Let’s be honest, finding a roommate is hard whether you are in college or not. There is so much pressure to be best friends with your roommate. In reality, there are many temporary people in your life when you first start college and you don’t have to be friends with your roommate just because you live with them. So, if you are anything like me during my freshman year I hated my roommate. Here is the best advice I would have given my younger self about what to do when you don’t like your roommate.
- If you are still able to switch rooms, do it!
Switching rooms may seem intimidating, especially when trying to get comfortable in a new place. But if you have a gut feeling that you and your roommate are not going to mesh well together, MOVE OUT! You are not alone in this situation and there will be plenty of other people switching rooms as well. It is not the end of the world if you don’t like your roommate and, who knows, you might find someone you mesh with and could maybe even be friends with.
- Learn to tolerate each other’s existence
If you can’t switch rooms or just want to tough it out, I understand as I did the same thing. You don’t have to be best friends or hang out. Just communicate with each other when you need to get more toilet paper, or need a ride somewhere. Better yet, if you don’t have a car make friends with someone who does so you can buy your own stuff without them!
- Get out of your dorm room!
I know it can be easy to get into a routine of going to class and then going right back to your dorm, but try and get out. Join a club, go to a fitness class, study in the library or a study room in your hall. If you have the time get a job on campus. If you live with someone you don’t like, you don’t want to be surrounded by them all the time, so get out of the room and do stuff even if it’s just for a walk around campus. These are also great ways to go and meet new people that you can hang out with instead of being in your room.
- If you are having genuine problems, talk to an RA.
I have heard horror stories and experienced my own fair share of having a messy and rude roommate. College is stressful enough and you don’t want to be stressed out with the person you live with on top of it. If you live in a dorm or an on-campus apartment you can easily go to an RA and have them mediate a discussion and have them help you get through this situation. It can be intimidating having to confront people sometimes, but it is better to deal with the situation rather than ignore it. Plus, RA’s are always there to help!
- Don’t change your entire schedule or lifestyle because of them
Of all of the things listed, this is the one that is the most important. Don’t change your entire lifestyle or schedule to avoid them. We all need our rest and sometimes it’s nice to just lay in bed and watch a comfort show, especially when you’re away from home for the first time. You live there too, and just because you have to share a space doesn’t mean they get to scare you off into never going to your dorm room again.