Edi students tell us their first year hall horror stories

Living in Pollock can be one all on its own tbh


From windowless kitchens to flatmates practicing the bagpipes at 3am, the horror stories that come with living in Edinburgh student halls are not only plentiful, but can have you questioning your decision to come to university in the first place. However, it’s moments like these that make for a good story and flat bonding experience.  

We asked Edi students over on our Instagram what their horror stories from living in student accommodation are, and honestly, some of these are truly disturbing.

From the downright hilarious to the extremely terrifying, here’s what you had to say:

‘Our hot water was broken three times, and we were told to shower in the uni gym’

This isn’t what we meant when we said we’d go to the gym everyday this year.

‘We had 20 wasps in our flat kitchen’

I’d have packed my bags tbh.

‘Had a flatmate that had NEVER used a washing machine before ( they had maids at home)’

Massive yah vibes.

‘Someone bit into a stick of butter in the pantry fridge’

An example of what happens when you don’t buy food after a night out.

The mice aren’t the only animals you have to live with in halls

‘The guy next door in Pollock got so wasted he sh*t in his bin. I was woken to the sound of the cleaner screaming’

I have no words really.

‘I lived in a bunk bed for my first week of uni because the uni ran out of accommodation’

Reminds me of summer camp x

‘We found a mouse spine under the kitchen counter’

I hope you gave it a proper burial.

‘Holland killer?!; and ‘Death threats in the pantry from the Holland murderer and confiscation of toasters because they used them to set off the fire alarm four times in 24 hours’

At this point we’re all invested in the Holland House killer mystery.

A letter to give you permanent chills

‘There were rats. When we complained they said “sorry you’ve seen them so soon”‘

I guess the rat release date was early that year.

‘My flatmates cooked and ate a whole Christmas roast dinner in the kitchen without inviting me’

That honestly would’ve been my villain origin story.

‘Our ceiling fell in on the first week, then a girl’s window fell out from the 10th floor’

Classic uni accommodation literally falling apart.

Pure destruction

‘Live lobsters and crabs in our washing up buckets waiting to be boiled and eaten’

At least the food was fresh?

‘My flatmate had an extensive knife collection and threatened us with them’

 Joe Goldberg vibes, anybody?

‘We kept a pet moth and fed him lettuce. He died so we cremated him with deodorant and a lighter’

Well I guess that counts as a proper funeral 

‘Two flatmates had a screaming fight during a fire alarm in front of my whole block’

Fire alarms do ignite the rage in us, but let’s be honest, not at this level!

‘The fridge keeps on freezing my mozzarella :(‘

And finally, the worst horror story of them all. Hang in there, you and your cheese will be out soon enough.

Recommended related articles by this writer:

• Here are eight things to do on an alternative night out in Edi

• The Tab’s guide to Edinburgh’s different neighbourhoods

• A guide to the best Edi coffee shops to study in