A better title would be "A Summary of Responses to Freedom of Information Requests About Student Housing Policies". There is no survey (scientific or informal)

A better title would be "A Summary of Responses to Freedom of Information Requests About Student Housing Policies". There is no survey (scientific or informal) of students to find how or if these policies affect the friendships that they form and keep long-term and there is no comparison to whether the intent of these policies is realized or if students tend to circumvent these social integration attempts. In fact, there is not a single piece of information in the article that was contributed by a student (Unless the VP of NUS, who is quoted once, is a student). I think the title is intended to stoke irrational fear of institutions controlling lives in unseen and potentially uncomfortable ways. If you read the news looking for reasons to justify your xenophobia and/or distrust of education, this headline is exactly what you hope to see. The only thing to fear here is lazy writing and the author's use of "freshers".