Given the dedication and hard work you’ve put in to get to university, you need to make the most of this truly unique experience. Getting on with your housemates is an essential part of leading a healthy student life, but how can you achieve this if issues arise in your home?
Our team have plenty of experience with student accommodation in Liverpool and offers their advice on how to navigate a calm and civil university home. Keep reading to find out more!
5 simple tips for living in harmony at university
1) Healthy and honest communication
The best way to address any issues you have with your housemates is direct communication that doesn’t beat around the bush. With this in mind, you also have to be willing to listen to any problems the people you’re living with have with you.
Tackle your concerns head-on to prevent small issues from blowing up into major arguments. For example, if one of your housemates drinks the milk but never buys it, it’s much more effective to raise this politely face to face rather than ignoring your frustrations or complaining to others.
You could start by saying ‘Hey, I’ve bought the milk the last few times, could you pick some up on your way home please?’ – often, these issues are simply due to forgetfulness, and will be resolved quickly.
3) Start discussions with ‘I feel’ rather than ‘you’ accusations
To avoid rubbing your pals up the wrong way when you have a grievance, avoid reeling off a list of accusations – instead, express how you feel regarding situations that have been pressing your buttons.
Maybe something like “I feel that I’m frequently cleaning the bathroom even though we all use it, so I’d appreciate someone else doing it next time”, rather than, “You never clean that bathroom, it’s always me!”. This is a much calmer way to approach issues as your housemates shouldn’t get defensive and start deflecting your point.
3) Set house rules together early on
A really useful and effective way to establish a common understanding within your student flat or house is by collectively setting rules when you all move in.
Several rules will promote a harmonious living environment during your time at uni, such as:
- Bathroom schedules
- Everyone doing their own dishes
- If you make a mess, clean it up
- No loud music after a set time
These rules will encourage everyone to pull together and provide guidance on what general rules make individuals feel comfortable.
4) Share responsibilities
Nothing forms negative tension more than certain housemates neglecting shared duties in the home – that’s why it’s beneficial for you and your friends to take turns when it comes to chores.
Jobs such as putting the bins out and cleaning the fridges aren’t exactly fun, but they’re essential to the functioning of a healthy student home. So, to ensure these responsibilities are equally split across the house, we highly recommend using a tally system.
If you wipe down the kitchen countertops, simply mark it down next to your name on a whiteboard to keep track of the chores you’ve completed per week. Then, everyone can gauge who’s done what in the house and who needs to pull their weight more.
5) Agree to disagree
Student accommodation in Liverpool brings together a wonderful mix of young people all with their own opinions and views – whilst being open-minded to new ideas is a virtue, there’s always going to be a belief that you can’t appreciate or understand.
To keep the peace amongst your friends and maintain a happy household, hold on to the principle of ‘agree to disagree’. Acknowledging that your housemates have different views and are allowed to hold their own opinions will reduce heated arguments from exploding.
Contact the experts in Liverpool’s student accommodation
We trust you’ve found our guide on living harmoniously in your uni house insightful. At Caro Lettings, we possess a wealth of expertise in student housing. If you’re interested in learning more about our contemporary and affordable student accommodation options in Liverpool, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at enquiries@carolettings.com and we’ll be more than happy to assist with any questions you may have.
