The Ten House Commandments
So you’ve come to exchange in Milan with dreams of the ‘Bella Vita’, conveniently in a land far away from your parents, and if you’ve done things right - at a Nest Milan Apartment.
Many students staying with us find friends for life, after all that’s where you’ll find yourself cooking together or keeping up with that latest Netflix series during your Italian adventure.
Chances are, at least one of your roommates (and maybe even yourself!) are living away from home for the first time. It can feel liberating— especially sharing that experience with roommates in the same boat, but as a wise student once said after losing his frozen pizza; “with great freedom comes great responsibility”.
learn each other’s schedules
Some study with music, some study in silence. Some study at night, some study in the day. Get to know your roomies habits before organising that house party and you can both pass your exams without a summer extension!
Split the house work
How you keep your room is your business but you should always clean up after yourself in common spaces. By further organising the common chores, everyone can enjoy a clean place. Consider someone to take out the daily garbage, someone else for a weekly clean of the bathroom, and another for the kitchen. You can pull straws, rotate duties or bribe someone with your cooking - regardless the tactic, lets get it done together!
Decide what can be shared
A splash of your roommates milk might be okay but don’t take that frozen pizza! We generally advise designating shelves in the fridges and cupboards for each student to avoid a pizza-gate scandal. Also consider a collective shopping mission for essentials including; salt, pepper, oil and other long-life items.
Headphones not speakers
If you spend late nights binging Netflix and you’re roommates aren’t down, remember that headphones are your friend!
Overnight guests
If you’ve got friends of family visiting, let everyone know in advance! An occasional overnight guest is fine but don’t let your new best friend move-in. Remember: you might have your own room but everyone has an equal right to enjoy the rest of the apartment to the capacity it was designed for.
don’t fill the kitchen sink
We’ve already mentioned the importance of cleaning up after yourself but this ones a biggie… The scene is set; you’ve just finished 1kg of pasta, you’re full, lethargic, and will and clean up in an hour - Don’t be that person! No one wants to come home to a sink full of dishes, awaiting the end of your food coma.
Recycle PROPERLY
All garbage in Italy must be separated into; organic, plastic/metal, paper, glass, and non-recyclable. All condominiums have five associated garbage cans for you to separate waste and you should use them… condominium administrators are quite strict on this due to the local city fines for non-compliance.
Respect privacy
Co-living as a student is one of the best parts of studying abroad but everyone still needs a little time for themselves. Don’t be intrusive to others rooms, especially just before final exams!
Don’t let your alarm clock ring for hours
One of our most common complaints, relates to student alarms. You know, that iPhone one that rings for an hour every morning... Lets try and avoid the morning siren by leaving the phone close to the bed and not snoozing it more than a dozen times.
have fun!
Lets be honest, you didn’t come here just to study - in fact, you probably booked a room at The Nest to have fun with other international students! Organise night out’s with your new crew or check out our Underground Blog for some day trip inspirations!
