Moving into university halls is a huge change, and flatmates are an important part of this experience. There are lots of pros and cons to living with flatmates, but while  some students are lucky enough to get on well with the people they originally live with, many students don’t like their flatmates. Not getting along with your flatmates is completely normal, but not a nice situation to be in. We have outlined what to do if you don’t like your university flatmates.

Extend the olive branch

If you are unsure whether you like your flatmates or not, see if they want to go out for a walk or drink at some point. Keeping things friendly within the flat is a good way to make sure your living situation stays comfortable. However, there are some cases where this doesn’t work, so don’t be discouraged if your efforts are ignored.

Join a society/sports club

Joining a society is a great way of meeting people with common interests to you and making friends outside of your halls. As well as getting you out of your flat, you will be integrating yourself into the community of each society. Going to socials, meet-ups and events are a great point of socialising and are where most people meet their university friends.

What to do if you don't like your university flatmates
Source: Patrick Case, Pexels

If you like the people you meet at society socials, get their contact details and ask to see them again- making friends at university is all about putting yourself out there!

Friendships don’t happen overnight, so putting in the time and effort will allow you to build stronger friendships.

Talk to someone

Disliking your university flatmates can make living situations difficult and very mentally straining. It is important to talk to someone about what you are going through, whether this be a friend from home, a parent or family member, your student support officer, or even calling a hotline. The Samaritans offer free confidential call and email services, 24hrs a day to help with any problems that you may be having.

Talking to a friend from home, family member or student support officer is a good way of getting advice from people who are informed of your exact context and situation. Furthermore, it ensures that you take the necessary steps to ensure your own mental health and wellbeing.

Put yourself out there!

At university, putting yourself out there and talking to new people is empirical to building your social life. Go along to as many society events, university course talks, and community events as you can! Get to know the people in your neighbouring flats or other people living in your halls. Being open to new conversations, new people and environments will allow you to get out of your comfort zone and meet people you like. Even just a conversation with the barista in your local coffee shop can do wonders for your confidence!

What to do if you don't like your university flatmates
Source: Ksenia Chernaya, Pexels.

Switching Halls

Alternatively, if you are unhappy in your living situation and feel that you would be better suited living with other people, you can always transfer to a different flat or university accommodation. This can be done through your university accommodation website, through the necessary peoples. You will need to contact your personal tutor, student support officer, accommodation warden or residence life coordinator to change halls. The procedure for transferring accommodation depends on the university, so check the website to see what advice your university provides.

The time frame of transferring residences depends heavily on the severity of your circumstances. Exceptional social and medical reasons allow people to be granted halls transfers before the six-week mark. However, despite this, the university will have systems in place to support you throughout the time it takes to transfer.

Disliking your university flatmates is a natural experience within university life that is commonly felt. Just because you dislike your flatmates, it should not define your entire university experience. Doing your best to be proactive in building your university life and social life within that is essential for your mental health and wellbeing. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there!

Although moving into a house in second year can still cause problems, you’ll get the opportunity to live with new people that you get on with better so hang on!

Last Updated on October 30, 2024

Author