In my (almost) four years of college, I’ve had my fair share of roommates. I’ve had good ones and bad ones. Clean ones and messy ones. Ones I’ve thought of as my best friends and ones I’ve never wanted to speak to again. But I’ve learned a lot from living with them. I’ve learned a lot about my living style, sleeping habits and how I interact with people.
What I wish I would have learned, though, was about Becky Simpson’s book, The Roommate Book, before I had to go through all the trial and errors of living with people.
There are so many different types of roommates.
I assumed this going into college and living with new people but I didn’t realize how many different types of roommates there could be (and that’s a lot for me to say because I lived with six other girls my freshman year). And Simpson describes almost all of them. There’s the BFF, the Random, the “We get along but we’re not really friends,” the Braless and Lawless, the Frenemy, The actual Enemy, the “I’ve never actually seen my roommate” roommate, the Platonic Opposite Sex roommate and the Faux Partner. Living with each of these types of roommates makes for a very different living situation and in the end can make your life a nightmare or pure bliss. Choose wisely, collegiettes. Don’t get yourself into a situation where you feel as if you’re in your own personal hell.
There are a lot of reasons why it’s awesome to live with people.
Need advice on an outfit? They’ve got you covered. Need someone to pick you up from the airport? They’re the first person you can call. Need someone to kill a spider in the bathroom? They (hopefully) will be the ones to do it. Living with another person doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world because it’s really pretty great if you are able to get along and enjoy being around one another. But, remember, not to take advantage of all the good things in your roommate relationship because eventually (and probably with a new roommate) that won’t be the case.
Being a good roommate is more than just taking out the garbage once a week.
A good roommate is composed of a lot of things. Respecting your shared space, not being loud, being a decent human, cleaning the apartment without being asked, refilling the toilet paper, baking sweet treats to share and actually being able to laugh with each other. You don’t have to be the perfect match but you do have to be able to live together (because, duh, you probably signed a 12 month lease). And living together means you’re going to have to hang out and (hopefully) enjoy it. So do that! Go out together, clean together or even start traditions together. You can have a wine and cheese night or girls night involving an awesome blanket fort and pizza. Be creative. Or take a few notes from Simpson by starting Friday night pizza parties, weekly watch parties of your favorite shows (Hello Grey’s!) or leaving them notes when you know they’re having a hard week. It’s about being a good roommate and a better friend in the end.
It’s easier to lose a good roommate than find one (and finding one can be tough)
Yeah, you heard that correctly. If you take advantage of your good roommate and don’t hold up your end of the bargain you’ll lose them and lament the days when you lived with the perfect person. Don’t be the roommate that always uses the other person’s things. Don’t refuse to pay for a common household item that benefits you both. Don’t not wash your dishes and be a slob in your shared space. Don’t be rude or lock your roommate out for “privacy.” Just don’t be that person. And if you consistently see that happening, then maybe you’re the problem. Food for thought.
Living with roommates can be crazy. But, honestly, it doesn’t have to be. It can be great. I know I’m thankful for my roommates every day and even for the ones that I had less than enjoyable experiences with. I’ve learned a lot from the good and the bad. And with the help of The Roommate Book, you can too. Check it out, collegiettes, and get the most out of your college (and future) living situations.
For more awesome roommate knowledge check out Becky Simpson’s book, The Roommate Book, on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble. To learn more about the author, visit her website here.