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For students living in rural Ireland, moving away from home and into student accommodation for the first time is both an exciting adventure and a challenging adjustment.
Suddenly, the freedom to raid the fridge at any time and leave your belongings scattered around is replaced with the reality of cleaning up after yourself and competing for the washing machine.
It doesn’t take long for tensions to arise when living with others, leading to cleaning rotas and the inevitable passive-aggressive messages in the group chat.
To help navigate this new experience, here are the essential do's and don’ts of living with new housemates.
1 Start on the right foot
Make a good first impression. You don’t have to be best friends with your housemates but you will be sharing a small space with them for at least the college year.
Start off by going out of your way to get to know them. Take an interest in what they are studying and what they like to do. This will help bridge the awkwardness and ensure you get to know the people you are living with.
You might need their help in an emergency so it’s important to make the effort in the beginning.
2 Clean up after yourself
It might be self-explanatory but you would be surprised with the number of arguments that arise when you are untidy. Cleaning up after you cook lunch or dinner in a communal area is the bare minimum.
If you see the bins need taking out or the dishwasher needs emptying, don’t assume it will magically get done. Be the one to empty it and hope that others will do the same.
Simply wiping down the counter space and hoovering in the communal areas will help keep the place clean. Also, for hygienic reasons, it’s important to not let things build up.
3 Try to communicate when something is wrong
If there are things that your housemates are doing that are getting under your skin, let them know.
You don’t have to write them down and turn them into an argument but it is better to iron out the small things rather than letting them build up into an explosion.
Open and honest communication will help everyone live in a better environment. Don’t be afraid to set your boundaries and personal tolerance levels as everyone is different.
4 Share communal things
Buying utensils, pots, pans and other household items can be expensive, especially when purchasing them all in one go. You and your new housemates should share any communal items you can.
It will not only save everyone money but it also means less space will be taken up by duplicate items. Just remember if you are using someone else’s items make sure they know about it.
1 Don’t be overly sensitive
At some stage or another, your housemate is likely to say something that you don’t agree with or don’t like. It’s important to take it on the chin and not to sweat the small stuff.
Don’t be overly sensitive because nine times out of 10 it isn’t about you. They might be going through a tough time in college or their personal lives and be taking it out on you.
2 Don’t forget to lock up
When you’re rushing out the door late for a lecture, it is easy to walk out without checking all the windows are closed and all the doors are locked.
Take an extra minute to check everything is locked if you come home and everything has been stolen the blame only goes to one person, the last one out.
3 Don’t be late paying bills
As a courtesy don’t be the one late for paying their bills.
Yes, it is hard to manage money and make it last, especially if you are paid monthly or not earning much. But if you have direct debits like bills and utilities coming out of your housemate’s account don’t leave them stuck either.
It is a lot of money to come out of any account.
4 Don’t be too loud
When living in a confined area and small rooms, noise travels. Playing music at full volume late at night or when your housemates are trying to study won’t go down well.
Purchase a good pair of headphones, they will come in handy for studying in the library. If you are having friends over make sure you notify others in case someone in the house is preparing for a big exam.
There is nothing worse when you have to get up early in the morning than being kept awake by your housemates.
5 Don’t worry if you’re not living with your best friends
Often students get randomly allocated housemates if they are in campus accommodation. As a result, you can live with people you don’t know. This can often be a blessing in disguise as they can quickly become friends for life.
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