So I've been living in a series of different student accommodation i.e. hostels, residential halls and most recently a shared house for nearly 5 years, and I thought it'd be interesting to compile this list of no-nos (DO NOT DO), when your living arrangements largely involve communal settings. Without further ado, let's begin!
You've heard the saying "the walls have ears". I'm going tweak that a little and put forward this warning: "There are ears behind every wall." A large number of places I've stayed at have really thin walls (probably false/hollow ones), and it's really easy to eavesdrop into someone's conversation. When I was staying at Howitt Hall (Monash University), I could actually hear students in other rooms opening up a packet of potato chips, making out and even farting. This Italian exchange student was living in the room next to mine for a semester, and every night at 1am (without fail), I would hear him talk on Skype with his friends about girls. The most cringe-worthy moment came when I heard this girl (whom I was actually real friendly with and confided in regularly) bitch about me while on Skype with her mom. Classy. It was really hard facing her and acting normal after that. Thing is, I wasn't even trying to listen in, I could hear her from 2 rooms away. Awkwarddddd...
Overhearing problems aside, you really don't want to risk causing any conflict or tension with the people you're practically living with. You can never be sure that the person you're complaining to won't tell someone else about the bitchy things you've been saying! One thing can lead to another, in this case more people spreading it around, and tadaah, you have just found yourself the most despised person in the corridor. Tough luck.
This is pretty self-explanatory. I remember some of my hall-mates getting super annoyed at other people using their cutlery, and leaving them in the sink, unwashed. Have some courtesy and manners, people.
When I first moved into this house early this year, I left all my pots, pans, plates, bowls, baking tools and utensils, etc, in the shared kitchen. Firstly, they were stored away in a cardboard box when I first got there, since I was in the midst of unpacking and sorting things out. This chick didn't actually just use the stuff I left on the drying rack, she actually opened up the box and fished things out. Such audacity. That being said, I'm actually cool with people using my stuff, as long as they wash it and put it back. And that's not what happened. All my forks and spoons, and a wooden frying spoon vanished, along with a metal bowl. The stuff that was returned (after days, mind you) had dried food remnants on it (DISGUSTING. PLZ RE-EVALUATE YOUR LIFESTYLE CHOICES GIRL).
So I later found out that she has a habit of taking others' stuff (which explains why everyone keeps their belongings, including kitchen appliances and KNIVES) in their room. Apparently there was this big ugly show-off between her and the old housemates, after some poor dude found his missing mug hanging on her door as a pen holder. LOL. Anyway, she said she would move out by the end of the week, and here she still is more than 1 year later. She even uses our shower products. (Yeah unfortunately seems like there is some bitching and gossiping going on. If only I took my own advice)
I just find it sad that we're all adults, and we have to keep everything in our room so that it doesn't go missing or get used. One of the guys lost a $30 pot which he saw on her table, and which she also denied having. Sigh. Alright, enough ranting.
I will admit that I'm not the cleanest neat freak ever. I like to call my style of living "organized mess", which is an euphemism for being messy. Needless to say, my place was like a pig sty when I was living alone, but in the past, and now that I'm sharing a living space with others, I am constantly cleaning up after myself so that we can all have a more pleasant living environment.
Do not leave dishes unwashed in the sink for too long. I understand that sometimes we want to soak off parts that are sticking to our bowls, or burnt bits (not everyone is a Masterchef), but do try to get it out of the sink by the end of the day. Otherwise, send your roommates a text apologising for the delay and explaining yourself. That way, they'll be a lot more accepting of the pile of dirty dishes left in the sink.
Do not leave rotting food in the fridge. Not only is this a huge waste of food, it is a huge waste of space, and it is super unhygienic. Bacteria can latch onto the other foods in the refrigerator. Please have some consideration for others. Stomachaches and explosive diarrhea are not cool.
If you spill something, clean it up. If the bin is overflowing, please throw the trash out even if you're not on duty that week. A little initiative goes a long way.
1. Do not gossip about other people onsite or with fellow roommates
Overhearing problems aside, you really don't want to risk causing any conflict or tension with the people you're practically living with. You can never be sure that the person you're complaining to won't tell someone else about the bitchy things you've been saying! One thing can lead to another, in this case more people spreading it around, and tadaah, you have just found yourself the most despised person in the corridor. Tough luck.
2. Do not use others' stuff without permission, and if you do, return it to its original place in its original condition.
When I first moved into this house early this year, I left all my pots, pans, plates, bowls, baking tools and utensils, etc, in the shared kitchen. Firstly, they were stored away in a cardboard box when I first got there, since I was in the midst of unpacking and sorting things out. This chick didn't actually just use the stuff I left on the drying rack, she actually opened up the box and fished things out. Such audacity. That being said, I'm actually cool with people using my stuff, as long as they wash it and put it back. And that's not what happened. All my forks and spoons, and a wooden frying spoon vanished, along with a metal bowl. The stuff that was returned (after days, mind you) had dried food remnants on it (DISGUSTING. PLZ RE-EVALUATE YOUR LIFESTYLE CHOICES GIRL).
So I later found out that she has a habit of taking others' stuff (which explains why everyone keeps their belongings, including kitchen appliances and KNIVES) in their room. Apparently there was this big ugly show-off between her and the old housemates, after some poor dude found his missing mug hanging on her door as a pen holder. LOL. Anyway, she said she would move out by the end of the week, and here she still is more than 1 year later. She even uses our shower products. (Yeah unfortunately seems like there is some bitching and gossiping going on. If only I took my own advice)
I just find it sad that we're all adults, and we have to keep everything in our room so that it doesn't go missing or get used. One of the guys lost a $30 pot which he saw on her table, and which she also denied having. Sigh. Alright, enough ranting.
3. Don't be a dirty & disgusting pig.
Do not leave dishes unwashed in the sink for too long. I understand that sometimes we want to soak off parts that are sticking to our bowls, or burnt bits (not everyone is a Masterchef), but do try to get it out of the sink by the end of the day. Otherwise, send your roommates a text apologising for the delay and explaining yourself. That way, they'll be a lot more accepting of the pile of dirty dishes left in the sink.
Do not leave rotting food in the fridge. Not only is this a huge waste of food, it is a huge waste of space, and it is super unhygienic. Bacteria can latch onto the other foods in the refrigerator. Please have some consideration for others. Stomachaches and explosive diarrhea are not cool.
If you spill something, clean it up. If the bin is overflowing, please throw the trash out even if you're not on duty that week. A little initiative goes a long way.
4. Don't be the cause of high household bills
Pretty sure you don't need that much toilet paper to wipe your urethra/anus. Maybe you do. And I forgive you for that. But what I can't tolerate is when I see balled up toilet paper on the bathroom floor, and we have to come to the conclusion that you are using it to wipe your body after shaving.
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Also the usual - remember to check that the stove is turned off completely (it's really dangerous for the gas/fire to be going on for a while, not to mention expensive). Make sure the water stops running completely after you turn the taps off. The taps at my humble abode are really old, so I get quite a good workout of my arms and wrist every time I finish showering.
I'm not the most frugal person, and when I first moved in, I didn't know that all switches had to be turned off when not in use, and that even at night, light switches in the corridor are generally switched off (unless you need to get up and pee and it's too dark). I realised after a while, and always bear that in mind.
5. Don't be anti-social
One of my biggest regrets from back when I lived on campus, was how anti-social I was. As a result, I was surrounded by loads of people, but I always felt pretty lonely, and would much rather hang out with my friends living elsewhere. I'm a socially awkward person, so I understand that it's just very hard for some people to go out of their way, attend activities and functions, smile and say hi, and make small talk with people. My advice would be to try your best. You would be amazed at how much easier it gets with time (the 1st time is always the hardest, and come the 2nd round you're almost a natural), and how helpful it is to have friends, or at least people you're friendly with, around.
If you're really not good at socializing, try being the nice person, so that people still regard you with pleasantries. For example, if you've got a whole carton of eggs/loaf of bread that you can't ifnish before the expiry date soon and you can't finish it, send your dorm-mates/housemates a text saying that they can grab some. If you're a good baker, bake some goodies and leave them in the kitchen with a note saying that everyone can take one! Smile! Greet them when you run into them, whether it's a simple "Hey" or "Good morning". You can do it! :)
And that will be all for this post! TTFN.
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