University life is all about independence. But for some, that means sharing an apartment with fellow students, says Jamie Iain Genovese.

Periods of change are synonymous with some sort of adjustment – when change happens, we need to fine-tune our tried and tested routines and adapt to it.

Any event that would alter the dynamics of a day-to-day living situation and environment would constitute a substantial change. So imagine bundling all your possessions, leaving the home you quite possibly have spent most of your life in, waving goodbye to the family that you grew up with, and going to live with, maybe, a 20-something in an apartment somewhere close to your tertiary educational institution of choice.

Cue a veritable funfest of irregular dishwashing cycles, existential crises, and more often than not erratic cash flows.

Unlike family, though, you get to choose roommates, even though that’s really not much of a choice at all.

Now this isn’t exactly a commonplace phenomenon in Malta. The island is so small that it generally isn’t financially justifiable for local students to move out of home and into rented accommodation. This means that if you’re living with other students in an apartment, chances are that you’re either Gozitan or from some other part of the world.

For my intents and purposes – which are to see what sharing accommodation with fellow students can be like – I meet up with a Gozitan, Deborah Caruana, who lives in a family owned flat with her best friend.

Caruana has been living in Malta for four years, since 2011, while studying at the University of Malta. This usually means that she spends her week in Malta. Then she drives up to Gozo on a Friday or a Saturday and drives down on a Sunday evening, ready for her Monday lectures.

There are, of course, benefits to living in the same space as someone who leads a similar lifestyle – that of a student – in order to keep you company. That said, there are the more obvious disadvantages, such as having to share a small space, lack of cleanliness or tidiness, or just an excellent source of distraction. I, personally, have a knack for getting friends hooked on television series with just one season – the more distractions there are, the less time you have to revise, study or write that essay you should have handed in last week.

Cue a veritable funfest of irregular dishwashing cycles, existential crises, and more-often-than-not erratic cash flows

Caruana specifically mentions the knack of leaving leftovers in a bag in the fridge. Leftovers are usually forgotten until a stark reminder, in the form of a not particularly nice smell, hits your nostrils. She particularly remembers one nasty instance when a bag of fruit was left hanging around for a few months – the result was a ruined sofa.

But the worst incident? The targeted burglary of their flat for goods on a weekend. This, Caruana tells me, is not too rare an occurrence among Gozitan students living in Malta.

That said, there are the upsides. Joining other students for nights out, inviting each other over for dinners and film nights at each other’s flats, all-nighters spent burning the midnight oil as exams draw closer, and of course, the occasional mid-week hangover. These are all instances that love company.

Does Caruana have any tips to share for anyone planning to live in Malta with other students?

“I would suggest choosing a location which is closest to University. It can be difficult as the demand for accommodation in this area is very high,” she says.

“However, if you manage to rent an apartment in the area, you avoid the hassle of commuting and at the same time can live in an area which is quite safe and not too busy or chaotic to study.”