How to Survive Halls of Residence

If you’ve never lived away from home before, moving into a student halls of residence can be a baptism of fire. You’ll be sharing a building with dozens, if not hundreds of people all getting a real taste of independence for the first time. For some that means finding the right balance between work, rest and play: setting time tables for completing essays, getting a regular eight hours of sleep and kicking back a little at the weekend. For others, that might finally mean they can practice their drumming whenever they like and try out fire alarm testing culinary experiments.

It’s possible to navigate these tricky waters successfully, and make sure you still have an incredible time in your first year, so we’ve produced a few tips to help you.

Pick the Right Halls

It’s important to research in advance: different halls of residence have different atmospheres, and if you can consult a current student to help you make your decision, you’ll find it a valuable source of insight: large blocks of students will tend to be more social than smaller ones, so pick a big complex if you’re more of a party animal. Smaller ones, closer to campuses are a little quieter.

Take a look at their website to see an example of the all the different types of student accommodation Huddersfield has to offer.

Make a Good First Impression

Moving into halls is a real opportunity to make friends so start on the right foot on your first day. Offering to help move heavy boxes or being ready with a cup of tea is a great way to lay in the foundations of a good relationship with your flatmates. This makes it easier if you have to knock on someone’s door to ask them to turn the volume down when you have an exam the next day.

Authority

Most Halls have onsite ex-resident students who are a first port of call in case of trouble. Often called Wardens, they can help resolve problems without creating resentment because they’re also students. If you’re having problems with someone you’re living with, be it loud parties, not washing up or stealing food, consulting your Warden can give you some strategies to cope. They can even step in and talk to the offending person if you feel totally overwhelmed.

Never forget that you are supposed to be having fun and working, and if you’re having trouble with either, help is available.