You'll come across loads of different people in your halls. Here are some of the flatmates you might come across:
The Party Animal
Are they ever not out? Recognisable from their bloodshot eyes and probably still drunk from the night before. You might spot them occasionally in a lecture with a hoodie and sunglasses as they tell you about last night and ask if you want guestlist for your birthday.
The Ghost
Their mail comes and goes, and you hear their door opening from time to time, but you never see them. Who are they? What do they do all day? The phantom flatmate might just be shy, so you might be doing them a favour by knocking on their door and asking if they want to join in with your plans. At the same time, some people just like being chilled and having their own space.
The Note Writer
Loves a passive-aggressive post-it note with a sarcastic comment about how the kitchen isn’t clean or the dishes haven’t been done. You can counter this by a) cleaning up b) coming up with an even sassier reply.
The Prankster
Ever wondered what your room would be like COMPLETELY wrapped in cling film? Or how about cups of water all over your floor so you can’t walk anywhere? Well, chances are you’re going to find out in halls. Students seem to love pranks. Obviously, don’t damage the room or any property if you are the prankster, but otherwise, be ruthless. You can defeat pranksters by keeping your room locked at all times or coming up with a better prank to get them back.
The Messy One
Likely the one that’s going to get on the nerves of the note writer. They always leave their dirty dishes out, and when you enter their room, you might think something’s died. Try and encourage them to at least keep the communal areas clean. Avoid "subtly" trying to get them to take the rubbish out by dumping the bin bag outside their door as they’ll most likely just walk past it.
The Lazy One
You’ll be coming back from a long day of lectures, and they’ll just be emerging from their bedroom. They won’t know what time of day it is, “Whoops, I missed all my classes.” They’ll say, as they crawl back into bed for Netflix and yesterday’s Dominos. Avoid being this guy by investing in a powerful alarm clock. Missing classes will lead to resits!
The Sensible One
They’ll probably come out during Freshers Week, but then they won’t be on the sesh much for the rest of the year. They’ll go to bed early, have all their coursework nicely organised and on time and probably get good grades. There’s nothing wrong with Mr or Mrs Sensible, so don’t leave them out of plans. It’s all about getting a good balance of socialising and keeping on top of your studies.
The Kitchen God/Goddess
If you’ve got one of them, they’re a keeper. They might be cooking to procrastinate or are a Gordon Ramsay in the making. Fingers crossed they’ll offer to make your flat meals or bake the occasional pie for you all. Just make sure you repay them by doing the washing up. University will also expose you to students from around the world so make sure you explore these new and exciting cultures and definitely taste some of their tasty food!
The BNOC
AKA the Big Name on Campus. A big sufferer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), the BNOC will often be seen chanting “down it fresher!” or trying to get you to drink some dirty pint. Most normally recognised by bolting VKs and being as loud as humanely possible.
The Couple
Their eyes first met as they moved into halls and now they’re inseparable. They’ve more or less moved into each other’s rooms, and you’ll feel like you’re talking to a conjoined object. Expect them to keep to themselves a lot and a lot of “oh, we’re just staying in tonight and watching a movie.”
The Loud One
This guy or girl has just bought massive loudspeakers off Amazon, and will no doubt have security or the warden tapping at their door when the whole corridor starts shaking from their deep bass. Great person for parties, but an absolute nightmare if you want to sleep.
The Food Thief
Secretly, we’re all food thieves. If you’re out of milk and your flatmate has a little left, you’re going to steal a bit. It’s only natural. But if you find a significant amount of your good food is going missing regularly, you may have a thief on your hands. Some kitchens will have lockable cupboards (bring a padlock) which can come in handy. If it’s really important to you, consider buying a safe and keeping it in your room.