Everything you’ll know if you live in a shared kitchen

When it comes to accommodation at uni, you'll have to make concessions somewhere. Sure, you might escape having to share one bathroom between six people (if you're lucky). But, no matter what, you'll almost certainly find yourself having to share a kitchen at some point in your University career.

And just like that, mouldy pans, overflowing bins, and noisy flatmates become your reality. So how do you deal with it? And what exactly does it entail? Well. Grab your dettol wipes and read on to find out:

The excitement of moving in and meeting your flatmates:

If there's one thing that makes moving into university exciting, it's meeting your new flatmates. Who will they be? What will they be like? Will you all become best friends and, like, totally go to each other's weddings?

Will you cook with them and taste different cuisines? Perhaps you will invite them to visit your home country over summer. You think about all those places that you could take them. Or, better yet, maybe you will visit their lush pads abroad. Wine and cheese in the South of France with my super cool new flatmates? Don't mind if I do.

And how about the nights when you're all out on the lash? Pres are gonna be life-changing and make for memories that will last forever, right?

And just like that you're absolutely buzzing to move in.

Oh, the excitement.

The disappointment of actually meeting your flatmates:

And here comes the peak part: Your first kitchen meeting leaves you feeling strangely deflated. It's not that your flatmates are awful or anything – you're sure they're nice enough – but you let your hopes get too high and now you're facing the consequences. In short, no life-changing shared kitchen experience for you. Gutted.

The adrenaline rush of sneaking your friends in

Okay, so your flatmates were a bit of a bust… now what? Easy. You sneak your friends in. You establish the kitchen as your territory, hoping that it will not be claimed by one of your flatmates before your friends arrive. And once they do, you keep a laser like focus on the kitchen door. This is your night. Yours.

Okay, fine. That's slightly selfish. But you can't help it! It's not your fault that your flatmates didn't walk out of a pre-university fantasy and into your life now, is it?

The horror of finding out your things have been stolen:

Nothing beats a nice Ben & Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie after a long day at uni. You finish your work and head to the kitchen, opening the freezer with bated breath. And then it dawns on you: The Ben & Jerry's isn't there.

You gasp in horror, backing away from the scene of the crime slowly. You could bear losing a fork or two, or finding your pots used and dirty in the sink, or even finding out someone ate mommy’s food. But this? This is a declaration of war.

The sad moment when you realise antibacterial products have become your best friends:

Living in a shared kitchen can be educational in a way. You'll discover a whole new range of cleaning products: Dettol wipes, Dettol sprays, Cif Power & Shine for the kitchen and literally anything with antibacterial qualities.

Give a few weeks and you'll become a mini Monica Geller.

The mortifying moment when you accidentally crash your flatmate's party:

It's been a long day and POP! just isn't looking like the one, so you decide to spend the night in. You head to the kitchen to rustle up a snack and then you hear it: the sound of a party.

And just like that, you're at a crossroads. You can retreat and go hungry, or soldier on and make your food. You pick the latter option, marching into the kitchen with your teddy bear PJs. Not humiliating at all.

The frustration of seeing the after-party-situation EVERY SINGLE DAY:

We've all been there. Overflowing bins, messy counters, suspiciously room temperature meat. You could probably put up with it if it wasn't for the fact that it happens every single day.

Oh well. At least you invested in those Dettol wipes…

*pauses to throw up*

The sweet indulgence of surrender:

Maybe shared kitchens aren't all that bad. For one thing, you certainly learn the value of surrender. You're not sure exactly when it happens, only that it does. That one day, you accept your reality and embrace your new diet of frozen meals on paper plates. And honestly, it's not that bad.

Whipped this up in 15 minutes and didn't have to be in the kitchen the entire time. LIFE. HACK.

So here it is: a small sample of what living in a shared kitchen is like. So keep your anti-bac close, kids. And always remember, if nothing else, sharing a kitchen is certainly… character building.