Welcome to the real world

This is a piece of writing I did for www.injournalism.co.uk which is an online publication created through Sunderland University, check it out its pretty good.

Let’s face it, summers over, and with the coming of winter and the looming credit crunch, we’re forced to ask ourselves, have we picked a suitable house to rent?

For all you fresher’s, you have nothing to worry about, expect perhaps the odd wet bed of a morning after a heavy night drinking, but generally, university accommodation is great fun.

Someone will clean your toilet and hallway every other week and the only thing you have to do is balance your plate on the pile next to the sink, unless of course, like me, you’re slightly OCD, in which case you’ll find yourself doing other peoples dishes all year long.

It all changes in year two, except the part about washing dishes. In most cases you will have moved in with friends who you met last year and, having chosen a room weeks ago, are enjoying the comforts of living without anyone telling you not to light candles or stick pins in the walls.

The game of Life has just stepped up a difficulty and we’re now fully responsible for looking after ourselves, which includes many similar tasks as last year, such as feeding and washing, with the added bonus of bills.

That’s not the worst thing though. Everyone, I’m sure, will have set up or be in the process of acquiring an internet connection and no doubt some form of television package. This is when it becomes frustrating. When you’re living with six other people, who decides on the program?

Suddenly the dream house you thought you were moving into isn’t so ideal and I’m not just referring to being forced to watch Xfactor over Match of the day. You’ve spoken to some friends and it feels like they got a better deal than you and the house is constantly cold because it’s too expensive to put the heating on and there’s a strange smell and you’re not sure where it’s coming from?

For those with unsympathetic parents, whatever the problem, never ask for their help, as you immediately become in danger of hearing the immortal lines “that’s life” or “welcome to the real world”