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It's time to go to the capital to start a new stage, but before landing there, it's time to look for a university residence. Madrid is a city brimming with life and opportunities, but with so much variety and residences to choose from, it can also be overwhelming. As we want you to start your university adventure on the right foot, we bring you a practical guide of 5 steps so you do not get lost in all this maelstrom of information and easily find what will be your new home.

We recommend that you start looking for a residence or student apartment in Madrid once you have been admitted to the university where you have applied. This way, you will be able to decide where you want to live taking into account where in Madrid you will have to move from Monday to Friday.

• For the sleepyheads:

Maybe you have chosen a university on the outskirts of Madrid (Getafe, Fuenlabrada or Cantoblanco, for example) and you are one of those people who do not like to get up early and, as long as you can jump out of bed to class, do not mind living on the outskirts. In that case, you're in luck! Some of the universities with campuses in the suburbs have their own residence halls. 

• For those who like to go on the move:

Maybe, even though you study further away, you prefer to enjoy the downtown life and make the commute to and from uni rather than after partying with your friends. Well, you will be happy to know that there are residences and independent halls of residence in Madrid that accept students from any university.

In this sense, the area of Moncloa and Metropolitano is the most popular in the city and is home to several university residences. Why? Here is the Ciudad Universitaria de Madrid (Ciu for friends), where many of the faculties of the Complutense and Polytechnic Universities are located, and in the adjacent area of Metropolitano, there are also the campuses of several private universities. In addition, of course, there is also a lot of university life, so you can make the most of your student years. Although if you want to explore other parts of the capital, the map of districts of Madrid has residences in many of them. options you will not lack!

• For the lucky ones:

If you're lucky enough to study at a university in the center, for example, at the Universidad Politécnica, your Madrid university residence will be right next to this lively student epicenter and you'll be able to get to class in no time.

2. Decide what type of residence best fits your lifestyle

Once you have narrowed down the area you want to live in, it's time to start looking for a residence. But before you start looking and looking and looking and looking and stuffing yourself with information, it is best to limit your search to those residences where you can feel at home. 

There are residences with very strict visiting hours, or even some that do not allow visitors at all. There are also those with curfews: do you want to be told what time to go home when you are a full-fledged adult? 

On the other hand, there are residences with various clubs, which organize activities, excursions and weekend trips and promote a sense of community and belonging among their members. In short, there is no magic formula to know which is the best university residence in Madrid: it will always depend on the tastes and preferences of the person looking for one.

3. Where to look for information

• From the university's own website: if the university where you will study has its own residence hall and you want to live near the campus, you can easily find information from its website. 
• On the website of the Community of Madrid: in the Education section, you can find information about residence halls and halls of residence.  
• In the student information service: although there are universities that do not have their own residence halls, some offer information on their websites or through their student information service.
• On Google Maps: if you have decided to embark on the search through Google, we recommend that you do it using Google Maps. This way you can delimit the residences to the area where you want to live to make the search much easier.
• In forums and social networks: you can see the opinions of former members in forums or the comments they have left on Google, but do not believe everything you read. There are comments that are not 100% reliable, so nothing better than a visit to the residence you see that may interest you. So before deciding on one or another university residence in Madrid, we recommend that you take a weekend trip to the capital to visit the residences you are interested in.

4. Compare prices and services

Here comes the trickiest part: the price of a university residence is not exactly cheap. The monthly fees range from 800 euros to 1500 euros. The price will vary depending on whether or not you decide to share a room and the area in which it is located: a university residence in Madrid near the Complutense is not the same as a residence in Villaverde. 

Finally, you should also look at the services included in the price: full board or half board, does it have laundry facilities, what facilities does it have in its common areas, is there a cafeteria in case you want to have a snack between meals, will you have a refrigerator in the room? 

5. Evaluate other options

After embarking on such an undertaking, you may realize that living in a university residence in Madrid is not exactly what you are looking for. If you have reached this point, don't despair! There is a whole world beyond university residences: perhaps you would like to share an apartment in Madrid.

This option will be much cheaper and you will have a bigger budget to enjoy all the plans that the city has to offer; apartment sharing is a great way to meet people and make new friends in the capital. 

By following these 5 simple steps, you will be able to find your new home comfortably. Are you ready to start your new stage in one of the best European university cities? Welcome to Madrid!