September’s Here, Residents!

We hope your classes go well this semester. Feel free to stop by our cyber cafe for free coffee to start you off on a great semester! If you have any questions or ways we can improve our community, feel free to contact our office, and we’ll try our best to make Northgate Lakes your perfect second home. We have a lot of fun events planned for September, where you’ll meet new people and eat a lot of free food! We hope you’ll make a lot of great memories from your stay at Northgate!

Maintenance Tips

Whether you’re a new resident or a Northgate veteran, it’s important to know how to keep your apartment in tip-top shape! Here are some maintenance tips and tricks to use in your apartment today:

Remember to use only dishwasher detergent in your dishwasher.
Turn off the lights in your room when you’re not in it. Nobody wants a utility overage!
Keep the common areas clean by washing your dishes, taking out the trash, and wiping down dirty counters. Your roommates will thank you!
Work out with your roommates who will be vacuuming or sweeping the floors every week.
Make sure there’s no silverware in the garbage disposal before turning it on.

Reminders & Updates

Don’t forget that we throw lots of events on the property throughout the month! Be sure to check our Facebook page for any updates and events.

Lock your door as you leave your apartment, even if someone is still in the apartment.

Pick up your mail from the mail center located outside of the office; there will be event calendars delivered every month. As textbooks roll in, be sure to check your email for updates from Northgate Lakes that verify we have received your package.

There are many UCF home football games in September. Be sure that your visitors aren’t parking in the main lot! They’re allowed to park in the visitor lot behind a yellow bumper as long as there’s space. Violators will be towed! Stay safe, and go Knights!

Tips on Living with Roommates!

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of living in a Campus Advantage community is the opportunity to live and work closely with all types of people. We know that living with roommates isn’t always easy, whether you moved in with friends or were matched up with new people. Either way, it’s perfectly normal to have the occasional roommate conflict, and there’s actually a lot to be gained from handling a difficult situation maturely and respectfully.

We want to make sure you have the tools to handle these situations should they arise, so check out the tips below to ensure you and your roommates have the best living experience possible this year:

Schedule a roommate meeting: Set up a time for all roommates to get together and have a proactive conversation about each person’s preferences and expectations when it comes to cleanliness, guests, sleeping/study times, the use of others belongings or food, etc.
Be open minded: You and your roommates may be very different, and that’s OK! Stay open minded and positive about your roommates’ views and experiences, and you may end up learning a lot about them and yourself in the process.
Give each other space: Even though your apartment is made for multiple people, everyone appreciates having space to themselves once in a while. Make sure you’re sharing time in common areas and respecting each other’s privacy.
When in doubt, talk it out: Most problems can be solved by just talking through the issue before it gets out of hand. If something is seriously bugging you about one of your roommates, bring it to them in a mature one-on-one conversation before bringing in other roommates or escalating the situation. Passive-aggressive behaviors won’t help.
Divide responsibilities: While every roommate should commit to cleaning up after themselves, determine the best way to divide other responsibilities, such as taking out the trash, vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen, etc., to ensure everyone plays their part.
Use conflict resolution backup: While talking can usually fix an issue in its early stages, sometimes a more structured approach is necessary. If you’ve tried and feel your efforts aren’t helping resolve an issue between roommates, reach out to your Community Assistant or the management team to help you brainstorm options. The management team is trained and willing to help conduct a roommate mediation process if necessary, but is also happy to provide you with tips and tools to handle it yourself.

We want you to have a successful living experience while at our community, but we know that living with roommates can mean an occasional difference of opinion. When roommates decide to communicate their expectations, listen and try to understand each other, and care about each other’s well-being, the many great memories you make will outweigh any small conflict you may have.

Community Events

Guess the M&M’s — All Month — Come by the front office and guess how many M&M’s are in a jar. The person who guesses the closest will get a $10 Insomnia Cookies gift card.

Food for Follow — Tuesday, September 5 from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. — Stop by the office and show that you follow us on some social media.

Waffle Wednesday — Wednesday, September 6 from 9–11 a.m. — Come to the clubhouse and enjoy waffles before class!

Northgate Lakes Presents: Dungeons & Dragons — Friday, September 8 from 6:30–9:30 p.m. — Join us in the theater for the second edition of Northgate Lakes’ D&D night! The adventure will be run using the 5th edition. New players are welcome; character sheets can be provided for those who don’t have one made!

Pet Playdate — Wednesday, September 13 from noon–2:30 p.m. — Let’s have all the pets at the property come together for one big playdate at the dog park!

September Olympics — Thursday, September 14 from 7–9 p.m. — Join us in the volleyball court area where various games will be played involving water balloons, such as a simple distance toss, water balloon bowling, cornhole, water balloon volleyball, and water balloon baseball. No medals will be awarded, but pride and bragging rights.

Hot Dog Eating Contest — Friday, September 15 from 2–4 p.m. — Come down to the front pool for our annual Hot Dog Eating Contest!

September Sundaes — Monday, September 18 from 5:30–7 p.m. — Come to the clubhouse for a free ice cream and sundae bar!

Waffle Wednesday — Wednesday, September 20 from 9–11 a.m. — Come to the clubhouse and get waffles before class!

Ping-Pong Tournament — Tuesday, September 26 from 7–9 p.m. — Join us in the clubhouse for a battle of paddles to determine the first winner of the fall 2017 semester.

NGL Pool Party — Friday, September 29 from 1–4 p.m. — Come to the front pool for free food and pool fun, and to kick back and relax.