Heading to university and living on-campus or in student accommodation for the first time can be exciting. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of variables. The quality of your professors can fluctuate depending on what institution you attend and what course you take, the standard of your accommodations may be better or worse, and sometimes, you simply do not like your roommates.
Now, that’s not to say this is always going to be the case or even that it’s likely. But if it does happen, or if you feel yourself to be in this situation right now, it’s good to know what remedial steps you can take.
The first thing to keep in mind is that wishing to be comfortable is not asking too much. Perhaps your flatmates live on different schedules to you (regularly staying out partying until 8 am and throwing house parties while you’re trying to keep up with hard studies and sports clubs), or perhaps they just don’t clean, expect you to do all the work, steal your ingredients, and are hard to talk to. It can happen.
If this has happened to you, don’t worry! Even if you’re a few months into your residency, there are measures you can take. With that in mind, please consider:
Documenting Any Difficulties
Ultimately, you may have to prove your complaint to help expedite the process. Of course, this is impossible if you just personally dislike those you’re living with, as recording what they say (outside of actual bullying, harassment or targeting) isn’t exactly ethical. A person not being polite isn’t the same as being rude or denigrative, after all.
But if some of the aforementioned real issues are found, such as the student accommodations looking terrible, being unclean, or even a fire risk, you can take pictures of this and note dates when you cleaned in lieu of anyone else. This way, if you put in a request to move or to gain more flat inspections, you can prove how and why that should be.
Get Involved In Your University Social Clubs & Programs
It’s a temporary solution, but sometimes the best way to handle a difficult living situation is to spend less time there. University clubs can be a great escape in the meantime and might lead to meeting potential future housemates or friends you can spend more time with. Most universities offer a range of clubs and societies worth getting involved in.
That can include sports teams, academic societies, or hobby groups, whatever encourages your interest the most. There’ll be something you like, no matter how nerdy. Moreover, these spaces provide somewhere to be that isn’t your room. Better yet, most clubs understand student schedules and often have spaces available between classes when you might normally head home. It’s a quick fix, but if you just can’t bear going back to your apartment before you need to sleep, this can help keep you balanced.
Use The Open Access Libraries To Study
One of the best benefits of university life is having full access to the student library. Usually, they’re open 24/7 as well. This means that if there’s a party raging in your student apartment and that’s not really your thing, heading here and getting some late-night work done can be quite helpful.
Moreover, there are many quiet spaces for studying and focusing, and some even have enforced quiet spaces or small rentable rooms to really give yourself some peace and quiet. Sometimes, that’s all you need to recentre yourself in the meantime. It can also help you avoid the worst excesses of socializing in your dorms, which may or may not be ideal for you.
Don’t Escalate Any Social Situations
Now, when living with difficult people and feeling aggrieved by them, it’s tempting to fight fire with fire, perhaps by playing loud music when they’re trying to sleep, leaving passive-aggressive notes, or joining in the mess-making because if they don’t clean, why should you?
But this usually makes everything worse and can just define you as a harsh neighbour that no one wants to befriend as well. It’s good not to escalate outside of polite requests, such as asking someone to take the bin out when you’ve done it a thousand times.
That said, keeping your responses measured and documented helps maintain the moral high ground and prevents you from becoming part of the problem. That not only helps you retain your own self-respect, it stops you from becoming bitter, and it also prevents poking holes in your argument that the living conditions aren’t acceptable.
Speak To Your Professor
Most professors are keenly aware of the troubles, trials, and tribulations that students experience, and the odds are that they’ve seen it all before. While it might seem like a professor is something of a hard taskmaster who expects the best of you, many of them really do care for their student’s well-being and will understand if this is being affected.
If housing issues are affecting your studies, most will understand and might offer helpful suggestions. They might know about quiet study spaces worth using, be able to give extensions on deadlines if you’re dealing with particularly stressful situations, or even help add weight to your request to move your residency to another apartment or free room in the building.
Speak To Any Onboard Financial Advisor
Many universities onboard financial advisors who can help their students manage the rigours of spending in university life. They know that students are often working on tight budgets and can help with emergency housing funds, student accommodation schemes, or even help you with debt charity requests if you’ve found yourself spending this time. In some cases, they may be able to provide rent extensions if the student accommodation is closely partnered with a given university.
Sometimes, these resources aren’t available, but if they are, it’s worth using them. For instance, you may have an easier time reclaiming your security deposit from the current building manager if you manage to move, perhaps requested by the university administration as mitigating circumstances, even if your apartment isn’t in good condition (of course, that’s part of the reason you’re moving).
Notify The Manager Of Your Building
Building managers or maintenance staff often have more power than students realize, and befriending them can’t be a bad idea at all. Depending on their role, student building administrators can help you mediate conflicts, enforce housing rules, and sometimes even arrange room swaps, and you will be more inclined to do so if you treat them well and frankly explain your situation.
Make sure you consider approaching them professionally – that means taking time to bring your documented evidence, explaining the situation clearly, and asking about possible solutions rather than just complaining or demanding they do something. If they sympathize with your situation, they can help make the process easier. They may also learn of a room being vacated elsewhere and tip you off for the best one.
Putting In A Transfer Request
Most universities have formal processes for room transfers, even if they don’t advertise them widely. While these requests don’t always get approved, it can’t hurt to have one on file, as that can help establish that you’ve tried official channels to resolve your situation and you haven’t just expected others to fix the issue for you.
Just make sure to follow the proper procedures and include any supporting evidence from your documentation because those efforts can help expedite the process more easily going forward.
Finding Another Student To Continue Your Tenancy
Sometimes, the simplest solution is finding someone to take over your room, and many universities have waiting lists for housing or forums where students look for rooms. If they don’t however, they may allow you to open up the room for advertisement on sites like SpareRoom, as long as you set this to student-only, perhaps limited only to the local universities, the application may be approved. Leaving a tenancy can be so much easier if you have someone available to take it over for you, so don’t forget that.
Moreover, making sure any replacement tenant meets university requirements and gets properly approved helps protect you from future problems. Just remember to get everything in writing and make it clear that once the tenancy is overtaken, you’re not responsible for any future payments. You might also write in the listing that the flat is active and very sociable, so someone who is more suited to the place takes over.
Looking For More Suitable Arrangements Elsewhere
There may not be room switches available for you, but that doesn’t mean alternative accommodations with a new provider can’t be a possible option. Start by researching what’s available, as many landlords offer pro-rated terms for student housing, understand that academic years don’t always align with standard leases, and be willing to help you take over someone else’s tenancy. Some services can help you find the best student accommodation based on the wide portfolio they offer to students. Remember that some students drop out every year, so it’s not a bad idea to ask.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily handle the tough outcome of living in student lodgings and around people you dislike.