As an only child, I always hated when people told me that I was spoiled. I always shrugged these comments off because I never thought of myself this way; my parents didn’t give me everything I wanted, I had a job for over two years, and there were times I had to depend on myself. But the truth is I was spoiled. I never had to live with or share spaces with anyone. For nineteen years I had become accustomed to having the privacy of my own room and a hall bathroom that was primarily mine, without even the fear of a sibling barging in. Not to mention my parents both worked so I spent a lot of time in my entire house alone. A week before I started school I came to the realization that this reality would change and I went into a panic. I would need to learn how to share a bedroom with another person and a bathroom with over twenty people. I thought about having to deal with other people’s hair in the shower, how I couldn’t listen to music aloud in my room, and how I wouldn’t get the alone time that I always had. Things only got worse when I walked into my dorm room on my first day to see that only three feet separated myself from my roommate. Now don’t get me wrong, my roommate and I get along very well, but for someone who is so used to spending time alone, this is something that I was not prepared for. Now going onto almost two months of college, I think I have gotten into a rhythm on how to go about this new life change. I know I still have a long way to go before I get completely comfortable with this new adjustment, but here are a few tips that I have learned over the past couple of weeks that I would like to share.
1. Find abnormal times to go through your self-care routine.
Not only can this help you maximize productivity throughout your day, but it can also help you beat the crowd and get more alone time. For instance, if you have some time in the midmorning or afternoon, maybe that is the time you want to take a shower. This way you can get into the shower you want before it gets messy. Also, since I usually end up going to get later than my roommate, I try to get my nighttime routine done before she goes to bed so when I get back to the room for the night I can just hop into bed!
2. Find new spaces on campus.
Obviously, making sure your room is comfortable is priority number one! But if you just want some alone time (or not to be crammed up next to someone), explore your campus to find places that work for you! Whether they are places to do homework, call a friend, or even just watch Netflix!
3. Be open with each other!
The key to having a good roommate is open communication. If something is bothering you, don’t be afraid to say it in a respectful way. And be open to taking criticism in order to make your roommate feel comfortable. But don’t be afraid to have a conversation with something as simple as how your days are going. Just getting to know each other better will help you become more comfortable with your roommate!