Kat

One of the biggest changes that comes with college is having to live with a roommate. This was something that I was excited for, but it was also one of the things that I was really nervous about. I had no idea whether or not I would get along with my roommate and I just really didn’t know how it was all going to work. When I found out that I would be in a triple I was even more nervous about it all, but once I started to talk to my roommates I realized that I might have actually gotten pretty lucky.

Now that I have lived with my roommates for over a month, every day I realize more and more just how lucky I am. While everyone else is having roommate issues, I can honestly say that we get along really well. That being said, here are my tips for being a good roommate so you can have the best experience possible.

1. The number one rule of being a good roommate is to be considerate. This is the root of almost all the roommate problems that I have heard so far. Being considerate is actually pretty easy. Really all you have to do is think about the other people involved. An example of this is when your roommate wants to go to sleep, move out to the lounge to talk on the phone or study with the lights on. Luckily, this came naturally to me and my roommates, but some people apparently have a hard time with this.
2. The second most important rule when it comes to being a good roommate is to talk to each other when problems happen. Since no one is perfect, you and your roommate will most likely have a disagreement at one point or another. No matter how minor the problem, it is always important to communicate with your roommate how you feel and what you want. Also, I have heard so many people talking to other people about their roommate issues without actually talking to their roommate. How can your roommate be expected to change what they are doing if you don’t ask them first?
3. Everyone needs space. So if you and your roommate both like to hang out in the room a lot, make sure you are each getting some alone time. Even if you guys are best friends, everyone gets sick of being around the same person every second, so it is important to have other friends and other things to do outside of the room.
4. Go out of your way to be nice. It can something as small as leaving a note to your roommate wishing them good luck on their exam, or something as big as getting them Starbucks when they’re sick. Also, you could just simply ask them about their day. Just basically be a nice person and you will be on your way to being a great roommate.
5. Remember that you don’t have to be best friends. Honestly, during the first week when I didn’t know anyone else I wanted to do everything that my roommates were doing. Then I realized that I also need to have other friends and I didn’t necessarily have to be best friends with my roommates. It is awesome if that ends up happening, but remember that it is pretty rare. Getting along well with your roommate can honestly be enough right there.
6. Don’t take out your day on your roommate. This is easy to do because he or she is probably the first person that you talk to after a bad day, but remember that they aren’t your therapist. Sometimes people can’t deal with other people’s problems while dealing with their own, and you don’t want to overwhelm them. If you need to vent about your day, either call up your mom or take advantage of the resources on campus.

As you can see, being a good roommate is actually pretty easy. Of course it comes with it’s challenges, but it is a really rewarding experience when you think about it. You will learn more about yourself and other people, and whether you love sharing your room or not, just remember these tips to help you be the best roommate that you can be.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2016 at 7:46 am and is filed under General, . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.