Considerate Students – Canterbury University’s Finest!

Canterbury local residents delight in considerate students! How many uni-students are as thoughtful as this? A challenge this festive season.

Having just had fireworks night and the release of the John Lewis advert, it is difficult not to be excited about the fact that Christmas is just around the corner. One student household in Canterbury took full advantage of the forthcoming festive season by throwing a party.

You may wonder why this merits a mention, but we felt our considerate students deserved a commendation for their notable acts of thoughtfulness.

Some local residents might hesitate before acknowledging those renting student accommodation as considerate students. However, surrounded by long term locals, no longer of student age, our group of students sent a note to each of their close neighbours, signing themselves as ‘the girls at No. 2’. This informed locals of the party they were having.

The girls received a note from “the old girl” (as one neighbour signed herself off)  explaining that her husband suffers from dementia. It stated that she would appreciate it if any fireworks and loud music were kept to a minimum after 11pm so he didn’t get scared.  After this, the students went a step further and visited the elderly couple.  They kindly reassured them that they were not having fireworks and that all music would be turned down by 11pm as requested.

“What a Scrooge!” I hear some cry, asking if the music volume could be kept down?  But  imagine this just as our considerate students did; you are an elderly woman with an elderly husband, who suffers from dementia, aware that this might be your husband’s very last Christmas. Given that he can barely remember your face, what might he be thinking? All he will hear are loud fireworks and the noise that is Kayne West (inevitably going to be played at the party) and confused by the noise. Or worse still, Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’. He’s going to think he’s gone to hell, not heaven!

The reason for writing this blog is that the elderly couple are my Grandparents and the considerate students are Leydon Lettings tenants. When I learned how thoughtful they had been, I wanted to thank them for their considerate act. So, ‘girls’, thank you for writing the note! Thank you for taking the time and trouble to visit my grandparents. Thank you for reassuring them. I am sure that there are many others in Canterbury who would love to know that their elderly parents or grandparents are being considered as mine were. We can all learn something very important from you.

So, as we all start getting into the festive period by drinking too much wine, eating too many pies, wearing favourite Christmas jumpers and crowning our heads with tinsel, singing along to our favourite Crimbo songs, just remember your neighbours.  They may be content in sipping sherry, popping pills and not singing “I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday”.

This needn’t stifle your party fun, but consider that not everyone is as excited as you. Kind acts by considerate students go a very long way to reach local hearts. Otherwise, locals might wish they were the ‘man on the moon’… without the telescope.