Just like that, the Leaving Cert results are in, and you're moving out. House-share and dorm veteran Lauren Walsh, a DCU grad, shares hard truths about college life, the fridge real estate wars and the realities of moving away from home.
Congratulations, you’ve won a place at college and are getting to move out of home into the bargain.
The newfound freedom doesn't mean you are in for a rockstar's lifestyle, trust me.
I have lived in countless house shares in my six years living away from home, and the mundanities of keeping your home clean still apply.
So as kids pack up the boot of the car and dream of drink-fuelled nights away from the shackles of parents, here are some practical tips to ensure the home or dorm share runs smoothly.
Bite the bullet
Meeting the people you will see every day for the next year can be daunting, but it is better in the long run to bite the bullet early.
You don't want to be the outsider interrupting the rest of your housemates' conversations in the kitchen a few months down the line.
It's natural to feel slightly awkward at the beginning, but the quicker you start getting to know your roommates, the easier you will make life for yourself in the long run.
I would strongly suggest filling up that awkward period after the madness of setting up your new room has quietened and mum and dad have waved goodbye by meandering to the kitchen and striking up a conversation with whoever is there.
Drawing lines in the sand
Similar to the housemate situation, it is easier to establish ground rules in the beginning.
There is nothing worse than tension in shared accommodation, so designating ample press space and a fridge shelf to each resident should be top of the priority list.
Of course, this is a wider conversation for everyone to mull over as opposed to one authoritarian figure dictating what goes. This is a group effort; no mum and dad calling the shots!
You don't want to live in a home where you have to label your food in the fridge or measure your cereal. Simply respect each other's property, or if caught short, ask first and eat only when you get the go-ahead.
Pull your weight
While college accommodation has long been depicted as a grimy dump, it doesn't give you license to live in squalor.
Some house shares opt for the dreaded chore list route, while others simply function by everyone pulling their weight and cleaning up after themselves.
Be conscientious; don't leave wet clothes in the washing machine, don't slam doors when you come home after a night out, and crack open the windows if your dinner is particularly pungent.
Germs aren't the only things that fester as a result of the dreaded dish-rack build-up. Arguments follow.
You might not feel like cleaning your breakfast bowl before rushing off to an early morning lecture, but it is easier than coming home to a mound of dirty dishes and hacked-off housemates.
The group chat
Housemates should set up a group chat early on. You will be surprised how much you need to communicate as a collective.
It may sound like something you can overlook, but standing on the street outside a locked door after a fresher's night out without a key will quickly demonstrate the group chat's importance!
Always give a heads up
Whether you are planning to cook a quiet meal for a few friends or planning a big prinks for your classmates, it is important to tell your housemates first.
Imagine coming home starving after a long day of lectures to find your kitchen thronged with drunken students.
A simple heads-up avoids friction later down the line.
NEVER date your housemate
Never ever date your housemate! It may seem like the start of a 2000s rom com, but the reality will be closer to the halfway point where the main character's life falls apart.
Just as it is inadvisable to start a relationship with someone you work with, dating a housemate is a recipe for disaster, whether you are deeply in love or it ends in a volatile mess.
No one wants to live in fear of crashing a loved-up couple's kissing session in the kitchen. Even worse if your roommates are awoken to 3 am screaming matches when it starts going downhill.
Not to mention that you will likely be tied into a lease for a year, and as a result, tied to that person. For your sake and everyone else's, just don't do it!
