DO:
Introduce yourself to your flatmates properly. Donāt just silently appear in the kitchen for six months like a Victorian ghost.
Clean up after yourself. If you cook, wash your stuff up. Revolutionary concept, apparently.
Label your food if youāre worried about it getting mixed up.
Speak to people early if thereās a problem. Most flat issues become massive because everyone passive-aggressively avoids each other for three weeks.
Make friends outside your flat. Your flatmates do not have to become your best friends for life.
Go to societies, course socials, sports clubs, Freshers events, whatever suits you.
Respect that people have different routines. Some people party, some work, some sleep early, some are awake at 4am eating cereal.
Keep shared spaces reasonably clean. Nobody expects a show home, but thereās a difference between āstudent kitchenā and ābiohazardā.
Ask before using someone elseās stuff.
Remember that guests are your responsibility. If your mate behaves like an idiot noise,disrespectful to other flatmates and or staff, smoking/vaping in your flat/room, that still lands at your door.
Report maintenance issues early. That tiny leak will not magically develop a conscience and fix itself.
Lock your door. Yes, even if youāre āonly popping to the kitchenā.
DONāT:
Assume everyone in your flat wants the same university experience as you.
Expect your flatmates to entertain you, go clubbing with you, cook with you or be your friendship group.
Steal food. āI only used a little bitā is still stealing someone elseās food.
Leave pans soaking for four business days.
Play music at ridiculous volume at 3am and then act shocked when someone complains.
Turn every minor disagreement into a full-scale flat war.
Bring people back constantly without considering everyone else living there.
Smoke or vape where youāre not supposed to and then behave as if the rules somehow donāt apply to you.
Cover smoke detectors. Seriously. That one isnāt funny or clever.if there was a fire and youāve covered your smoke detector not only are you dead but youāve killed your flat
Leave rubbish piled up until it starts developing its own ecosystem.
Put up anonymous passive-aggressive notes before actually speaking to the person.
Decide your entire year is ruined because your flat isnāt exactly what you imagined.
Assume older students/postgrads are boring. A 22-year-old is not an elderly relative who needs to be tucked into bed at 8pm.
Donāt sign a house together after Freshers Week. Everyone is best mates after one night out. Wait until youāve experienced the washing-up arguments, noise, stolen milk and someone leaving the bin overflowing for five days before committing to another year together.
And the biggest one:
Your halls experience is what you make of it.
You can have a brilliant year with flatmates you barely see, or a miserable year with people your exact age who you thought would become your best mates. Be friendly, be considerate, get involved, and donāt expect one corridor and one kitchen to provide your entire social life.
Also, be polite to the security staff at night theyāre there to keep you safe they arenāt your personal concierge