Sorting out living for Year 2, Part 1: Who to live with

Hello again!

I have decided to start a 2-part blog in which I’ll be discussing the scary/exciting experience that comes with moving off campus in year 2. If you’re reading this and start to panic, don’t! You still have a good few months until everything needs to be sorted, but I thought I’d provide a few tips to start thinking about.. 

The first blog of this 2-part series will talk about how to decide who you’re going to live with in your second year. In my opinion, this is by far the most important decision to make, hence why I’m talking about it first. I’m stressing its importance mainly because the people that you are around every day can have a significant impact on your happiness. This isn’t to say that your friends determine your happiness, but rather, if you’re surrounded by like-minded people who you feel comfortable around, then living in a new place becomes much easier.

Considerations: 

Before I talk about a few options for who to live with, let me emphasise that these groups of people are only the ‘typical’/ standard choices that are made each year. Obviously, you will meet a lot of people through various ways and the decision is yours to make.

Current flatmates

If you’re getting on really well with people within your current flat, many will choose to stay with these groups. After all, you’ll get quite used to each other’s habits as the first year progresses, so the transition in year two won’t really be an issue. This is probably the most common option. It is important to note, however, that just because you’ve met some great friends, it does not mean you have to live with them again. You might have met more friends elsewhere and like the idea of living with another group

Coursemates

This is typically a less common option for reasons I will explore shortly. However, I know coursemates who have moved in together, so it definitely occurs! If you have met some close friends on your course, you may consider this option because you know you have something quite significant in common (your subject interest!). This can be useful when it comes to coursework, such as reading and exam revision. You might find that living with a coursemate boosts your confidence in your ability, as you can work through difficult topics together. However, there’s also the risk that if you are easily influenced by others actions, you may feel guilty if they are working and you aren’t, or you might find that all of your discussions become centred around your course which can increase feelings of stress

Friends from societies/ other social groups

If you regularly attend societies/ social events, then the chances are that you’ll meet people with lots of common interests to you. This could be a great chance to live with a new group of friends, if that’s what you’re after.

Friends of friends

It might be the case that you have met some friends through your current friends. This frequently happens (and was how I found my year 2 housemates). I found that having some new, as well as older friends created quite a nice dynamic within the group.

 There are many options and everyone’s experience of deciding who to live with will differ. Before I go, I want to stress a few key points:

–      Don’t live with people just because it’s the easiest option if you’re not entirely comfortable with the decision. You have time to meet new people and form new friendships.

–       Don’t rush the decision. It can feel hard to not rush when you have to decide a few months into your first year but let me reassure you that some of my  friends found a house before Christmas, and others around Easter time.

–        Listen to your gut. You don’t need a million reasons for why you chose to live with certain people. If it feels right, and you get the feeling that you’ll be happy, then go ahead!

–        Ensure that your group have some common interests. You are obviously not going to be clones, however if you have really different views with regards to going out and socialising, for example, this could cause some conflict in the house.

Try not to feel guilty about your decision. Your choice isn’t necessarily going to be personal, and there is nothing stopping you from staying close friends with whoever you decide not to live with!

If you have any questions about my own experience, feel free to comment down below or get in touch some other way!