Friction-Free Accommodation

Moving into halls is a big part of the student experience, and it can be great fun - but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy! Living with other people can lead to disagreements, but don’t worry. We’ve put together some top tips for keeping life in halls stress-free.

How Much Does a Polar Bear Weigh?

Enough to break the ice! Bad jokes aside, it’s worth getting to know the people you’ll be sharing your halls with as soon as possible. It’s much easier to keep the peace with people once you’ve made friends with them.

Two Truths and a Lie - For this game, each person takes it in turn to make three statements about themselves - two that are true, and one that isn’t. Everyone else has to guess which one is the lie.

Use Your Common Room - Loads of student halls now have common rooms available, often with pool or ping pong tables. Why not go down as a group and have a mini-tournament?

App Games - There are some great party games available for your phone or tablet. Psych! and Heads Up are both free to download and will have you in stitches in no time!

Keeping The Peace

The best way to deal with problems is to prevent them from arising in the first place. These simple tips will help you to avoid some common disagreements.

Create A Chore Rota - Knowing who is responsible for different cleaning jobs can prevent arguments about whose turn it is to do what.

Set Rules Early - Making some ‘house rules’ as a group can be a helpful exercise. Decide on things such as how many guests you can have over at once and what time people should turn loud music down.

Organise Flat Meetings - Try and sit down as a group on a regular basis - maybe once a month - to share any issues or concerns. It’s better to catch potential problems early than to let them boil over!

Worst-Case Scenarios

So you’ve done everything you can, but people in your accommodation have still ended up falling out - now what?

Keep Calm and Carry On - Even if you’re fuming that Steve hasn’t done the washing up again, getting into a shouting match will only make things worse. Try and resolve issues by speaking to people calmly and directly.

Safety In Numbers - People are more likely to take your complaints seriously if they come from a group. If you know that other people in your halls are annoyed about the same thing, get them to help you resolve the issue.

Ask For Help - If you’ve tried everything you can to sort out a problem but nothing has changed, or you don’t feel safe and comfortable in your halls anymore, speak to your accommodation manager. They should be able to help you out or point you towards someone who can.

Diplomacy 101

Living in halls can be a hugely rewarding experience, and the people you share your accommodation with might end up being your friends for life. If you all make the effort to treat each other fairly - and do your share of the housework! - your halls will soon start to feel like home.