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If you’re soon to be studying in London and are looking to live in a shared student apartment, you will discover that it’s rather different from living at home. Though there will be plenty of other things to think about when you first move to the city, it’s important to consider any changes that you might need to make to your lifestyle in order to live amicably with other students. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you on your way to a fantastic student experience. Communicate As daunting as it may seem for less-confident people, you are almost guaranteed to have a better student experience if you make an effort to talk to others in your student housing. London is full of remarkable young people, and you will find it a lot easier to form close bonds with your housemates if you are chatty and friendly from day one. Even if you’re not much of a talker, a Facebook or WhatsApp group is a great way to encourage communication. Keep Your Space Clean It may sound obvious, but students often have difficulty maintaining a mess-free environment when it’s their first time away from home. A good tip is to create a rota with your housemates to evenly split up the cleaning jobs. Though most of the chores will take minimal effort, you will be surprised how much a clean and tidy living space can improve your mood, and probably your relationships with your other housemates. Be Respectful Basic manners are a hugely important part of maintaining good relationships, particularly when living together. You may find that you’re sharing a house or an apartment with students of various ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and other cultural or social differences. No matter who your housemates happen to be, you must make the effort to respect their morals and boundaries. Some of your fellow students may simply have preferences that conflict with your own, but you must learn to overlook the little things and embrace people’s differences. Share and Split In student housing, London living comes at a greater cost than you may expect. A good way to get around this is to split costs with fellow housemates and keep a record of spending each week – household supplies, groceries or meals out could all add up to a hefty total if not divided equally. Sharing kitchen utensils, crockery and other bits and pieces is another great way to save space and money. Perhaps allocate a ‘community cupboard’ to make sure everyone knows where all of the communal items are stored. Sharing accommodation with others becomes a lot easier over time, so just be sure to start as you mean to go on – friendly, respectful and tidy! With so many options for student housing, London is the ideal location for newbies – get out there and enjoy. Author Plate Sophie Smith works as an independent consultant, specialising in offering advice on London student housing. London offers an unbeatable experience for international students, and Sophie has many suggestions to make sure that their time in the city is positive, safe and enjoyable.
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