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Living with Flatmates; the uni experience 🏠✨

For anyone who’s living or will be living with flatmates for the first time, don’t be stressed or worried. Living with flatmates can be full of laughs and “who used my milk?” moments 😅. But regardless of whether you clicked as friends or not, it’s important to set a few rules when living with strangers:.

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Respect each other’s space and boundaries 🛏️

Everyone needs alone time. Don’t take it personally if someone wants a quiet evening. A closed door usually means they just need a break. Be considerate and ask your flatmates when you want to party or have a gathering in the kitchen mid-week, sometimes your flatmates may have had a rough week or early lectures the next day.

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Share the chores fairly 🧽

No one likes cleaning the kitchen (or bathroom if you’re sharing), but it has to be done! Make sure everyone cleans up after themselves and try setting up a rota or group chat reminders for common chores, so things don’t pile up. But also, don’t exaggerate the chores, once or twice a week of floor mopping is enough.

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Communicate honestly 💬

If something’s bugging you, like noise, cleanliness, or even passive aggressive post-it notes, talk about it calmly and individually (it can be intimidating if it’s done 1 versus 2/group). Being upfront beats silent tension any day.

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Celebrate the little things 🎉

Whether it’s someone’s birthday, a big exam done, or just surviving the week, make time for shared meals, movie nights, or chill hangouts. It eases the stress and breaks the ice between flatmates.

Can you share your flatmate experience if you’ve had one?🤔