So you're moving into halls. Imagine a group of students all complete strangers to one another check into one big hotel. There you have it.
In todays blog we will be discussing the things you DON'T get told about moving into halls, the good, the bad and the ugly; (Ryan hasn't done his washing up for a week?! 🤢)
So without further a do, lets get you prepared.
1. BRING PLENTY OF TUPPERWARE.
I don't mean to sound like your nan here, but you'll be surprised at how tupperware is one of the most commonly nicked things in student flats. You've just made a tasty sarnie to scoff in your 11-12 lecture break and your lunch box is nowhere to be seen. You don't have any plastic sandwich bags because you're trying to save the planet (duh) so what can you do?
You'll also find spares come in handy for meal planning/storing things in and I'm sure your Mum has already given you the 'make enough for the week and then you'll have lots of meals and save money' chat.
2. FIRE ALARMS GO OFF ALL THE TIME.
Well. Sort of. Expect your halls of residence to have weekly fire alarm routines. Hopefully for you they'll be on a Friday morning at 11am when you're timetabled to be at uni. If you've been at Applebum (Monthly party at The Old Fire Station) the night before and decided to give uni a miss, then let this be a warning to you. It's super important for you to leave the building no matter how tempting your super noodles and 7th episode of Friday Night Dinner seems. Take your snacks, your blanket and whatever else you may need to get through the following ten minutes. Trust me, you won't be alone out there.
3. WASH AWAY YOUR MONEY WORRIES.
If Mum and Dad have injected you with fear over the cost of laundrettes then put a stop to those worries right now. Most halls of residences have industrial size washers and dryers at student friendly prices. That means bigger washes, smaller spends. If you don't always want to use the tumble dryers, suggest splitting the costs of some clothes horses (like £6 from Wilko!) with your flat mates.
4. It WILL get noisy.
I hate to break it to you but you may want to invest in some ear plugs if you're a light sleeper. This goes for you too party animals! You may have a 9am assessment but 85% of your building may be going out on the town. There's nothing worse than getting off to sleep then being awoken by a dire garage remix of Stormzy blaring from outside at 4am.
If you do have an assessment or exam, it's good to keep your flat mates in the know too. Most modern halls are sort of soundproof, however drunk cackles can travel through corridors and walls so its best to be prepared.
5. EVERYONE APPROACHES WASHING UP AND GENERAL CLEANING DIFFERENTLY
You'll all be friends within the first few weeks, until the habits start to show.
Sure you'll probably have your own plates, bowls, pans and cutlery but you'll probably have to either:
A) Fight for some room in the sink to wash up (its okay Anna said she'd do it later... two days ago).
B) Fight for some room on the drying up rack.
C) Attempt to not knock the stack of plates and bowls that represents the leaning tower of Pisa over.
You can either;
A) Leave it all in its filth and teach your flat mates a lesson but make your eyes suffer further.
B) Spare your eyes, clean it all up and send a firm message on the flat group chat.
Whatever you do, make sure you've got adequate cleaning products to tackle the messes you and your flat mates may make. Some of these can be quite expensive (oven cleaner tends to be the pricy one) so best to share the costs. The more you clean the easier the jobs. Schedule in fortnightly flat cleans with the flat mates to ensure you're all steering clear of gross habits and have a chance of getting your deposits back.
Top tip: Keep a BIN chart so there's no arguments over who's turn it is to take the bins out!
6. YOUR FOOD WILL PROBABLY GET STOLEN AT LEAST ONCE...
Aw your grandparents sent you a care package of fairy lights, coffee sachets and chocolate covered Oreos? KEEP THEM IN YOUR ROOM. You'll probably find on many occasions a flat mate will or will not own up to using some of your milk or cheese (CHEESE IS SO EXPENSIVE BY THE WAY!) You could always suggest as a flat you do a food shop together, but I'd advise keeping your fave snacks hidden away. What a sad world we live in.
7. EVERYONE IS IN THE SAME BOAT
Okay so this one people will always tell you. But it couldn't be more true. Be a social butterfly and remember SUBU (your Students' Union) will always be here for you! Living in halls is SUPER fun and such a good way to meet people. You'll never experience anything like it again, so make the most of it.
See ya soon, I'll be welcoming you like this...
Shannon
SUBU Freshers Advisor and Digital Promotions Coordinator
click here to find me on Facebook.
