During your first year at uni, you probably lived in student halls, and to put it simply, student halls are like nowhere else. Whether you want to reminisce on your memories from your first year or are looking for a more honest guide on student hall life before you move in, here are 10 things that you’ll relate to if you’ve lived in student halls. 

Fire Alarms

By law, student halls must carry out at least 1 fire drill per term, and they are usually too early (How’s 8:15 on a Monday morning?). But, outside of that, if you’ve lived in student halls, then you’ll know the joys of 3 am fire alarms. They always seem to be when you have a 9 am the next morning. You will either develop a spidey sense (as I like to call mine) and be able to sense when the fire alarm is about to go off, or you’ll just accept it and try to sleep through it. Those are the two options. 

So Many People

In student halls, you will meet so many people. You may not necessarily ever talk to them, but after a while, you’ll start to recognise people’s faces or associate things with them. They may always wear the same shirt, they may play a certain type of music, who knows. You’ll learn a lot about people you may never actually meet. 

Laundry

10 Things You'll Relate To If You've Lived In Student Halls
Source: The Tab

Your uni probably uses Circuit Laundry, and, to put it simply, Circuit Laundry is a nightmare. It’s overpriced (£3.80 for a wash and a dry!) and most of the time it doesn’t even properly dry your clothes. In fact, you’re probably better off taking your laundry home if you can. 

Cleaning

10 Things You'll Relate To If You've Lived In Student Halls
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Cleaning at uni is also a hassle. Some halls will have cleaners to come and clean communal areas, but the majority of it comes down to you and your flatmates. No matter if you make a cleaning rota or any sort of agreement when you first move in, it will have been discarded by October at the latest. No one wants to do the cleaning, so you just kind of learn to accept the mess (although you probably shouldn’t!). Read our guide on dealing with messy housemates if you’re having issues!

Overflowing bins

Similarly to my last point, no one wants to take out the bins. It’s too much of a hassle and if you run into someone while you’re doing it, it can get incredibly awkward. So, you’ll just let it overflow and only deal with it once it becomes a massive problem. Obviously, you shouldn’t, but who has time?

The thin walls

Something you’ll learn once you’ve lived in student halls is that the walls are very, very thin. You will be able to hear everything (and I mean everything). If your neighbour is having *an intimate time*, you’ll be able to hear it. If your upstairs neighbour is playing the drums at 1 am on a Wednesday, as mine does, then you’ll be able to hear it. So, I recommend getting some earplugs- You’re gonna need it. 

Freshers Flu

The hallmark of student halls. You, along with everyone else in the hall, will come down with some sort of illness at some point, it’s just a fact. May I suggest, water, paracetamol and sleep. It’ll do the trick. 

The classic student cone

Again, one of the essentials if you’ve lived in student halls. After a night out, you or one of your flatmates has decided to take a traffic cone and put it in your flat. Why? Who knows. But no one objects, so it just becomes part of the flat. It’s a fashion statement.

Alcohol bottles everywhere

10 Things You'll Relate To If You've Lived In Student Halls
Source: The Diamondback

Obviously, this depends on whether you drink or not (believe it or not, there are some uni students that don’t drink), but if you’ve lived in student halls, you know that you need to show people that you drink. So, the window sills of your flat will become decorated with empty bottles of alcohol. Again, it’s a fashion statement. 

The noise

One thing that becomes apparent quickly in student halls is the noise. While some unis will have options for quiet halls, they’re not that quiet. Whether it’s someone having a party, *intimate time*, or any other kind of noise, student halls are very loud. As I said before, get some earplugs before you move in. They’ll be very helpful. 

From what I’ve written, you may think that living in student halls is the worst, but it’s not. Sure, it has its problems, but anyone who’s lived in student halls knows that there’s nothing like it. I’ve met so many great people and made so many memories, it’s truly part of the uni student experience.