Whether you will be a first-year or returning college student in the fall, one of the most important decisions you will have to make for the upcoming semester is who to choose for your roommate(s). It is no secret that your roommate(s) can either make or break your college experience, especially if you are a first-year student. But despite all the roommate horror stories you have heard, I’m here to dispel all your fears and remind you that there are so many roommates that are indeed compatible and end up becoming lifelong best friends. To help you find the perfect roommate for you, here are 4 qualities to look for in your next potential roommate:
Responsibility
Whether you realize it or not, there are actually many responsibilities that come with managing your dorm room. Who will take the trash out? Who will vacuum the carpet when you spill Goldfish all over the floor? Who will call maintenance facilities when your ceiling light stops working. Because all of these things will happen in one form or another, it is important to find a roommate that equally shares responsibility with you and is agreeable to help out with the dorm room chores regardless of what they may be.
Communication
When you are living together, your roommate’s life becomes your life and vice versa. Because you are so deeply invested in each other’s lives, it is so important to be able to clearly communicate with one another. This involves being comfortable to ask any question or voice any concern at any given moment. Trust me, there are going to be things that the both of you do that you either do not enjoy or do not agree with; and the only way to work through these minor altercations is to just simply talk to one another (which is MUCH easier before the RA gets involved after the claws have come out ladies).
Strong Support System
Because college is a huge transition to undergo both emotionally and physically, it is extremely important to find a roommate that has a strong support system. You not only want to know that your roommate comes from a kind family because it ends up saying a lot about their character, but you want them to have people to go to when you know that you can’t help them. Because we can’t always be superheros for our roommate in their times of need, it is extremely reassuring to know that there are people in addition to yourself who will always love and care about your roommate. And who knows- your roommates family may end up becoming your family away from home one day.
Trust
Since you are living together, you and your roommate are going to know everything about one another: the good, the bad, the ugly, the dirty, even things you never even wanted to know. It is so important that you keep the secrets that are told between these four walls never leave those four walls. Not only is it common courtesy to respect the privacy of your roommate, but the last thing you want is to spread false rumors about one another and create a toxic living space. But I’m hoping that this goes without saying because we should know better to leave the Regina George Mean Girls days back in high school, right ladies?