At the beginning of the semester, you and your roommate got along perfectly. But now, the novelty of being back at (or finally being at) Kenyon has started to wear off. Stress settles in from quizzes, midterms, and homework. The fall leaves litter Middle Path; while it’s beautiful and smells like fall, you have very little time to admire the beauty that is Kenyon. And your roommate has started to walk the line between awesome and annoying.
The honeymoon period has ended.
Though most of the roommates at Kenyon have been chosen by each other (really only the freshmen have randomly chosen roommates), you don’t really know someone until you live with them. To help all parties out, here’s a short list of dos and don’ts for you and your roomie.
1. Do keep in mind that your roommate is just as stressed as you are and works equally as hard as you. Support just as much as you wish to be supported.
2. Don’t complain to your roommate and expect her not to expect some reassurance in return.
3. Do be conscious of your roommate. If you’re coming in late or leaving early, remember that your roommate sleeps too! If you have an 8 o’clock class and she doesn’t have class until later, try to keep from banging around in the room while you get ready.
4. Don’t turn on all the lights when you get home late from a night out, and she’s already asleep. Trust me, waking someone up at 3 o’clock… it’s just like waking a bear.
5. Do ask her before you use or ‘borrow’ something of hers, whether as small as a cup or as big as her favorite sweater. This seems silly, but these small things are the things that can make or break a friendship.
6. Don’t assume because you’re friends with your roommate you can use her stuff. Don’t take your roommate for granted. She’s your roommate and friend, not your personal closet and store.
7. Do talk a problem out before it escalates beyond your ability to manage it calmly. If your roommate’s odd quirks that seemed endearing at first have started to annoy you, tell her! If she hums and sings even with headphones, and that bothers you, politely ask her to stop at least for the time being. If she brings people home at all hours while you try to sleep, study, or enjoy some good Netflix binge-watching, tell her you’d prefer some warning before people are trouncing through your room, talking and laughing wildly.
8. Don’t be disrespectful to your roommate. You’re going to be living with her for the next eight months and we all need to get along.
To sum it up, be nice, polite, and courteous to your beloved, beautiful, and wonderful roommate. Like you, she’s just trying to navigate this crazy, fun, amazing, stressful place we call Kenyon.