By Hannah Parker, BA (Hons) Business and Enterprise Management.
Moving to university and living with people you don’t know can be scary but there’s lots of ways to make it easier. When starting my first year, it was nerve-wracking so here’s a few of my top tips to feeling comfortable with your new flatmates:
Don’t stay in your room to start with
I would always go to the kitchen to socialise with my flatmates as it stops you feeling homesick and lonely.
Introduce yourself when you first arrive
Everyone in my flat brought an icebreaker like a box of chocolates or a pack of cards and it really helped to ease the tension.
Leave your bedroom door propped open
You can chat to each other when passing their rooms. Sadly, my flat layout meant we couldn’t do that but it’s such a good way to get chatting, especially as you’ll be in and out of your room unpacking to start with.
Make an effort to make sure everyone feels included
If someone is staying in their room, then knock on their door and invite them into the kitchen – they might just be too nervous to make the first move. Admittedly, I was like this and my flatmates included me and I came out of my shell and I’m so grateful that they did this.
Set up a rota
Discuss anything you plan on sharing like cleaning products and bin duties to avoid uncomfortable situations further down the line. We made a bin/cleaning rota and it avoided so many awkward chats throughout the year.
Spend time getting to know each other
Myself and my flatmates spent lots of time doing this and it was so interesting because we all had very different backgrounds.
Don’t be afraid to tell each other when you’re feeling down
If someone tells you they’re feeling down then do your best to lift their spirits and make them feel more comfortable. Coming from London to Sheffield meant that I felt quite homesick at first but my flatmates were always so kind and helped me get through it.
If you enjoyed this post, then be sure to check out my personal blog all about my student life in Sheffield and lots of tips and tricks to student life. Find it at www.myunilife.co.uk
You can also follow my Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/myunilifeinsheffield
