When starting college, a lot of new students are facing the fear of living with roommates. Since everyone has their own personality and different habits it can be hard to know what to expect. Of course, it can be very challenging, to meet someone for the first time and knowing they are going to live with you in the same room for the entire year. However, living with roommates is for sure a life-changing experience and sometimes roommates even become life-long friends. Here are some tips on how to make the roommate experience as enjoyable as possible and best get along with your new roommies.
Tips For Getting Along With Your College Roommates
Do not expect a best friend from day one
Don’t expect a best friend on day one: think of your college roommate as your future best friend. Incoming students often have too many expectations of roommate friendship to be more than it ultimately can or must be. A roommate should be someone who can live with you who won’t interfere with your studies. Making a close friend is a bonus, but not all roommates become besties, and that’s fine, too. Living comfortably with your roommates and enjoying company when you can is a great advantage.
Get to know each other
Start the conversation asap: the sooner you can start the relationship, the better. Just before school, plan an introductory meeting and start setting limits. If possible, do this personally. Even if you’ve chosen your own roommate and already know them well, this is a necessary step. Knowing someone well and living with them are two very different things.
Discuss alarm clocks
Before the semester starts, try to compare yourself to your roommates to see if you can build up a work dynamic during this time. You may be lucky with classes that start at 10:00 or 11:00 (way better than high school!), But your roommate may have had no choice but to attend class at the ungodly hour at 8:30. Ouch! If you’re the kind of person who can sleep through it all, your roommate’s alarm five snooze buttons later might not affect you. However, if you are a light sleeper, the alarm clock is a potential source of voltage.
Discuss bathroom habits
First, determine if the bathroom is actually in your dormitory or shared with your roommates (very common). Come to school with a caddy to carry your toiletries to and from your room, as well as plenty of towels. Anything left in a shared bathroom – no matter how considerate you are to your roommates – is used by others. This could be the beginning of a slow, smoldering resentment. When you have a shared bathroom or private sink. Label these areas with your name on a piece of tape. It worked in kindergarten and it wants to work here too. When everyone does, the system is especially effective. You want to invest in a good robe or some kind of cover-up because a dorm is a public space.
