Many of you are living in the High Rises these next two semesters. You jumped through hoops to try to secure a room that was just right. Summer came and went, and now you’re back on campus ready to live the #froomies lifestyle in your suite.
Or so you thought. . .
You thought everything would be perfect, but things are different from last year: new rules and new standards. You’re not sure how to bring up those awkward conversations to your friends about: (1) splitting the cost of the communal items or (2) deciding who gets the biggest room. Everyone’s trying to dodge these questions for easy sailing, but the opposite actually occurs.
So how do you have “real talks” with your friends/roommates? How do you distinguish between what requires a roommate meeting and what is just a friend dilemma?
Here’s what to do:
- Honesty is key: Let your friends know what you expect from roommates because you’re living with them for a whole year. Also: be transparent concerning issues and problems. Why hold a grudge if the issue can be fixed?
- Structure never hurt anyone: the Roommate Contract gives a foundation to stand on for basic rules and shows that everyone is on the same page.
- Roommate Bonding Activities: to make sure you guys still have that “spark” and to show that you are still friends despite the disagreements or fights.
Although the High Rises bring a new array of issues for the average Penn student, they definitely beat communal showers and (for some of you) no AC. So make sure you live the suite life right this year!
Image Source: file:///Users/owc/Desktop/high_rises_college_houses_overview.jpg