A guide to living your best Residence Life
The Residence Life team share their best advice for living well during your time in halls.
Sarah – Residence Life Manager
Don’t be afraid to ask what you might think are ‘stupid questions’. The reality is, your questions aren’t stupid, and no one is going to judge you for asking them. Need directions to a building? Need instructions on how to use the laundry machine? Need advice on a personal problem? Just ask. At Residence Life, we have an entire team of RLAs, Residence Life Wardens, and central staff who are willing to help you. Taking the time to ask questions and acknowledge that you need help will really set you up for success.
Similar to this – don’t be scared to try new things. We host tons of cool residence life programs where you’ll have the opportunity to try new things. Don’t worry about what other people think! Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things!
Moving away from home and living in residence – especially if it’s your first time, can feel overwhelming and scary (even though it’s not – I promise!). Just know that everyone around is here to help and make sure you feel safe and comfortable in your residence. The Residence Life Team deals with all kinds of issues, no matter how big or small. Nothing is new or weird to us, and we’re always willing to lend a helping hand. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help or support if you need it. We’ve all been in your shoes before and we want to make sure you enjoy your time here! Whenever I’m embarrassed to ask a question or try something new, I remind myself that embarrassment is the cost of entry, and I won’t know if I don’t ask or try.
Nat – Residence Life Assistant Manager
Moving into halls is a crash course on being independent, but it’s good to remember that everyone is going through the same thing together. Coming from living at home, I never really had to think much about clearing up after myself or where the next batch of toilet roll was coming from (sorry Mum!)
It was a real learning curve to start doing everything myself. The first time I tried to buy laundry powder I cried in the middle of the shop! There were just so many options and I didn’t have a clue what did what.
The best advice I can give is to be kind to yourself. When things feel overwhelming, have a hot shower and tidy your room. Drink some water and eat some fruit. Go for a walk outside. Most importantly, no matter how big it gets, don’t let the laundry pile win. You got this!
Dom – Residence Life Officer
Make sure to get involved in lots of events and activities! I would also recommend joining a club or society as well. This is a great way to meet new people and make friends for life. A lot of my own best memories from university came from playing University sports, going on university trips and trying new things.
I also like to look ahead at what trips and events are coming up and plan everything I will get involved in. It’s great to always have something round the corner to look forward to.
Lucy – Residence Life Marketing
Transitioning into living on your own and taking care of yourself can be daunting, but almost everyone around you is learning at the same time! A great way to start is to teach yourself how to cook at least 5 meals. They don’t have to be complicated or particularly fancy, just stuff you can make yourself pretty easily and enough variation that you won’t get bored of eating the same thing everyday. If your flatmates are in the same boat and aren’t sure about cooking, make it a social event! Get your flat together, grab your ingredients and follow a recipe as a group. You’ll save so much money cooking for yourself instead of living on ready meals and takeaways and you get to pick up some new skills in the process.
The best way to make the most of university in general is just to put yourself out there. Use halls groups to make friends in your residence and get to know the people living around you. Your halls are your home for the next year and building a community within it is such a great way to help it feel like it's truly yours.
The Residence Life Team
