The reality of living with flatmates at university

When you think about coming to university, living alongside other students can either make you feel very excited or very nervous. For many, living without siblings their whole lives can make this an even bigger adjustment, but is there really anything to worry about?  

Starting university comes with many nerves, and lots of students put pressure on befriending their flatmates, particularly around Freshers’ Week. While settling in at Warwick and attending the Welcome Week events, it would be very easy to have your flatmates alongside you, as they are your friends you meet on your very first day.

You do not need to be best friends with your flatmates in order to enjoy your time in shared accommodations

However, my advice would be to not put pressure on these relationships: you do not need to be best friends with your flatmates in order to enjoy your time in shared accommodations. Once lectures and seminars begin, you will learn that your flatmates are truly only a small part of your university experience.  

I was not best friends with my first-year flatmates. However, they were lovely people who I was able to talk to whilst cooking dinner, and I never felt uncomfortable around them. I was very fortunate that with my course there were Welcome talks to attend, meaning from day one, I was surrounded by many people with similar interests to mine and had opportunities to meet people outside of my flat.  

One of the biggest adjustments of sharing flats with other students is realising that everyone has a different definition of ‘clean’

One of the biggest adjustments of sharing flats with other students is realising that everyone has a different definition of ‘clean’, and everyone has different standards due to being raised in different households. What might seem completely normal to you might be very different to your flatmate’s expectations. The best advice would be to simply be considerate of shared spaces, both kitchens and bathrooms, and don’t be afraid to have open conversations about tasks such as taking out the bins. From experience, creating a bin rota to ensure everyone is doing their part is essential.   

Despite the nerves and unpredictability, there are so many positives to living with flatmates, and whether you love them or not, they will a part of your experience at university.

Having flatmates allows you to never feel truly alone at university

I was in Cryfield Townhouses in my first year, meaning I was sharing a kitchen alongside 12 students. Therefore, whenever I was bored or didn’t have anything to do, I could head down to the kitchen and there would always be someone I could talk to and interact with. For many humanities students, contact hours are low and you can have a lot of free time which you often don’t know what to do with. Having flatmates allows you to never feel truly alone at university and gives you a sense of belonging in an environment that can feel so different and unfamiliar.  

Ultimately, living with flatmates is an experience that everyone will approach differently. The most important thing is to be respectful and remember that your flatmates are only one part of the much bigger university experience. If your first few weeks of living with strangers feels overwhelming, do not panic – you are not doing university wrong. It takes time to find your people and feel at home in this new environment.