Staff Writer
It’s that time of year for college bound seniors to get their room assignments, and yes that means THE ROOMMATE. So, most people survive and sometimes even like their roommates, but how do you go about getting to that point?
One of the first things to remember when you meet your roommate is that both of you come from two different places. You may come from different states, cities, countries, and have different value systems. This is important to remember when you and your roommate are getting to know each other and adjust to living with one another.
A key component to having a good relationship with your roommate is communication. If you are annoyed with or upset by something the other did, the two of you must discuss the situation. This being said, the only time you talk to your roommate should not be to complain to them about something they did, which will just cause unneeded tension. Keep in mind that face to face communication is the best way to go. If you’re annoyed with your roommate, leaving her a note or passing along a message through a friend can be seen as a passive-aggressive attempt to resolve the problem. Another thing to remember is that you should try to get to know your roommate, go to lunch with her and vent about things in your life other than each other.
Another key component to survive with your roommate is to set boundaries right from the start and then to respect those boundaries throughout the year. If you are not comfortable sharing things like clothing, hygiene products such as shampoo and face wash, makeup, or razors let your roommate know in a nice way.
Now, if you get along with your roommate then that’s great for you, but what do you do if there is just no way the two of you will be able to make the living arrangement work?
Going back to having boundaries, what do you do if your roommate has none? If you have asked your roommate over and over to please stop using your things, something you may want to consider is placing your possessions under lock and key or suggest that they share in paying for the products.
One of the most common issues between roommates is when one person likes a quiet room while the other enjoys listening to music on full blast. How do two people go about making this sort of situation work? One person can’t spend all her time in the library and it’s not fair to force someone to keep the music off all the time. One idea would be to set some rules, such as time restrictions for when the room should be quiet. Another idea would be to invest in a pair of earplugs, which would allow your roommate to play her music and let you have some peace and quiet.
Another common issue between roommates is that one person’s significant other is ALWAYS in the room. So how do you tell your roommate that her significant other is encroaching on your personal space? Something you can do is mention, in a nice way, that you feel like your personal space is being invaded and that you would feel more comfortable if the significant other wasn’t spending so much time in your room. You could possibly suggest a schedule of when he/she can and can’t be in the room.
There does come a point however, where you and your roommate just won’t work out and you may have to request a room switch. When this happens it is important to know that the switch will not happen immediately, it could take a couple of days or weeks. You may even have to wait until the end of the current semester before you can switch rooms because space is limited during the school year.
