behave responsibly.