Before I went to Stanford's Summer College in 2014, I never really had a roommate. But, I guess, that's only if you do not count the time my sister and I had to share a room when we were young. Unfortunately, my first roommate situation was not the best, but it also was not the worst. It was simply...okay. Which is fine! There is nothing wrong with not being best friends with your roommate. My experience this year (2016-2017), was pretty great, though! I loved my roommate. While we did have some issues, we were able to quickly work them out. Because I want you all to have as good of an experience as you can with sharing your dorm room with someone, I have some tips for how to get along with your roommate!
Roommates are a tricky thing. You will either get one that you love, one that you hate, or one that is simply "meh." Luckily, while at Stanford, I got one that I "liked." I do not absolutely adore her because, hey, we are all different. BUT, I was able to tolerate her enough to the point of actually having decent conversations. My roommate at Iowa State is one that I love. I hope that these eight tips help your year go by a lot smoother!
1. Talk to each other online, over the phone, or by e-mail before move-in day. Unless you have the disadvantage of not knowing who your roommate is beforehand (which is what happened to me the year that I went to Stanford), you should talk to your roommate before y'all meet face-to-face. Doing this will not only create a rapport with one another that'll hopefully make your actual meet day less awkward, but it will also allow you to get to know one another. Simple things such as introductions beforehand can make the world of a difference!
2. Create a roommate contract. This can include things such as what can and cannot be done between your designated study times. Anything from sexiling (kicking your roommate out to have sex) to times that the blinds can be open to when and how loud music can be played can be included. This contract will be the base for conflicts. Instead of fighting about whatever is bothering one roommate, you can just pull out the contract and point out specifically, "Well, here, we agreed on...yada yada yada."
Note: Be realistic.
3. Assign certain tasks to each other. For instance, a pair of my friends decided who would take out the trash and who would vacuum. It helps everyone feel as if they are doing something, and if that something does not get done, it is not a debate about who was supposed to do what. Feel free to add the task assignments to the contract! However, please realize that sometimes, time is limited and certain tasks may be pushed back by a day or so. (If more, feel free to bring it up.)
4. Be considerate. I tend to listen to my music loudly, which can easily be heard even when I am wearing earphones. At night, I really do try to turn my music down so that I cannot hear the music from my earphones when I have it out of my ear. I try to be considerate (although it slowly kills me, haha). If my music is still too loud (which it might be some days, oops), then I have no problem with my roommate asking me to turn it down a bit. I appreciate the open communication! Talking about things and being considerate is a major rule for when you have a roommate.
5. Do not touch or take what is not yours unless it is offered or decided upon. This includes food and clothing! Always, always ask.
6. Be mindful of each other's schedules. This helps to eliminate any problems with friends coming over, music, studying, etc. I know that my roommate at Stanford studied a lot throughout the week, so I never invited my friends into my dorm room then. And my roommate was not obnoxiously loud when she returned from being out at night because I tended to be trying to sleep. Now, at Iowa State, we pretty much know one another's schedules, so the morning time isn't a problem. We always ask about having company over, so that pretty much eliminates any problems with having people over at night.
7. Communicate! There is nothing more awkward than having to live with someone, yet never speaking to them. Conversations help. Joke, laugh, enjoy! You'll be living with that person for a year; you want to feel comfortable in your room, not like you cannot breathe. I have friends who never talk to their roommate, which I find to be unfortunate.
8. Invite each other places. Even if you two do not hang out with the same group of friends, if your roommate complains about being bored or something of that nature and you're going out, invite them! Even if they decline, it's better to know that you extended the offer. (Remember that you should only invite them if it is not a private event that is not open for others, or where it'd be super awkward for them to come.)
I'm a twenty-something from the Midwest, who's passionate about justice, travel and everything creative. Welcome to my little space on the Internet, which I've shared my thoughts on since 2016.
1 comments
Great tips.
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