Making friends with your neighbours and connecting with the local community can be a great way your University accommodation feel like a home away from home.
Get to know your neighbours
Introduce yourself to your neighbours - it’s never too late. Knock on their door to say hello or put a card through their letter box with an introduction to let them know who you are.
Building a good relationship with your neighbours helps to create a positive living environment. It can also be helpful as they may be able to keep an eye on your property whilst you are away.
Be respectful with noise
It’s absolutely fine to play music or have friends over, but be conscious of your noise, especially after 11pm. The walls can be very thin so consider letting your neighbours know if you’re going to have a party.
It’s also important to consider that your neighbours may have different routines to you, or may have young children. Please be mindful when playing music or if you are coming home late at night.
Sorting your waste and recycling
Waste, rubbish bins, and recycling are potential sources of contention with neighbours. Make sure to know you rubbish collection day is, and that you do not leave rubbish out on the street or in the front garden.
You can check when your household bins and recycling are collected, and what you can put in your bins, by looking on your local council website, either Reading Council or Wokingham Council.
Anyone living within Reading Borough Council area can check the Council’s waste guide as a reminder of what you can put in your recycling bin or box.
For more information and top tips on managing your rubbish, check out our waste and recycling webpage.
Top tip: download the scrapp to see how to sort your waste the right way! Download the app, scan the barcode to search your waste, and learn how to recycle right
Explore your new local area
Check out our Local Area Google Map created by our Student Local Guides to discover recommendations from fellow students in the local area, such as coffee shops, study spaces, theatres, food places and more.
You can also check out our community webpages to find out about volunteering opportunities and events coming up in the local area.