How to bond with your flatmates in the first week

Remember you will be spending an academic year together

Living in student accommodation can be exciting, but it can also feel a little awkward at first. You're suddenly living with people you've never met before, all from different backgrounds and with different personalities. It can sometimes feel like everyone is waiting for someone else to make the first move. From my experience, those first few days really do set the tone for the rest of the year, so here are a few simple things that helped us get to know each other.

Start a WhatsApp group

One of the first things we did was create a WhatsApp group for the flat. It might seem like a small thing, but it makes communication so much easier. Whether someone is asking if anyone wants to cook together, letting everyone know they'll have friends over or simply checking if anyone needs anything from the supermarket, having one place to communicate makes life much easier.

It also helps break the ice. Even if conversations start off with practical things, they usually become much more relaxed over time.

Sort out the practical things early

It might not sound very exciting, but agreeing on a few basic things during the first week can save a lot of misunderstandings later on. Things like taking turns cleaning shared spaces, emptying the bins or deciding where everyone stores their food are much easier to discuss before any problems come up.

You don't need anything complicated. Even a simple cleaning rota that everyone agrees on is usually enough.

Get to know each other

During the first week, everyone is in the same position. Nobody really knows anyone yet, which makes it the perfect time to introduce yourself properly. Ask people what they're studying, where they're from or what societies they're want to join. Those conversations often lead to much longer ones.

One thing we also did was add everyone's birthdays to the WhatsApp group. It was a small gesture, but it meant nobody's birthday was forgotten, and it gave us another reason to spend time together during the year.

Spend time together outside the flat

You don't need to become best friends overnight (but if you want to this is another helpful blog), but doing something together during the first week can make a huge difference. Whether it's cooking dinner together, going grocery shopping, exploring the local area or grabbing a coffee after moving in, those shared experiences help everyone feel much more comfortable.

Looking back, I'm really glad we made an effort to get to know each other early on. Living with people is always easier when you've taken the time to build those relationships from the beginning. Even small things like creating a WhatsApp group or having dinner together can turn a group of strangers into people you genuinely enjoy living with throughout the year.