15 Ways Living With Flatmates Prepares You For Adulthood

Real adults take the bin out!

1. You get to work on your communication skills constantly.

BuzzFeed Violet / Via youtube.com

Group texts, late-night chats, pep talks, house meetings, and inevitable confrontations about the cleaning rota all contribute to sharpening your communication skills.

2. And maybe refine your writing skills.

BuzzFeed

Sending professional emails is no problem once you're well versed in short, punchy passive aggressive memos.

3. You're pretty savvy with managing your time...

AMC / Via whatsittoclare.tumblr.com

Sharing a bathroom with more than one person means getting your shower times in sync every morning.

4. ...and your finances.

Warner Bros. Pictures / Via mtv.tumblr.com

Whether it's keeping track of bills, remembering who owes who, living with people is basically a crash course in money management 101.

5. It will inspire you to look after the pennies.

Warner Bros Television / Via settleforbutterflies.tumblr.com

Juggling bills, savings, and a social life means you'll start to think about how you can cut costs by buying certain things in bulk, sharing streaming logins, or getting smart with reducing your energy bills.

6. It basically eases you into paying your taxes.

AMC / Via gfycat.com

The feeling you get when you find out a small portion of your fancy coffee or emergency stash of ice cream has been nibbled at is basically the same as looking at what gets taken out of your paycheck every month, right?

7. You master the art of improvisation...

Alfredo De Luca @Alfredodeluca15

When you wanna eat cereal and there are no clean bowls, but the KD pot is always clean

04:28 PM - 03 Dec 2015

8. ...and the art of...bluffing.

NBC / Via pandawhale.com

You may have nibbled on someone's leftovers when no one was looking, but they'll never know because you make such a convincing argument for why it wasn't you. This is excellent preparation for being an adult in the real world when you sometimes still feel like a teenager and don't want to accept the consequences of your actions.

9. Sometimes you will embrace some of that grown-up responsibility.

NBC / Via rdj-rpc.tumblr.com

Like being the one who stocks up on loo roll. Or when you get the hoover out because your parents are coming to visit.

10. And sometimes, you might even get *proactive* with that responsibility...

The CW / Via hexjam.com

...like ending all that faffing around you do with meter readings by getting a smart meter! (Hint hint.)

11. You'll learn how to protect your assets.

NBC / Via gifsfln.tumblr.com

Sharing a kitchen and a bathroom means that you'll quickly realise your fancy shampoos and cereal are much safer in your room.

12. You learn to appreciate the simple pleasures that you never paid attention to before.

20th Century Fox / Via gifsoup.com

Like an empty sink, a full carton of milk, or a cosy rug.

13. Your negotiation skills will be ON POINT.

Madman Entertainment / Via primogif.com

Someone turned the heating up. Someone turned the heating down. Someone hasn't taken the bin out in weeks. At some point you'll be tasked with diffusing the tension and negotiating the terms for reconciliation.

14. Chances are you'll become more courageous.

New Line Cinema / Via reactiongifs.com

Eventually the cleaning rota on the fridge will state that it's your turn to brave the bathroom armed with little more than your courage and a few half-empty cleaning products.

15. You're basically learning to be part of a team.

imgur.com

However you choose to interpret "adulthood", you can't go it alone. Living with flatmates means building a support network and experiencing the ups and downs of being part of a team firsthand.

Additional images courtesy of iStock.

Make the transition to adulthood a little easier and monitor your energy use with a smart meter. Between now and 2020, every home in Britain will be offered a smart meter by their supplier.

You'll be able to get an accurate energy bill – rather than the estimates you’re used to. Go here to find out how to get a smart meter for your home – at no extra cost!