More than 2 million high school graduates go away for college in the United States. It’s a rite of passage each fall, and one that comes with newness and adjustments.
Living with a roommate is one of the biggest changes that come with it. This is a comfort level adjustment and has the potential to be a bonding experience since you’re both leaving home for the first time.
Having a roommate can also bring drama and turmoil to your new college experience if things go left. We have some tips that will help you out with this adjustment period.
Read the points in this article so that you can survive having a roommate in college.
Be Open to Friendship, But Don’t Need It
Many people meet their college roommate, hit it off, and end up becoming lifelong friends, or even best friends. It’s not uncommon for people to have their college roommate in their wedding party when they get married.
With that said, don’t chase that feeling. Being roommates in college doesn’t have to ever even turn into a friendship. Failing to recognize this can lead to confusion and hurt on both sides.
Go into this situation open to friendship, but recognize that it’s perfectly fine if the two of you never become more than acquaintances. As long as you get along and respect each other, anything more than that is a bonus.
Agree on Some Rules and Procedures
Roommates have to also establish ground rules and routines early. When you create an understanding on the important things in the beginning, it’s more likely to be smooth sailing the rest of the way.
Find out each others’ sleep habits and schedules, preferences on noise, cleanliness, and other important matters. Once you get these matters out of the way, you can follow processes that keep things smooth and peaceful.
Exchange Information and Learn to Communicate
It’s important that you exchange contact information whether the two of you are friends or strictly roommates. There’ll be times that you need to get in touch to do each other favors, help if one of you is locked out, or give a heads up if you’ll be out of town for the weekend.
Being able to coordinate is a necessity, so develop a solid rapport of keeping lines of communication open.
You should also work on some effective communication strategies. Speak clearly and directly, become an active listener, and develop the courage to communicate openly and honestly, and you’ll avoid most miscommunications.
Respect Them and Enforce Boundaries
Getting along with roommates is easy when respect is always present on both sides. Make sure it’s the golden rule with your relationship, and that it’s a line you never play with.
Having a roommate is a growth opportunity and learning experience, especially if you’re an only child or have never shared space with someone else. It will teach you to be considerate and compassionate with others, while also enforcing boundaries if you ever feel that respect is lacking on their end.
The ability to speak up for yourself without causing an argument is a life skill that many people have to learn as well. Let this experience build character in you that will carry over to the rest of your adult life.
Keep Things as Clean as Possible
Being junky is the kind of thing that will drive most roommates crazy. Even a person that is messy in their own space will get irritated by someone else’s mess.
If you’d like to keep the peace, develop a habit of keeping things clean. Some roommates opt to take turns cleaning the bathroom or kitchen area, while others do their best to clean as they go.
Invest in some cleaning supplies and keep them handy. Go out of your way to make your place look great and smell even better. A continuously clean environment will keep the peace and will make your home presentable for guests.
Make Sure Your Guests Are Respectful
One of the biggest things you can do is make sure you’re responsible for your guests. Guests who don’t respect the place or your roommates’ wishes have to go.
Always apologize if your guests overstep boundaries, and smooth it out with your roommate. Lay down ground rules for anyone that you have over so that they’re on their best behavior.
Any blowback is going to fall on you, and the last thing you’d want to do is hurt the relationship with your roommate due to someone else’s actions.
Take Time Apart From Each Other
Time apart is excellent no matter what kind of relationship you have with your roommate. Even people who get along can spend so much time around each other that every little thing becomes annoying.
Many best friends go off to college together freshman year and decide to room together. Sadly, these friendships often don’t make it through the school year. The familiarity of living together exposes flaws in the friendship because they no longer have a break from spending time together.
Have hobbies and other sets of friends to hang out with so that you don’t run into this problem with your roommate.
Having a Roommate in College: Your Survival Guide
Now that you have this guide to roommates, you’re well-prepared for college this fall. Having a roommate in college for the first time is a learning experience. Start with these tips and you’ll get the best results.
Check out our other articles when you’d like to learn more about college and other life stages.