Whether you inboxed your roommate for months before orientation or didn’t speak until having to conduct the awkward “so who’s buying the fridge” talk, you never know what to expect out of your first college roommate. Everyone’s heard the frightening stories (or sometimes urban legends) of psychotic roommates, so here are a few tips to avoid being the girl the stories are about.
1) DO ask before using your roommate’s stuff.
At 2 a.m. after a long night out, of course your roommate’s stash of Double Stuf Oreos is tempting. But when she sees the crumbs by her bed and knows she’s been on a spring break diet, she’ll be annoyed. The same rule goes for toiletries and clothing. On a college student’s budget, it’s better to ask before using someone else’s stuff. If you notice you seem to want to borrow just about everything your roommate has, you guys should discuss going on a Schnucks run together!
2) DO be mindful.
If your roommate is cramming the night before her big chem exam, don’t start blasting Miley as loud as you can on your computer. Just don’t.
3) DON’T sexile her tooooo frequently.
Seriously, nothing is worse than being exhausted and having to awkwardly invite yourself over to one of your neighbors’ rooms in order to take refuge at 1 a.m. Make sure your roommate is actually okay (and not just passive aggressively “fine” okay with it) with you kicking her out before you actually do so.
4) DO be supportive.
Whether you and your roommate are best friends, awkward acquaintances or even worst enemies, do something nice for her once in a while. Living in such close quarters, it is incredibly obvious when your roommate is quiet, stressed, having a meltdown, or everything in between. When you notice this, bake your roommate cookies or even just write her a cute little note.
5) DON’T take your stress out on her.
She’s not your mom. She’s not your psychologist. She is certainly not your personal punching bag. It’s easy to take out your frustrations on someone you live with, but they don’t deserve it and it’ll quickly deteriorate your relationship.