How to enjoy halls, and making sure everyone else can too

Nobody wants to be woken up at 1am by a kitchen party on Tuesday when they have an exam or work in the morning. If you're living in halls, throughout the year or up until the end, it's important that you consider those around you as well as yourself. 

Here is how to be a top-tier member of your student community and keep the end of year vibes positive for everyone. 

✅ Do's

• Use headphones: Keep the victory music or Netflix binges volume low.
• Communicate with your flatmates: Give your flatmates a heads up if you're planning to have friends over. 
• Take the party elsewhere: If you're finished for the year and want to get loud, head outside of halls - think of heading to the park, the SU or a local bar. You can also attend a Residential Life event if you do want to celebrate with halls.  
• Clear the communal clutter: Out of study mode? Don't forget to keep your shared spaces clean, keep doing the dishes and taking the bins out so the flat remains a comfortable space for everyone. 
• Check in on your friends: An 'Are you OK?' text or spare chocolate bar can go a long way, especially when someone is feeling stressed or down. 

❌ Don'ts

• Assume everyone is on your schedule: Just because you might be in break mode doesn't mean your neighbour or flatmate doesn't have their hardest exam tomorrow morning. 
• Be a door slammer: Catching the door takes 2 seconds, and is an easy way to avoid waking your flatmates up late at night. 
• Stomp around late: You'd be surprised at how easy it can be to hear someone walking above you in halls, remember that your actions in your flat can affect other flats too. 
• Eat someone else's food without asking: Tensions can get high sometimes during university, and a flatmate on the edge of a breakdown might be tipped over the edge if they find their reward snack gone. 
• Use pots and pans, cutlery, or crockery that isn't yours: Similar to 'borrowing' food, these are someone else's belongings and you should not use them without consent – especially if you aren't planning on washing it up straight after. 

You are all here for the same reason. University is a community, and in halls we're the closest thing to family each other has. Being considerate isn't about killing the fun, it's about making sure everyone gets to the finish line safely and successfully.