34
housing
fitting in with people
you’ve only known
for a year isn’t easy
photo: Aldo Gonzalez
The art of being a good housemate is accomplices – probably morons, but the fridge, take the bins out, and the
one that all students need to learn, you weren’t to know at the time – that list goes on. That all sounds trivial
whether it’s your first year or your you’ve picked up over the course of beforehand, but nothing grates more
last. For those who are just settling the evening. It happens, and your than having to tidy up after your
into university accommodation for sleeping housemates must be pre- housemates. So, if there’s one room
your first year, you’ve survived the pared to face a little noise in the early you behave in, make sure it’s the
first obstacle. Living with absolute hours sometimes, yours is a student kitchen.
strangers is, at least for the opening house after all, but they’ll appreciate
weeks, a little daunting, but that’s a little effort on your part to reduce 5. Last but not by any means least,
nothing compared with keeping the volume. the relationship rule. Nothing is more
your new buddies onside for a whole daft than bunking up with a house-
academic year. So here are five loose 3. By now you’ve probably been mate – it’s pretty much the golden
guidelines to keeping your house- in the situation where you get up to rule. It’ll end in disaster and reach
mates happy, or to have a happy find your living area looking like a untold levels of awkwardness. What’s
house, or whatever. war-zone, or a war-zone with beer worse it that your housemates will
and wine glasses and take-away boxes find the whole ordeal very, very funny,
1. The first thing to establish with at least. The key here is not to freak and the joke will be on you.
new housemates is that, at some out – it’s all too easy to go slamming
point, things are going to get a bit on the guilty party’s door, but it’ll do
tricky. A year is long time to spend neither of you any good and things and if the worst
living with people you don’t know will get a little cagey. Use the one comes to the
particularly well – especially if you’re day rule: if it’s all still there by the worst...
a first year housing with rather next morning, then that’s the time
strange entities – so be sure to allow you’re allowed to kick off. Until then, If you’re struggling with your
yourself and your housemates some give your friend a chance to get up housemates and need to move
time apart, and a little breathing and make peace with whatever the out, don’t panic: you won’t be the
space. After all, familiarity breeds heck they got up to, and start the first to do it. The first thing to do
contempt and whatnot – that, or your cleansing. This works the other way is get some free, impartial advice
housemates have the capacity to be of course: after your night out and from your students’ union. Letting
really, really irritating sometimes. morning after, get cleaning. agencies such as Pinnacle will be
able to help you find a new house.
2. Chances are that you’ll be the 4. The kitchen in your household Alternatively, you could move into
last one home at various points in the is more than likely to be the conflict halls-style accommodation such as
year, busting open the front door at a area. This is where people don’t wash Cambrian Point on Maindy Road.
ridiculous hour with a parade of new up, clean up, turn the oven off, close
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STUDENT GUIDE NEW 36 28/10/09 11:16:13
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