Getting stuck with a bad roommate is tough. You go into college hoping for your “Roomie” and then get stuck with a Leighton Meester Roommate situation… Okay, maybe not THAT bad, but still really bad. In case any of you reading have dealt with a bad roommate or are dreading your chances of getting one, here are 10 steps from the cast of Friends and I to help you make it through:
Step One: Accepting your dilemma but not focusing on the warning signs. Hey, maybe she’s just nervous. Give her time to warm up to you and the rest of college. New experiences can make some people standoffish and unpleasant to be around.
Step Two: Your realization that it’s been a month and nothing has changed, nor have either of you said more than “Hi” to each other. You two don’t have to be best friends but still, it’s like “Girl, give me something!”.
Step Three: Playing the good guy. Whether she asks if you could turn your music down or she tells you you’re breathing is too loud, be as compliant as you can be. No need to start fights.
Step Four: Letting your friends have your back. If it gets to the point where you need to confront her about an issue and you can’t do it alone, find a friend that’s willing to be there with you.
Step Five: Learning to breathe. There may be times when you come home and her toothbrush will be on the floor, her dirty clothes will be on top of the fridge, and she blasting EDM at 7:30 on a Tuesday. Just. Breathe. This won’t be an every day occurrence (hopefully) and you’ll get through it.
Step Six: Holding in the aggression. Being hostile out loud would feel great, trust me, I know, but, again, there’s no need to start something over her waking you up at 8:30 on the day you don’t have class till noon…right?
Step Seven: If you feel like you’ve simply had too much of her presence for the day, book it. Better to lose it somewhere else than right in front of her where, if she ever were to speak to you, could ask “what’s wrong?”
Step Eight: Coming to terms with the fact that your privacy is gone once her friends are over. Nothing like getting in the shower when she’s not home and coming back to a room full of girls dressed to go out while you look like a wet potato.
Step Nine: If you have a messy roommate, somehow, some way, she will turn you into a bit of a neat freak. Whether you see that as a good thing or not is up to you but after seeing how messy she can be, the competition starts. Never will you ever again be that messy, long live the cleaner roommate!
Step Ten: Remember it’s not forever. The year has to end eventually and by then you will have a reason to be proud of yourself cause hey, if you can survive a whole year of a really terrible roommate, you can survive just about anything.