Flatmate goals via  Geoffrey Chandler

 

 

It’s another classic fresher pre-uni worry. Your flatmates are the first friends you make at uni so whether you get on or not is a big concern. But what if they turn out to be people you have nothing in common with? Those flatmates who are nice enough, but you just don’t bond. They are averse to nights out and you love them, or they love nights out and you hate them. Or worse, what if they’re people you just don’t get on with? Milk stealing, mould growing, music blearing people that are just in your face and awful.  What do you do in either of those situations?

 

Freshers fortnight probably won’t be too much of an issue as everyone is super keen. Even those who don’t go out for the rest of their time at uni will go out for freshers. Remember all your flatmates are in the same situation as you having the same worries. Try and find your flatmates on Facebook before you arrive; this gives you an idea of who you might get on with and can get you chatting before you’ve even met!

 

After the freshers buzz dies down is when you may face difficulties. Dealing with the second kind of flatmate I mentioned is the hardest as this person will probably be one that doesn’t change for anyone. The easiest thing to do is to just join them. They’ll probably be a great laugh on a night out even if they don’t take out the bins. Plus moaning about them will be a great bonding exercise for you and the rest of the flat.

 

However if all your flatmates are the nice-but-quiet type you may have to hunt elsewhere for mates. If you’re in a large flat, the law of averages suggests that there’ll be at least one or two people you’ll be similar to. If you’re in a small flat then you’ll probably be in a big block. So take a trip upstairs or downstairs for pres and see what those flats are like. If all this fails then once term starts your options will widen from course mates to sports team members, work friends to society pals.

 

The main thing to keep in mind is to give people a chance. You’ll all have your initial judgements about each other especially from what you see on Facebook. But be willing to change those opinions. University is all about meeting people you wouldn’t have otherwise met and making new kinds of friends. You have to find a balance between accepting your people for their faults and knowing  when they overstep the line.  Even if your housemates aren’t your besties and you don’t see eye to eye, don’t forget to treat them with respect. You have to live with each other for a year after all…