Student perceptions and experiences of the living conditions in a university residence: A qualitative study

This qualitative study aimed to explore how students experience the living conditions in the residences of a university campus in South Africa. Three focus group interviews were conducted with 20 students ranging between 18 and 30 years. All participants resided in campus residences.Open ended questions were designed to explore participants’ perceptions and experiences about living in student residences on an emerging university campus in Pretoria, South Africa. Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was utilised to analyse the textual data. Results indicated that students regard their living conditions as unhygienic and neglected. They reported high levels of noise and lack of privacy that impacted their studies. Safety and security was also indicated as substandard. It was concluded that the environmental systems in this institution had a profound influence on physical and psychological well-being of participants.