Moving in freshman year can be scary, especially if you decide to go random with your roommate choice. But even if you know your roommate, living with a friend can bring your relationship to a whole new level. While you might think at first that living with your bestie will be drama-free, it’s likely that you’ll still run into some issues. Here are our tips for anyone, freshman or upperclassman, that’ll make living with a roommate a whole lot easier.
1. Don’t Try to Force a Friendship
This one applies especially to girls who might not know their new roommate very well. There are plenty of movies and TV shows that depict the “perfect” college life, and it probably seems like in every one of them the two roommates are BFFs. But we promise, you’ll be fine if you and your roommate don’t click right away. Sometimes, it’s better to give each other space at first rather than trying to force yourselves to be friends. Last year, I didn’t think I would be friends with my roommate at all after meeting her on move in, but we ended up being super close by the end of the year even though it took time for our friendship to grow!
2. Give Each Other Space
So let’s say you’ve decided to room with one of your closest friends. Now that you’re living together, you don’t have to put in the extra planning and effort to see one another. This probalby sounds great, but you might actually find that you’re spending *too* much time together. Don’t be afraid to take a step back and think about giving each other time alone in the room. Sometimes it’s possible to get too close to someone, and you don’t want it to drive your friendship apart.
3. Branch Out Your Friend Group
If your roommate and you find that you love hanging out and have a ton in common, that’s great! But remember that you don’t have to stick together for every little thing. Join separate clubs and try to make some different friends. If you ever do have any drama between the two of you, you don’t want it to end up affectting every aspect of your life. Having people to talk to that aren’t close with both of you will help you have some time apart, and keep you two from feeling like you’re together a little too much.
4. Go Out Together
If you’re trying to find some fun ways to bond with your roommate, get creative! Try going out and exploring a city or town near by, having a movie night, or just grabbing dinner or coffee together on campus. Creating a scheduled reason to hang out can help you get to know each other in a relaxed setting where it’s just the two of you. Being able to talk openly about how you’re feeling about living together and getting to know one another might be what you need to make a connection!
5. Be Honest With One Another
When you set up your roommate contract in the beginning of the year, be honest and upfront about what you’re expecting from the year together. And to avoid future problems, don’t like about things like your cleaning habits, sleeping habits, and study habits. It’s better to tell your roommate right away if you’re planning on studying in the room a lot before she decides she’s going to have friends over all the time. And as the year progresses, don’t be afraid to talk about things that aren’t going well between you two before it blows up into a bigger argument.
Living with a roommate can be a big adjustment, and living with your best friend can also entail a lot more than what’d you’d expect. Try to keep your room drama free by following these tips, and you’ll be sure to have a great relationship with your roommate!