Moving into halls means you’ll be sharing a kitchen with a bunch of strangers. Some of them will become your best mates, some of them can’t tell the difference between the sink and the bin, and at least one will “borrow” your milk forever. Here’s how to survive (and maybe even enjoy) your shared kitchen.
1. Secure Some Shelf Space
First things first, get yourself a shelf on the fridge and a cupboard for your crockery, cutlery and food, as soon as possible. Being late to the party might leave you with the corner cupboard and enough space for 1 (one) bag of pasta.
2. Don’t Be That Guy
Pots and pans “soaking” for days on end. Piles of plates with food on them on the side. No one likes that guy. Washing up straight after you eat, keeps you out of the firing line when it comes to the inevitable big clean.
3. Don’t Let the Bin Bags Pile Up
Don’t be the flat maid, because people will take advantage, but if there’s anything to keep on top of, it’s the bins. Nobody wants flies gathering in the flat, and nobody wants a flat mouse that you’re unknowingly taking care of. It’s a 2 minute job, worth its weight in gold.
4. Keep An Eye On Expiration Dates
There is nothing worse than things going off in the fridge and being forgotten about. No one wants to find a hidden science experiment that was once a yoghurt, or have to weed some potatoes that have made the back of a cupboard home. Pro tip: If it smells weird, it usually is weird. Bin it.
5. Be Wary Of Space
Uni flats do not have infinite space, in fact, typically there isn’t a whole lot of space to work with at all. Space will be tight, so shop smart, and fill your shelves smarter.
6. Have Some Backups
Keep an eye on your stuff. This is way easier if it’s all in your cupboard, so refer back to tip 2. But If your flat has elected to make cutlery and whatnot communal, make sure you’ve got some backups in your room, for when all your stuff somehow vanishes.
7. Communicate (Politely)
If something bothers you, it’s definitely worth talking about it before it turns into a war of attrition where absolutely no one wins. Keep it friendly, because most people don’t like living in filth and sometimes all they need is a little push.
8. Be Realistic
At some point, someone’s going to burn some toast at 2am, or leave some half eaten noodles in the microwave. Learning to laugh off the little things will help you embrace the chaos of the shared kitchen experience.
The shared kitchen is going to be messy, it’s going to be loud, and occasionally it might stress you out. But there’s all sorts of memories to be made, and unfortunately it’s an inevitable part of the uni experience. Be respectful, do your bit, and you’ll survive (hopefully).
Trying to figure out what you’ll need for the kitchen? Here’s our Complete Freshers Move-in Checklist.
