Do: Wear clothing in your room.
If you and your roommate are not on the same page about this, it may get awkward when you walk into your dorm room after a long day and your roommate is naked in the room. Unless you and your roommate are very close and comfortable around each other, it would be advisable to wear clothing while lounging in your room.
Don’t: Abuse your roommate sharing privileges.
We all know that having a roommate is like having a new sister. And, having a sister means sharing clothing and accessories. Just make sure to ask your roommate before borrowing anything, and always return clothing items cleaned and ready for her to wear. Also, you and your roommates may decide to share food items, but if you finish off an item, replace it!
Do: Keep your space clean.
Nobody wants to wade through knee-high piles of neon underwear, so clean your area of the room for everybody’s sake. Having cleaning supplies on hand is helpful in case you need to do your dishes that have been molding with food residue for days. It’s gross, so please clean.
Don’t: Spend all your time in the room.
Give your roommate some alone time in the room by grabbing a bite to eat with friends, catching a sporting event, or studying in the library. She’ll hopefully do the same for you, if you so please.
Do: Wear headphones.
If you’re bumpin’ your favorite beats, make sure to be considerate of your roommate and wear headphones, unless you’re having a raging dance party in your room ;)
Don’t: Sexile (without warning).
If you absolutely must hookup with that hottie from your history class, send your roommate a text or, better yet, go back to his place.
Do: Communicate with your roommate.
If something is bothering you, let your roomie know as soon as possible. It can be challenging to adjust to living with a new person, but the most important thing is to make sure you and your roommate get along well. Don’t be passive aggressive and talk to her!
Don’t: Wake your roommate.
Whether you’re coming home late at night or waking up in the morning, be quiet
so as to avoid waking your roommate. And, please, don’t hit the snooze button again and again for minutes on end!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Colgate chapter.