As the stress of registering for classes simmers down and eventually passes, another headache inducing time is just around the corner and that my friends, is finding a roommate. Many college students find themselves in the predicament of having to go through roommate initiation year after year. Students often lose their current roommates for a variety of reasons such as graduation. A student could have the best living situation, but the inevitable point where the beloved roommate has to graduate and start their life in the real world has to come. Whether you can’t go another year living with the same person without ripping your hair out or you simply want to meet new people, here is a few guidelines to finding a roommate (s) who will positively enhance your college campus experience.
If a person was to enter your room right this moment, would they see a tornado of clothes covering every surface or a tightly made bed that a quarter could bounce off of? This is a very important question to help guide you in finding a roommate that shares similar room aesthetics. Sharing the same style of living will help two potential roommates bond, so be honest with anyone who could be living with you in the near future about how you like to keep your room. Being upfront with a possible roommate before you start living together is always a good idea because it is notoriously harder to change rooms after the school year begins.
However, if you and your roommate have opposing levels of room aesthetics don’t let it stop you from rooming with that person altogether. Just be aware of the potential risks you might face in the upcoming school year, but it is very possible to make it work. If you prefer to be neat on your side of the room and don’t mind having your roommate’s side a bit messier then by all means go for it! Knowing your cleanliness limitations is a step in the right direction to finding a roommate that might become a lifelong friend.
Another large factor that can influence a living situation is if you or a potential roommate has a significant other. No need to hide a relationship from a possible roommate, the less surprises that you have between you both, the better. Again, honesty is the key here, so please do mention if you know a significant other is going to be spending a large portion of time in your room because the space is being shared. You or your future roommate can decide if they are comfortable with the occasional guest sleepover to determine if rooming together is an option. When sharing a space between two people it is important to be respectful and although this guideline may be simple, it is often overlooked.
Some tricky roommate situations that may need to be looked into further before you fully commit is rooming with a best friend. While sharing a room for an entire year with your best friend may sound like a good idea in theory sometimes it might not be the best living situation. Being extremely close to someone and being extremely comfortable with a person can cause potential problems that one might not even think of. Some best friends fight then make up all in the same hour and although reuniting is good, it can be a lot of unnecessary stress while you are trying to study in your room for finals week and trying to avoid them. Plus, not living with your best friend allows you to be more independent and create new friends. Also, let’s be honest here no matter where you and your best friends live you will find time to share your crazy college stories.
If you take anything away from these roommate guidelines at all it should be to always be honest about your living conditions, be respectful of a roommate’s wishes, and think carefully about rooming with a best friend. You will be well on your way to finding a possible roommate with little to no stress if you keep those guidelines in mind and may the odds be ever in your favor!