Five tips to ace shared accommodation
Source: 5 Tips to Ace Shared Accommodation | Xpress Jobs
Photo courtesy of Xpress Jobs
Amy Liston of Xpress Jobs teaches students how to thrive in a shared living space.
Warning – You’ll probably meet some of the best people and not want to move out ever
Shared accommodation looks great…. That is, until you fly the nest and endure the harsh reality of the Blair and Serena set up you had in your mind with macaroons, shared bathrooms, and 24/7 friend time is completely unrealistic.
First of all, the only good store-bought macaroons are from Marks and Spencer and we do not have the income for that right now – that £5 could be two doubles from the Union bar, or new notebooks! No thank you!
Secondly, you know we students get discounts on Amazon Prime, right? Who has time to talk when you can binge “Handmaids Tale” all day?
At the end of the day, shared accommodation can be really great once you figure things out together.
There are some things to iron out before cohabitating for the next year, so we’ve made a list to help you make the best of this next year:
5 Tips for Shared Accommodation
Establish Your Routines
Picture this: you’re done with your first week at uni and looking forward to sleeping until 10 AM. You’re all cozy in bed and – bang! You get woken up at 6 AM by your night shift flatmate who’s heading to bed to sleep all day while you walk about like a zombie for the remainder of the weekend.
Absolutely no chance, we need our z’s.
Sit down with everyone and figure out what the daily routine will look like for the year ahead. It lets you become aware of work patterns and whether you’ll need to use headphones for your 2 AM Netflix binge if you’re surrounded by light sleepers or those who wake up early for work or classes. It seems not everyone appreciates hearing “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” at all hours of the day – who knew?
Spend Some Quality Time Together
Young women laughing together
Source: 5 Tips to Ace Shared Accommodation | Xpress Jobs
You’ve got a year with these people, so it’s good to make the most of it! We’re talking pizza nights, pre-drinks before the club, and a tv show you can watch together.
A home only feels like a home if the people make it one. Give your flat a great environment and enjoy this experience together!
Be Self Aware
You know those times when you’re on holiday, spending time in a room with someone constantly for weeks? Then, you begin to get annoyed at the things they do? (I mean is it really necessary to sing along to the “Just Eat” advert every time it comes on???)
Just eat advertisement (2019)
Source: Just Eat 2019 advert – Did Somebody Say Just Eat | Just Eat
Well you now have a year of that, and let it be known we all have those annoying habits, which is why this is a great time to break them!
It’s not like at home where you could walk about the house in your undies and pick your nose like there’s no tomorrow; people will notice here and they won’t be pleased by the sights they’ll see.
So, let’s nip that in the bud, or at least, wait until nobody is home, if you realllly need to.
We All Need Toilet Roll, Right?
It turns out, contrary to popular belief, toilet roll doesn’t magically stock up and was actually replenished by the parents – which means you need to figure out some household delegation duties.
When it comes to bathroom, kitchen, and cleaning products, there should be some structure so no one person is left with the same shopping list. With food items and bathroom products, it’s normally a more sensible choice to get your own, but for the things everyone uses there should be a way to level out the costs.
Pop a jar in the kitchen with £5 each person per month (money varies on number of housemates) to use as a household kitty for when you need toilet roll, bleach, sponges, etc.
What a way to make life easier!
Keeping it Clean
Unlabeled cleaning product wielded by a rubber glove covered hand
Source: 5 Tips to Ace Shared Accommodation | Xpress Jobs
Unless you’re a Monica, there are very few people on this world that enjoy cleaning, and even fewer that enjoy cleaning after others. Which is why it’s vital to lay the law and split the washing up. You can do your own dishes, of course, but it does mean if you leave your pile to grow at the sink, you’ll probably lose some fans in the flat.
It’s quite popular to have a rotation within the flat, especially as it means nobody feels like they’re doing all the cleaning and it keeps things running smoothly.
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