#studentroost

You’ve prepared everything the night before, and you’re going to turn up nice and early for your class. Except the universe has other plans and suddenly your washing machine has exploded / your toilet’s blocked / your room’s been hit by a meteor and you’re going to have to miss your lecture.

OK, so maybe the last one was a bit of an exaggeration, but when it comes to excuses, university lecturers have heard them all – and luckily for you, we’re sharing them with you:

1.      “My key snapped in my front door and I got locked in.” Interesting spin on the classic “I got locked out of my house” line.

2.      “I put my shoes on but it was only when I left the house I realised they were mismatched.” Because naturally, you have to be fashion-conscious in order to study.

3.      “I went to leave the house but halfway down the street my cat was following me so I had to take her home.” What’s more surprising about this excuse is the fact they’re allowed pets in their student accommodation!  

4.      “My snooze button jammed so my alarm didn’t go off.” Despite how advanced technology is, there’s always some fault at large.

5.      “I got lost trying to find the lecture hall but couldn’t find it so went home.” If that’s what’s holding you back from getting your degree wait until you get a job!

6.      “My bus didn’t arrive on time and the next wasn’t due for almost an hour.” Public transport can be so fickle at times.

7.      “I got my days mixed up – I thought the lecture was for tomorrow!” Nice try, but next time? Try harder.

8.      “I’m already way ahead of my classmates, so I could afford to give this a miss.” Not sure if this is brave of just…stupid.

9.      “I think I’m coming down with freshers’ flu.” Or maybe last night’s antics caught up with you sooner than you had hoped for.

10.      “I was going to be really late but that would have been too embarrassing so I decided not to turn up at all.” That’s…not even a legitimate excuse.

11.      “I heard noises in my house last night and thought it was a ghost but I was too scared to go to sleep and ended up being too tired to attend class.” Just when you think you’ve heard them all, there’s one excuse that tops them all. 

Moving into student accommodation signals two very exciting changes: one, independence as you move away from home and two, the chance to make new friends. 

However, making friends is one thing while living with them is another – so to avoid making enemies instead, we’ve come up with a list of the most common student arguments and how to work them out:

1.      Keeping it clean. While no one expects student accommodation to look absolutely spotless, no one expects to live in a dump either. In terms of mess, the kitchen is the most likely culprit – with food-covered plates going unwashed for days. A simple way to resolve this is to wash your plates up after you’ve eaten, or test out a kitchen rota.

2.      Noise levels. Different study schedules mean different sleeping patterns, and for every morning person there’s always a night owl. So to avoid conflicting sleeping times (as well as conflicts) set down some ground rules such as no noise from midnight until 7am, as well as being mindful in communal areas and keeping the TV on a low volume.  

3.      Plus one. Someone’s got their partner / friend bunking over for a few nights, and that’s tolerable. But suddenly a few nights has extended into a few weeks, and they’ve overstayed their welcome. It can feel as though they’re invading your personal space, so to claim that back, explain to them that there should be a limit of at least three visits a week, and during times of exams no visits should be allowed.   

4.      Shower hog. There’s three minute showers, then there’s what feels like spa days as you wait for your turn for the bathroom. If a few of you all need to get ready at around the same time, set allocated slots so people can get ready in plenty of time.

5.      Fridge thieves. You just bought a pint of milk for tomorrow’s breakfast but as soon as you go to drink it…it’s gone. Make sure you label your food and drink, and claim individual fridge and storage space so everyone knows whose is whose.

6.      Party animals. Going out can be quite an expensive hobby, so having the occasional house party can be a great way of keeping costs down. Only problem is, it’s not the best way to keep noise levels down – if this happens on a regular basis talk to them about taking it in turns to host. And when they do party, make sure they know what time they need to keep the noise down – so the party can still keep going and you can still get your beauty sleep.

Your student loan has come, and your funds have…well, gone. But before you start panicking about having to ask the bank account of mum and dad, there’s an alternative: getting a part-time job.

 Depending on your schedule, it is possible to fit employment around your studies. Getting a part-time job means you’ll also meet new people – and getting paid to do so! Just make sure you don’t spend your pay packet all in one go: 

1.      Barista. Many students survive on coffee on a daily basis, so that already gives them prior experience to becoming a barista. If you’re a morning person then the hours will certainly suit you, with many cafes closing late in the afternoon allowing you free time to go out in the evening. 

2.      Bartender. Not an early riser? For night owls, working in a bar may be best suited to your sleeping pattern. And if you’re a social butterfly, this is the perfect setting to meet new people – and you can even go on a night out straight after you’ve finished work!

3.      Office/admin. If you’re venturing into an office job upon graduation, get those skills sooner rather than later. By preparing for office life early on, you can learn the tricks of the trade – helping you beat other graduates to your dream job thanks to your experience.  

4.      Retail. Are your customer service skills second to none? Put them to use in the world of retail (and if you’re lucky, you’ll get store discounts too).

5.      Cleaner. If you enjoy cleaning your room, why not get paid to clean for a living? The locations vary greatly, from cleaning an office to someone’s house. Plus you can work shorter shifts compared to other jobs, giving you more flexibility.

6.      Student ambassador. Is there a brand you’re extremely passionate about? For those looking to get into PR, this one’s for you. Several businesses will happily pay you to represent them, so if there’s a brand you’re happy to shout about from the rooftops, get in touch to see if they need you as their next student ambassador.

Choosing your student accommodation property can be a nerve-wracking process. From ensuite to studio and apartment accommodation, there's so much choice on the market.  

Many housing options are released to the market between November and January. Properties are usually provided on a first come, first served basis. This only strengthens the case to start your research early, browse the options and try to narrow down your choices, before making a final decision about your future home.  

It’s essential to cover as many bases as possible with your research, but where do you look for your next property?  

Browse online  

Online resources are available for most types of student accommodation. Whether you’re looking for shared or private accommodation, start your search online. This will enable you to cover a wide search of the city in a shorter space of time, perhaps navigating to areas that you hadn’t previously considered. It’s the perfect way to double-check the distance between your ideal property and your university campus. Looking online also allows you to read reviews and testimonials of previous residents, supporting your property making decision.  

University Housing Days  

In the first year of term, it’s not uncommon for universities to run a ‘housing day’. These events tend to be well attended by local services, for example, police, letting agents and landlord accreditation schemes from the local council, and property management companies like Student Roost.  

The event can be an excellent opportunity to browse the range of options available to you as a student, and to get an idea of how you go about booking your ideal property.  

Student Unions and University Housing Services  

Many universities will be able to provide a housing service, as well as recommendations for letting agents and landlords. Housing services may vary dramatically between universities, however student websites can be used to get a good idea of how good your Housing Service is reputed to be. Your universities’ Student Union may also be able to help with offering advice and recommendations about where other students from the university are living.

When you first get to university, it’s easy to overspend on the essentials (smart speakers, drones, the usual) – so by the time you get to the absolute must-have items, you realise you’ve left no money for the most important necessity of all: food.

But before you worry about asking the bank of mum and dad for funds, there’s a better way – five in fact. Get your hands on some free grub the legal way, with a little help from Student Roost:

1.      Birthday bonanza. You’ve probably seen the pranks on YouTube, where someone takes their partner out for dinner and the waiters surprise them with a birthday song and cake – but the surprise is, it’s not even their birthday! We don’t recommend you prank the staff, but we do highly encourage you to find out the birthdays of all your friends (as well as your friends’ friends).

2.      Mystery diners. You’ve heard of mystery shoppers, but have you heard of mystery diners? Just as mystery shoppers are paid to report on their shopping experiences, as a mystery diner you’ll get paid simply for reporting on your culinary adventure!

3.      Restaurant / supermarket openings. Ever walked down the high street only to be stopped by waiters or baristas handing out free food samples? Take advantage of these offers and visit their opening days. Who knows, you might enjoy a new cuisine!

4.      Putting the app into appetite. Depending on your mobile network, you could be entitled to some free food. The likes of O2 and Three offer their customers some great freebies for using their Priority and Wuntu apps, where you could get anything from a free coffee to even free pizza.

5.      Take part in an eating contest. If you’re a fan of Man vs Food, then this one’s for you. Several restaurants often host eating competitions where if you can finish certain challenges, you get the food for free! So you could get free food AND the title of winner - not bad for someone looking to get a free meal! 

All this talk of free food has our stomachs rumbling! Have you got any tricks of the trade? Let us in on your secrets by sharing on our Facebook page – bon appétit! 

for more information don’t forget to check out our Student Roost website:

At university, you probably think you’ve seen it all – from random attires to people's sometimes weird eating habits, there's nothing you haven't seen already.

But surprises usually happen in the last place you’d expect – so join us as we celebrate and squirm through some of the strangest occurrences ever to take place during a university lecture:

1.      “There was one guy who always fell asleep during a lecture, but had an alarm on his watch that would buzz him awake five minutes before the end. Our lecturer got so fed up with his behaviour that he took our class out for cocktails, so when the guy woke up not only was he alone, he’d also missed a great happy hour with our lecturer.”

2.      “A girl once hid her pet rat in her scarf. It was both cute and creepy.”

3.      “We were in class when someone dressed as a snowman burst in gasping for breath, grabs a test from the lecturer, then writes their answers in a rush. Turns out some guy went out the night before for a Christmas party, but had overslept and with no time to get changed took a chance and did their test still in fancy dress.”

4.      “It was the end of class and as we were handing in our assignments, I noticed one girl look quite pale and take her time walking to the desk to give her essay to our lecturer. She had accidentally stapled her paper to her hand, and nearly passed out during the lecture due to freaking out for a good hour.”   

5.      “One girl was always listening to music during the lecture, and with our lecturer fed up of having to tell her off by talking louder to get her attention, he just mouthed stuff to her instead. The whole class cottoned on and we all mouthed to one another, and even when she took her earphones out and talked normally, she began to panic thinking she couldn’t hear us and quickly ran to A&E!”

6.      “Someone brought their hamster to class – in a Happy Meal box. Don’t worry, it was alive.”

7.      “Our lecturer dimmed the lights once while we did a test, then when we finished and the lights went back on, he suddenly went from having a full beard to being clean-shaven. Even changed his shirt.”

8.      “We heard a really creepy baby’s cry in the middle of class that got louder and louder. The lecturer apologised, he said he had just had a baby and saved his son’s cry as his ringtone.”

What’s the strangest thing you’ve experienced in the middle of a lecture? Pop over to our Facebook page and let us know – bonus points if you share pictures too!