From halls to house: What to expect from the big move

It’s that time of year again. Freshers nationwide have just finished off sorting a house out for September. And it’s probably more than a little bit on the shit side.

There’s no point denying it.  Chances are, if you’re looking forward to leaving halls, it’ll be more down to the people you’re living with. You’re just about to leave the comfort of the Vale, and Selly isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Life as a second year can be quite hard.

Bills

Having to pay bills is worse than you’ll think it’s going to be.  They’ll fly at you left, right and centre, and somehow always be more than you’re expecting. Your options are pretty simple: pay ’em, or don’t catch hypothermia. Plus, there will always be that one housemate dogging you for extra money because they’ve been stuck in the shitty box room… even though you totally agreed that in the first place.

If you can avoid it, don’t be the one with your name on the bills.  Just don’t. You will regret it, guaranteed.

Accurate representation of second year living

Landlords 

*sigh*

Remember the good old days of first year, where maintenance would be round in half an hour to fix the oven/fridge/door you managed to pull clean off its hinges last Vodbull?

Yeah. Those days are over.

They’ll repair everything but you

The locals

Ah, locals.  You either love them, or you hate them. On their side, it’s a less complicated relationship. They hate you. End of.

They seriously can’t stand us

Crime

The Vale was a pretty safe haven. While Selly police are always banging on about the reduced crime rate, there’s still a little bit of you that will shit themselves walking home alone from a night out, especially if you live on any of these roads.

It’s got *actual* shops

You can finally shop for food without trekking to Tesco Five Ways or spending a small fortune at Costcutter. Aldi will be your saving grace.

It’s hard not to get excited

It’s got actual pubs, too

The Duck and Scholar is great, but it is a bit… studenty.  In Selly you’re spoilt for choice with the array of pubs all stuffed with those endearing locals.

The Soak: Better than it sounds, trust us

There’s more takeaways than you can shake a stick at

Whatever you fancy, you’ll probably find it on Bristol Road. Cheap and cheerful, we particularly recommend student fave Rooster House, or Luciano’s nine inch pizza. At three quid for up to three toppings, it easily puts Pizza Shack to shame.

Say au revoir to fire drills

RIP to your weekly rude awakenings.  By the time you move into your house you’ll have forgotten what a fire alarm even sounds like. Unfortunately, fire alarms tend to be replaced by the joyous and near-constant drone of police sirens.

Pretty soon it’ll be time to bid farewell to your en-suite and meal plan card and get down and dirty with the student shanty town that is Selly Oak.  Like it or loathe it, the real world beckons.