Housing can get tricky if you don’t room with the right person. Just because someone is your good friend doesn’t mean that she’s a good roommate. Likewise, just because you have a roommate doesn’t mean you have to be best friends. So what happens when you and your roommate are having trouble getting along? Here are some tips on how to keep the peace.
Be Quiet When Your Roommate is Sleeping
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate it when I get woken up early on mornings that I can sleep in. You may have classes that start way earlier than your roommate but just be aware that they are still sleeping when you wake up. Try to be quiet and considerate. That way you will be able to get along better and not have a cranky roommate in the mornings.
Talk Things Out
It can be hard to share such a small space with another person so instead of hinting at a problem you should come right out and say it in a nice way. Subtle hints, although they might work for you, don’t work for everyone. Instead of getting frustrated because you ‘clearly’ told your roommate to stop doing something that you don’t like, sit down with your roommate and calmly explain what habits really annoy you. Being passive aggressive or avoiding confrontations makes every situation worse.
Listen
You might think what your roommate does is annoying but they may think that what you do is annoying to. It takes courage to say something. So when your roommate confronts you about a problem, give her the respect of listening and be open minded. Don’t attack her but instead try to understand her point of view. When the issues are laid out on the table you can both do something to try and make your rooming situation work a little better.
Don’t Take Things Without Asking
Just because your roommate says that you can borrow her clothes and eat her food… don’t take it literally. You should always ask before taking someone else’s things especially if it’s your roommates. You don’t want to have awkward encounters between classes by running into your roommate and realizing that you have something of your roommates that you never asked permission to borrow.
Be Friendly
Talk to your roommate about what you did that day and share funny stories. You don’t have to go in depth but it’s nice to catch up at the end of a long day. It breaks the ice and also makes it less uncomfortable to be in the same room with someone else without saying anything. You never know … your roommate might be able to give you some words of encouragement.
Photo Sources:
http://discussingdissociation.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/sleeping.jpg
http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/assets/images/two%20friends%20talki…