Moving into a flat with new people can be daunting and exciting all at the same time. Believe me, i’ve been there, and I know that you want to make a good impression from the moment you walk in the door. Over my first year there were a number of things that were great about my own flat but three things stand out that just made the experience better. So without taking up any more of your time here are three things that you too can bring with you to make you the favorite flatmate, at least in my flat.
1. Games
And not just drinking games, although they are great too if your flat is into that. Monopoly is just such a good game to play with mates. Everyone ends up either laughing or shouting because someone was cheating the whole time and the banker can never be trusted. If you want to know who your true friends are, its the ones who bail you out when you are about to go bankrupt in monopoly. Beer pong, truth or shots and a deck of cards for Kings (Someone told me they call it Ring of Fire here, that’s wrong though just saying) are also awesome ways to get ready for a night out.
2. Good food
This one is a little more difficult. When we say good food we don’t actually mean a take away or pizza, we mean a good recipe. If you can make a curry that draws everyone out from their rooms then you know you are onto a winner. This makes a lot of sense around Christmas time. Not a lot of students can make a full Christmas dinner but if you are willing to take on the challenge your flatmates will thank you. Try pick a night for flat dinner night in. We had Mondays, my favorite was the time we made pizza. Shoutout to everyone in Blake 101-108 who was there.
3. Firestick / Chromecast / Something with Netflix
The TV provided in the kitchen is unfortunately not a smart TV and this can make watching movies a real pain. Bring a cheap fire stick or something else for maximum flat happiness in the kitchen at all times. For music during cooking, nights out and movies late at night or early in the morning having some form of device on your kitchen TV is going to make the flat fitter, happier and more productive. And in turn you will be praised trust me.
That’s everything. Take these three things and you will be praised, trust me. If you want to learn more about what other useful things you should bring to university check out my other post here:
Walking out the door – Getting ready to leave home for Edge Hill University
And if you want more free and great advice email think@edgehill.ac.uk or leave a comment below and I will get back to you. If you want to suggest something to write about or want to be interviewed leave a comment below also and I will get back to you personally!
On Welcome Sunday you will see about 40 or so students running around wearing yellow high visibility vests. Michael was one of these ‘student helpers’. He had given up the last Sunday of his summer to help students move into their on campus accommodation. I had the chance to ask him why.
‘I like helping people and I know it was hard for me to start out, so I want to put a smile on someone’s face.’ was the reply when asked why he wanted to work on this stress filled day. He also had no complaints about helping move boxes up and down stairs. ‘Someone did it for me, and i’m doing for them. Circle of life!’
As I thought about the day itself I realised that the student helpers around me were not tired, stressed or burnt out. They were smiling. These people had just spent a full day helping people move into their new homes and it gave most of them a sense of good karma. People like to help other people, and I honestly can say that the people that study, work and volunteer at Edge Hill University are some of the most helpful that I have ever met. The people make the place.
Transport is a massive consideration to make when living off campus. You dont know if that train strike is going to fall right on the day of your exam. Did you know that there are already over 2 weeks of planned disruptions to the rail network at Ormskirk? Make sure you master your transport and plan routes out and backups just in case.
Finances can easily be affected when living at home. For example my finance would decrease by 60% if I decided to live at home opposed to campus or living in Ormskirk town. Make sure you understand all the implications of living at home and how this may affect your financial situation.
Friends are the best and while you are sure to make plenty at University it is important to consider that living at home may mean you miss out on some nightlife activities with students on campus. Getting home at 2 or 3AM is easier when you live on campus. So make sure before you make up your mind you open it to the possibility of missing out on parties.