25 Reasons Living With Your Best Friend is Great

All you ever say to your friends growing up is how good it would be if you lived together. Unfortunately most things you want at that age turn out to be a disappointment, however living with your best friend is not one of those things. Here are 25 reasons why we love living together!

1. You have two of everything (including wardrobes!)

2. You save money buying everything together

3. No need to send 6 page text messages, she’s just next door

4. A bad day is never as bad

5. No need to text around to find out what everyone else is wearing

6. Never turn up anywhere alone

7. Doing nothing doesn’t count as doing nothing when you’re in someone elses company

8. You’ll always have someone to do Two for Tuesday’s with

9. Always split the price of delivery

10. Someone to finish your sentences for you

11. You gain an extra mum

12. Surprise cups of tea

13. It’s acceptable to take your bad mood out on them. They’ll probably tell you you’re a 
dick, but they will still love you for it.

14. Someone to hold your hair when you’re being sick

15. Can’t be bothered to move to have a conversation? Just shout

16. Half price taxi’s

17. You can be in a bad mood together

18. “I've run out of…” “don’t worry I've got it”

19. Every night is a year 9 sleepover

20. Reassurance is always there

21. 24-hour nurse always available

22. No more lonely nights-in

23. Don’t feel like cooking tonight? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind

24. You always have someone to stick your eyelashes on for you

25. Always someone to have a moan with

It's OK To Never Feel At Home...

Moving out gives a whole new meaning to being 'home sick'. 

So often you find yourself wanting to go 'home', and then you get there and it's never what you needed it to be. It's no longer a place you go and fit into straight away, instead you find yourself feeling like a guest. 

Is it because you know that you being there is temporary? Or because you have your own way of doing things now, ways that you actually prefer (sorry, mum). 

You get so used to doing things for yourself, that to try and fit into a different routine makes home far from the relaxing place that you desire it to be. 

When you get lonely, or want to escape from the routine you are starting to dread, you think of home. But your perception of home is past tense. What you're really missing is the way home was before you left, it's not just home, it's the life you had before. 

As soon as you get home, you start to miss the life that you've crafted yourself. Leaving home was scary, and to overcome the fear you put your everything into your new life, but this meant that without realising you were replacing the home you had before. A home that deep down you will never allow to feel like your own anymore. 

This sounds like an unhappy post, but it's not. This is the next stage of your life, a chance for you to do things your way. Have a mum that insists on all the kitchen being matching, but you love mismatch? Now's your chance to create it. 

So often we seek comfort in the way we have been brought up, but now is the time to learn from your upbringing and use what you loved about home in a life of your own. 

If you're at Uni you won't feel at home just yet, as it's hard to feel at home when something is temporary, but you need to accept that you cannot go back. Your home will come, and Uni is the perfect trial for how you will create it.

It's ok that you don't feel at home anywhere just yet, having somewhere to live doesn't mean that you will feel at home. 

From Halls To House

Thursday morning, VERY hungover, Em & I were laid on our kitchen floor, attempting to get the cap off of our washing machines filter (eh?). Yup, this week our washing machine broke. 

We tried, we really did, for a good hour in fact. We were trying to be independent and prove that we could cope without Tim, our maintenance guy from halls. But, to our dismay, we were left with a wet kitchen floor, an increasing headache and a phone call to make. Thankfully, our landlords are pretty good and came round the next day to discover it really is broken and our new washing machine is now on its way!

So, this got me thinking of the differences between first and second year of uni. You join first year convinced you're leaving home and going to be so independent, when in fact you are in the safe hands of the security guy downstairs. Your shower isn't hot enough? No problem, Tim will sort that for you!

On the plus side, when the fire alarm goes off I can now just wave a tea towel around and the piercing sound stops. Last year, we were left standing in the car park at 5am because someone decided then was a perfect time to cook. The thought of that now seems unbearable, yet last year we weren't bothered at all and in fact found it quite amusing. 

I've now come to realise that this is because of the lack of responsibility. I knew it was someone else's job and I could moan to the moon and back because it wasn't my problem to fix.

Moving In Day!

Last year, if my rent wasn't paid on time I would email reception to tell them it would be a few days late - "no problem" they'd say. Nowadays, if I told my estate agent my rent would be a few days late, I would hear the words "that'll be an extra £35 per day". Shocking. I know. 

Oh yeah, estate agents are not good to students. They aren't good to many people but they really are awful to students. Small tip, which you will hear from every student, don't take everything they say and accept it. If they want a £400 admin fee, knock them down. It's extortionate. Another thing, read your tenancy agreement before signing! They really do worm some corkers in there.

There are so many things you have to adapt to when you begin second year, but it's not all bad! I do not miss my tiny single bed along with my tiny room. But an en suite? Yeah, could do with one of those..

Happy Moaning!
Kirsti