{"id":42916,"date":"2024-10-14T10:49:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T10:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/?p=42916"},"modified":"2024-10-15T09:38:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T09:38:51","slug":"tips-to-thrive-in-student-accommodation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/blog\/tips-to-thrive-in-student-accommodation\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to Thrive in Student Accommodation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #5d5d5d; font-size: 15px;\"><b>If you have started university, living with roommates can be both exciting and challenging. Here are some tips to make your shared space feel like home.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><strong><br \/>\nCleaning Shared Areas<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nStarting with the basics.\u00a0 Shared responsibilities. Housework can be a drag but it\u2019s much easier if everyone chips in. This doesn\u2019t have to mean strict guidelines though. A popular way to manage chores is by setting up a rota. Before you dive into rota-making, have a chat with your housemates. Find out how often you think each chore needs doing. Your housemates may also have a preference for certain chores. Below are some examples of the frequency of chores:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Examples of daily tasks:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Washing up dishes after meals<\/li>\n<li>Putting away dishes that are dry<\/li>\n<li>Tidying shoes and coats<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Examples of weekly tasks:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Emptying bins and taking out the recycling<\/li>\n<li>Hoovering shared spaces<\/li>\n<li>Quick clean of the bathroom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Examples of monthly or fortnightly cleaning tasks:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mopping floors with disinfectant<\/li>\n<li>Getting rid of cobwebs<\/li>\n<li>Doing a deeper clean of the bathroom and living area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While a rota is great for shared spaces, it\u2019s also important to remember that some chores are personal and shouldn\u2019t be on the rota. For instance, washing up after you\u2019ve cooked or eaten is definitely a \u2018you\u2019 job, not something to palm off on your housemates.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><strong>Bill Management<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nOn to the next point of tension for students &#8211; bills. Not all bills are included with accommodation, so it\u2019s best to have a chat with your roommates and figure out how you\u2019re going to split this fairly.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b><u>Monthly Bills<\/u><\/b><\/span><br \/>\nIf your accommodation doesn\u2019t include bills in the rent, it is important to have a conversation with your roommates about how you\u2019re going to pay. The last thing you want is someone forgetting to pay, leaving everyone short on essentials like water and gas.<\/p>\n<p>There are two main ways to manage bills:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Traditional Approach: <\/b><\/span>One person handles the bills, and everyone transfers their share to them. However, this can be risky if someone forgets to pay, as the person in charge might end up covering the shortfall.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Student Bill-Splitting Packages: <\/b><\/span>These allow you to <a style=\"color: #0077af;\" href=\"https:\/\/thestudentenergygroup.com\/student-bill-splitting\/\">combine all your bills<\/a>. Gas, water, internet, and energy all into one monthly statement. It\u2019s then split among your roommates. The best part is everyone is responsible for their own payments. This means no one is left holding the bag if someone forgets to pay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Resource: Check out providers like <span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Monzo<\/b><\/span> or <span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>The Student Energy Group<\/b><\/span> for easy bill management.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b><u>Household Essentials<\/u><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Whilst household essentials are less scary than big monthly bills, they are still just as important. This includes bits like food, drinks, cleaning supplies, toilet roll, and bin bags. There are few ways to split them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Splitting the Shopping Bill:<\/b><\/span> This can work, but it depends on usage. For example, if one person drinks more milk, it might be fairer to pay proportionately. Personal items like toothpaste shouldn\u2019t be included.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545;\"><b>Using a Kitty: <\/b><\/span>A kitty is a pot of money that everyone contributes to for communal items. It\u2019s simple &#8211; everyone chips in a set amount each month, and the kitty is used for essentials. Adjust contributions as needed based on usage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><strong><br \/>\nSocialising and Respecting Downtime<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nGetting to know your roommates can be such a fun experience. Whether it\u2019s sharing stories about your courses, bonding over a Netflix binge, or discovering you both love the same band. Little things like cooking together or grabbing a quick coffee can turn strangers into friends. If you\u2019re struggling to break the ice, here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">Arranging a meal together<\/span> &#8211; Who doesn\u2019t love a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pizzahut.co.uk\/restaurants\/blog\/student-discount\">Pizza Hut<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">Keep your door open (literally)<\/span> &#8211; It\u2019s an easy way to show you\u2019re up for a chat.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">Hangout in shared areas<\/span> &#8211; Don\u2019t isolate yourself in your room<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">Creating a group chat<\/span> &#8211; Great for organising hangouts and sending updates.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">Go food shopping together<\/span> &#8211; It\u2019s a fun way to learn about each other\u2019s tastes.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">Arrange a takeaway and movie night<\/span> &#8211; Easy, fun, and <a style=\"color: #0077af;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.studentbeans.com\/student-discount\/uk\/just-eat?source=category_page&amp;offer=0-student-discount-0841fdeb-50fc-4b45-b6be-b04a553d33a3\">affordable<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">Ask your roommates to come out to the pub with you &#8211; A casual setting can help everyone relax.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0077af;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestudentroom.co.uk\/\">The Student Room<\/a> website has loads of tips on balancing socialising and study time as it\u2019s a forum of previous and current students.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px;\"><strong><br \/>\nHaving Fun<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nThis might be the simplest tip of all &#8211; <span style=\"color: #454545; font-weight: bold;\">have fun<\/span>! There will be some rules or changes you will need to compromise on, such as going to sleep a little later or taking on different responsibilities. However, this is part of the formative experience. You will be learning new things about yourself everyday. Who knows you may even come out of this with a lifelong friend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have started university, living with roommates can be both exciting and challenging. Check out some tips to make your shared space feel like home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other","category-students-and-graduate-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42916"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43350,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42916\/revisions\/43350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.studentemploymentservices.co.uk\/staging\/3440\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}