You know that myth, that says students go off to university and they become a little bit, well, you know… messy…? Well, it isn’t a myth unfortunately. But don’t panic, UnCOVered’s intern Zainab is here with first-hand experience, to let you in on a few top tips about how looking after yourself and your halls or house can go hand in hand.
Don’t leave it, clean it!
Believe it or not, a clean room makes it easier to study in. “Tidy room, tidy mind” they do say. I understand with all the late nights and early mornings due to 9am starts, it can leave minimal time for maintenance, but things don’t have to get out of hand. You can literally take 30 seconds to put things away rather than letting it all pile up. You’ll be amazed by how much an organised work space improves the standard of your work. Give it a try and see!
The kitchen needs love too
Take it in turns to clean up, I really can’t tell you enough times how important this is. Be fair and be kind. Every little helps, and the grief and stress you’ll save yourselves is worth its weight in gold. Less time spent arguing means more time down the pub enjoying yourselves.
Dirty dishes in the sink can get quite annoying, especially if they aren’t yours. So to help ease the load (and tension), clean as you go. If you’ve got a good understanding with your housemates, you can even make the dreaded… kitchen cleaning rota…!! (This doesn’t work for everyone, but maybe you’ll break the mould?!)
Treating your house with respect has a knock on effect on your relationships with each other. In the long-run, that bit of house-proud mentality could keep your friendships alive for years to come.
It’s laundry day!!
Be sure to separate your whites from the colours and the darks when using the washing machine. Wouldn’t want colours running now, would we!? But seriously, you’ll save yourself the stress of having to buy new things, or wearing pink every day, if you make sure to do two separate loads.
If you don’t have an iron or ironing board, try folding and flattening your stuff once it’s dry (instead of shoving it inside drawers). It kind of keeps your clothes looking neater. And if you aren’t lucky enough to have a dryer at home, you can always get a clothes drying rack… cos hanging stuff over the stairs only works so well when there’s 6 of you…
Clean fresh clothes are great for your mental state too. They make you feel a million bucks, even if you’re all out of student loan and are wearing clothes from years and years ago.
Hope I haven’t got you panicking! If you feel you need more help, you can always ask your parents how they’ve been doing it for you all these years! Or visit our ‘How to be a Tidy Student’ blog here. However, for your own personal development, I believe you should give it a go on your own, and take on the challenge. Prove the myth is exactly that, a myth, and look after yourself, each other, and your student house or halls!
