Some Tips on Surviving a Student House
If you’re soon going to be moving into a shared house, you may be wondering how on earth you’re going to live with a group of strangers. Have no fear – we’ve rounded up our top tips on how to get to know your new housemates and live with them for the rest of the academic year.
Be social
Getting to know the people that you live with is essential if you’re going to feel comfortable in your new home. Upon arrival, be sure to introduce yourself and leave your room door open whilst you unpack. This will allow you break the ice without the awkwardness and find out more about each other.
Once you’re all settled, be sure to suggest social activities, such as making the most of Hull University Union’s WelcomeFest events or even ordering a pizza and having a film night together.
Establish boundaries
After the fun bit of getting to know everyone is over, it’s time to set boundaries and establish some house rules. If you’re going to live in relative harmony and not end up with a passive-aggressive Post-it war, it’s crucial to be open about how you expect to live.
Whether this is ensuring that everyone washes their dishes, or if you’d rather people knocked before entering your room, have a chat over a coffee about any issues you think might arise.
Cleaning rota
Many of the arguments in student houses stem from the problem of cleaning. To prevent this, you should really lay down some rules and decide on who is going to do which chores and when.
Perhaps get everyone in the house to choose a job and stick to it for the rest of the semester, or take it in turns to clean the bathroom, kitchen and communal areas. It’s important that everyone pulls their weight and respects the space that they live in.
Compromise
Compromise is key when you share a house with anyone, whether it be student housemates, your parents or a partner. You won’t get very far if everyone in the house is super stubborn and disagrees on a particular topic. Therefore, it’s best to come to a decision that benefits everyone, even if it means you each make a little sacrifice for the greater good.
Have fun!
Lastly, be sure to make the most of your time as a student. As a fresher you’ve probably heard this many times before (and if you haven’t, you will do), but your time at university goes very quickly. There probably won’t be another period in your life where you get to share a house with 4-5 other people – it can be a lot of fun, so don’t miss out.
If you’re still looking for a place to live this semester, check out our available properties. And if you have any of your own tips on housesharing, let us know on Facebook and Twitter.