Lifestyle: Living with Roommates: 5 Simple Tips
Some of you may have college age kids who are adjusting to campus life for the first time. Our intern Grace, has some great tips for newbies.
Living with roommates (especially if you do random room assignments) can be kind of strange at first. All of the sudden, you’re away from home and required to sleep 10 feet from someone you’ve never met..
1. Lay down guidelines
There are a lot of roommate contracts you can find on the internet but as long as you set some boundaries you may not need a full contract. Some roommates choose to share EVERYTHING but you may choose to share clothes but not food or share nothing at all. Also, are you okay with someone else sleeping in your bed if you aren’t there? How late can friends stay? Think about all the things you’re comfortable with and talk about them early on.
2. Don’t complain about your roommate to your friends
If you are having issues with your roommate talk to your Resident Advisor or your roommate. Venting to your friends will only make you angrier and odds are, it will somehow get back to your roommate. You definitely don’t want to be falling asleep and waking up everyday to tense awkward silences.
3. Don’t compare you’re roommate relationship to your friends’
Everybody has a different experience with their first roommates. Some get along great and are lifelong friends, some just put up with each other, and others sleep on friends’ futons so they don’t have to stay in the same room with them. Just because someone seems to have a better roommate than you, doesn’t mean they actually do. Try to appreciate yours for their good traits. You may even find that you have alot of shared interests.
4. Everyone is nervous the first week of classes
Remember that its their first time away from home too and they might not know anyone. When you hang out with friends or go to the Welcome Week barbeque invite them along. But, dont be offended if they have other plans. Its also important to remember that you don’t HAVE to spend every waking moment with them. Its okay to be roommates and not be BFF’s.
5. Keep your side neat
Everyone has different pet peeves and a messy room is usually one of them. Try and keep your side neat even if they don’t. It will be easier for you in the long run and will lead to less passive aggressive encounters.
Know a new college student that could use these tips? Please share our post if you do.
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