So, you've chosen to study at
Bath Spa University. But before you delve in to 3 years of work and occasional partying [or vice versa], there's one element you're likely going to have to come to terms with very quickly.
Halls of Residence.
Being taken from your own home and thrown into a new building with up to nine other strangers. Sounds like a hostage situation, but if you play right and live well, your first year will just shoot by. You may even
miss Halls when it comes to years 2 and 3.
First thing to remember: You're all in the same boat. Everyone, or at least almost everyone, around you is going to be away from home, living with people they don't know. It's a new and scary situation for everyone. Which actually comes in handy, because it means you all have at least one thing in common.
Some may relish in their new freedom, playing loud music, drinking lots of alcohol, going out all the time and so on. Others may find being away from home too much, and turn to things like
Skype and may even go home every few weekends. In either case, you're likely to fall into either two categories, and from there, find friends. People of a quieter nature tend to stick together, and party-people often like to party with the same people. Embrace your freedom and discover what you want!
Some people's music sucks. This isn't a fact, but it's an opinion you're bound to say/hear multiple times in Halls. You have 8+ teenagers, all of which will like music = fact. They will all like different music = Fact. You will like everything they like = Highly unlikely. Even students studying music won't admit to liking everything, so why would a history student or a English student?
Like so many other things, sadly, you'll just have to put up with it. If someone is blasting out Ed Sheeran and all you want to listen to is
Gorillaz, then put in headphones and carry on with things.
You could even declare music war - two stereos, battling out to break the silence anyway they can.
Not recommended.
Because before you consider beginning a deafening one-on-one Beats Battle, think of other people. Granted, their peace is being disturbed by the first loud one. But the last thing they want is
another disturbance thrown in.
Just politely ask for them to turn it down (if they can hear you) and get on with things. If they don't listen, try engaging them in conversation. They might turn off their beloved tunes to chat.
With noise hopefully under control, then comes the matter of 'sharing'. Now, this can be a tough subject. The time may come when you learn that someone else used your ketchup/milk/butter whatever else. So you
may decide to label your food. You won't look cool, but there's a chance you'll save a little money on replacing food you didn't eat. If it turns out someone has taken your food, there's a preliminary do and don't.
DO mention it to them, but not in an accusing way. Just a polite "please be more careful" kind of thing for the first offence. Any times after that, the accusations can come become stronger.
DON'T get revenge. Drinking someone's milk because they drank yours won't necessarily help matters. If anything, it'll probably escalate things.
Plan your showers. Quite an odd piece of advice now, but it may save you time and stress. If you and another housemate have a 9am start and you both want a shower, two options:
1. Wake up earlier so you have time - HAH! Like that will happen.
2. Have a shower the night before.
Rather more likely. It'll save you a mad rush in the morning, as well as a lot of huffing and tapping your foot outside the shower-room door.
Because, no matter what, you will have to live with these people for
another year [or 48 weeks at least]. As long as it doesn't break all of
your moral values, you're going to want to keep the peace. Overlook the
windows left open or underpants left on the sofa. If all goes against
you, chances are you'll have a lockable bedroom where you can just have
some 'you time'.
When it comes down to it, though, you're going to have to learn to adapt to other people; even if it's difficult. Every single one of you will have different attitudes and methods towards things like cleanliness, tidiness, peacefulness and so on. In the beginning, it all seems to have come from Chaos itself. But eventually,
eventually, your routines will become almost second-nature and all of you will flow, relatively smoothly, around each other.
It'll just take a while to reach that idyllic moment.
But stick at it. You may not like Halls, but you'll probably miss them. There's nothing like being able to roll out of bed and basically walk up the road to your lessons. Second year off-campus housing takes that liberty right away from you.
Plus, you may pay the rent, but bills and internet are all taken care of for you. You even get your own cleaners twice a week. And as much as you'd love to imagine so, that sort of thing will not happen in second year.
And the final piece of advice: anything can happen. Sometimes you'll find a housemate's mattress outside and their bed frame wedged in the bathroom. In this, or any similar case, just follow basic protocol:
It's
Someone Else's Problem.
[Voice of experience]
