If you think that getting into college is the biggest obstacle over and done with, think again. I've found that flat life can be an education in itself. It's a jungle out there - think of yourself as a defenceless cub.
I was lucky enough to find a place in halls of residence for my first year of college. It is definitely the perfect option for freshers, as it eases you gently into life away from the nest and allows you to vet potential flatmates for subsequent years.
However, if this isn't an option that is open to you, there are a few precautions that you can take to avoid the main predators - flatmates from hell and greedy landlords. If you don't know anyone at college, the temptation is to move in with the first person/ people you meet in the pub. Beware! While it may seem like a very nerdy thing to do, it is vital to sit down to an honest and coherent conversation with your future co-habitants. Ask questions like "what do you want out of this?" If you like classical music and reading, and he likes wild parties, don't pretend that the arrangement will work out - it won't. Many a young student has been reduced to staying away from the flat as much as possible or hiding in his room for days on end in order to avoid ugly confrontations. I know of one guy who was horrified when, at 3 a.m. on the night before his last final, his flatmate decided to bring a group of friends back to continue the party. Having said that, for most people living at close quarters will produce only minor friction at one point or another. The classics are: whose turn it is to do the washing up; who burnt the bottom of the frying pan; who polished off the last of the milk.
Without parental nagging to nip these little problems in the bud, they are inclined to fester into bigger ones. Believe me, spaghetti bolognese is a lot more difficult to shift a week later. Tutors and landlords are often the biggest ogres of a student's existence. However, while you can be pretty confident that the former will play fair, the latter are sometimes another story.
Most students will have to sign a lease at the beginning of their tenancy. Although it is usually a standard format, it is still important to read it thoroughly for any extra clauses. For example, a Dublin student was left reeling last June when she was charged £120 to have her bedroom re-painted to cover minor marks left by posters. There was nothing she could do about it: the lease had prohibited hanging anything on the walls. Often you will have to pay a deposit at the beginning of the year in the form of an extra month's rent. While this is normal practice, be aware that some landlords have no qualms about withholding some or even all of the amount for highly suspect "cleaning charges" and so on. The vital thing to remember is that there's always going to be an element of compromise involved - you're all going to come from different backgrounds and have some strange individual habits. But you should never have to compromise yourself to the point where you don't enjoy flat life. With a few well thought-out decisions at the start of the year, it's a chance to fend for yourself, extend your culinary repertoire beyond beans on toast, and forego life-long friendships.
