16 things you'll find in every student house

Ellie Hilborne on 7 June 2016
Henry hoover

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Living in squalor is all-part of the student experience. A perfect mix of modern ikea furniture and 70s furnishings, lax cleaning rotas and the aftermath of a messy pre-drinks form an image of the stereotypical student house. But whether your house is a student hovel or palace we’ve made a list of all the things you’ll find there:

Mould

Mould is a student house staple. The unavoidable damp which results will make you ill at first but over time, paired with the lack of heating, you will become immune.

Mouldy corner of a room

Source: Kingmoor Consulting

Stolen pint glasses

Many will be acquired over the years.

A Henry Hoover

It’s widely believed that a house does not qualify as a student house without one. Dyson ain’t got nothing on Henry - although at times Henry can be stubborn at doing his job properly and refuses to be emptied.

A Henry Hoover outside

Source: Expert Reviews

Unclaimed fridge items

These mysterious items can go unclaimed for the whole year, but you still leave them there just in case.

Drying clothes

Every radiator, random wall hook, curtain rail and chair will be draped in damp clothing - because tumble dryers are overrated.

A drying rack full of clothes

Source: Jen Thousand Words

An over-sensitive fire alarm

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing - whether you’re just watching TV or have in fact started a fire, the fire alarm will rudely blare out at the most unexpected times. GAH.

A stranger

You have no idea who they are or where they came from. They could be here to repair the boiler, they could be a friend of your housemate who passed out on your sofa - the possibilities are endless so you just leave them to it.

Seeing a complete stranger in your house

A bed sheet covering a window

There will be at least one window that is without curtains or a blind when you move in. Usually to much annoyance, it is a critical window. For instance, a window at the front of the house putting your living room on show to passers by or, even worse, a bedroom window resulting in no protection from the daylight during your afternoon naps.

Alcohol, lots of it

As a student, it is of utmost important to be fully prepared for spontaneous nights out with a selection of alcohol. Empty bottles are lined up on your kitchen worktop as if they were collectables.

Lots of empty glass bottles

Source: BBC

Letters from the TV Licensing company

A TV? Nope, definitely don’t have one of those.

Pizza boxes

Acting as a sickening reminder of your out of control eating habits, the multitude of empty boxes (with the addition of the odd crust) will make navigating the room comparable to taking on an obstacle course. It can't be helping the Feng Shui either.

Three stacks of empty pizza boxes

Source: flickr

A selection of student cookbooks

None of which have ever been opened.

A road sign or traffic cone

No student house is complete without one. Why are students so attracted to road signs? What is the allure of a traffic cone, I hear you ask? Answer: you can wear them on your head (warning: do not try this at home).

Student stuck in traffic bollard

A pack of cards

With numerous missing cards - most of which will be stuck to a table by alcohol spillages.

A pointless cleaning rota

It sounded like a good idea at the beginning of the year, but let’s face it there are a lot more important things to be doing as a student - like sleeping. Usually there’s one housemate who is super keen to keep the place spick and span. They don’t appreciate laziness and it can cause some friction - in the form of passive-aggressive notes...

A handwritten cleaning rota

Source: Morgan Manages Mommyhood

A pile of washing up

Featuring a burnt pan that you’ll never be able to use again but can’t quite muster the energy to throw away.

Have we missed something you'd find in a student house? Join the Student Hut Community today and let us know in our opinion panel.

Ellie Hilborne
Ellie Hilborne on 7 June 2016