Your accommodation is where you will make some of your greatest friends, so make sure you enjoy it, but remember to keep in mind some of the following:

Kitchen

• Your Kitchen will be the main congregation area for you and your new flatmates. For starters it will be where you rustle up gourmet meals or simply living your year on beans on toast!
• Don’t use someone else’s groceries.
• Don’t over stock the fridge - You only have a limited space to store chilled and frozen food, so don’t take more than your fair share of space.
• Your kitchen will be a place for your whole flat so remember to keep it tidy, and to clean up after yourself.
• Washing up may be a chore, but if you wash up little and often then it will become routine! It is the responsibility of the whole flat to keep the kitchen clean.

Bathroom

• If you’re living in halls which have shared toilets you’ll probably run into a few problems. One of these is running out of toilet roll. The cleaners replenish the stocks when they come to clean but there are still occasions when the flat runs out. Keep a couple of rolls in your room in case this happens.
• If you have opted for an en-suite bathroom it will contain a shower pod, toilet, sink and mirror. You may be living in halls where bathrooms aren’t shared in which case there will be more than adequate toilet and shower rooms at your disposal. All bathrooms will be cleaned once a week by your cleaner so upkeep should be relatively easy.

Safety

• Make sure you stay safe when living in halls. You will most likely have heard it all before, but the University is committed to keeping you and your belongings protected.
• Lock windows and doors especially if you are not in your room, even if you are just popping down to the kitchen.
• You may need to purchase insurance on your most expensive possessions such as laptop and mark them with your name using a UV pen. However, double check that your possessions aren’t already covered by your parents’ home insurance.
• Be vigilant about who you allow into your flat particularly during Fresher’s Week. If you and your flatmates don’t know them, don’t let them in.
• The crime rate at UEA and Norwich is generally low but if at any time you are concerned about your safety please do call Security on 01603 592352.

Cleaners

• Life in halls can be dramatically improved by befriending your cleaner! He or she will come into your room daily to empty your bins and once a week they will clean your bathroom. They are an asset to your uni life, so make the most of them in your first year!