My story

I remember feeling both excited and nervous to move into my new accommodation. Belfast was a new, unfamiliar city and I didn’t know anyone staying in my halls. Fast forward to a year later, and I can wholeheartedly say I enjoyed living in Queen’s Accommodation and made some amazing friends in the process! Moving into accommodation can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are five tips to making the most of living in accommodation as a first-year student.

^{My new bedroom in Elms BT1 Accommodation}

1. Host a potluck or movie night

The best piece of advice I have for making the most of your stay in accommodation is to host a small get together in your flat. Potlucks are a fun way to brush up on your cooking skills whilst getting to know your friends. You could do a themed potluck, for example, my friends and I did a Christmas potluck + Secret Santa night! If cooking isn’t your thing, hosting a movie night with lots of snacks and drinks is another great option!

^{A dinner my friend hosted for Diwali!}

2. Follow Queen’s Accommodation on Instagram

It’s a good idea to follow the Queen’s Accommodation Instagram page when you move in. There are daily story updates about events that are being held across accommodation, plus handy reminders about coffee bar closures, maintenance information and more! During the first few weeks of living in halls, I used to write down the events that were taking place in the common room in my calendar so that I could make time to unwind and relax with friends!

^{Make sure to follow @qub_accommodation on Instagram}

3. Hang out in the common room

The common room is a great area to meet people and make new friends. I met so many people on my course just by playing table tennis and pool in the common room. I’d always exchange phone numbers with people I met so that if I ever wanted to have dinner with someone or needed help, then I could contact a friend! Free tea and coffee are served in the evenings, perfect after a long day of classes. Additionally, the common room is handy if you’re entertaining a larger group of friends as you can have fun without worrying about noise potentially disturbing your flat mates. There are always events being held in the common room like paint a t-shirt, plant seedlings, movie nights and more!

^{The Treehouse located in Elms BT9 is the perfect place to visit to relax with friends and grab coffee!}

4. Have dinner with your flatmates

After a long day of lectures and tutorials, cooking a meal used to be a task I found tedious and boring. However, I realised that if my flatmates were also in the kitchen at the same time, I felt more motivated to cook. I also found that sharing at least one meal with my flatmates helped me feel less lonely, as there was someone to talk to and laugh with.

^{Having dinner with flat mates can help to combat loneliness}

5. Try to keep your flat organised and tidy

Most people meet with their flat mates to create a cleaning rota to include cleaning the hob, floor, and counters, and emptying the bins. I’d highly recommend having a dedicated day to cleaning your flat and bedroom, as this helps to keep on top of tidying and creates a comfortable tidy space for relaxing and studying.

^{A clean bedroom creates a comfortable studying environment}

Finally…

Enjoy your time in accommodation! Living with new people is both exciting and slightly intimidating, but remembering that everyone feels like this can help you settle in – you’ll soon feel right at home!

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Radhika Gupta Medicine | Undergraduate Student | Derry, Northern Ireland Hi! My name is Radhika, I’m 19 years old and originally from Derry. I’m currently a second-year medical student and so far, I’ve been loving my course and time in Belfast! I like to spend weekends exploring the city with my friends and trying to find good places to eat/drink. My hobbies include photography, reading and yoga! This year I’m trying to become more involved in university activities, so you may see me around campus as I’m a student ambassador, plus I also love spending time in the Student Union with my friends in the evenings! I’m a member of various medical societies like SWOT and WOMED, and also recreational societies like Chess and Arts!