Living with a new roommate can be tough. When two different people with different lifestyles come together, there is a good possibility that they will end up butting heads at some point. There’s a long list of circumstances that can cause problems when living with someone new, but if you sort them out early and make a plan before it is too late, you can prevent a lot of arguments and frustration. Here’s a list of some things to plan out at the beginning of the year so you and your new roommate can live happily ever after.
1. Clean-Up
Some people are lax when it comes to keeping a clean room, while others believe that there is a place for everything and everything has a place. You and your new room mate should discuss your preferences and come up with a plan for keeping your room clean.
2. Bathroom Schedule
The morning can be a time of rushing and scrambling to get ready and it can get even more hectic if you both need to use the bathroom. You should do your best to work out a bathroom schedule to prevent a traffic jam. Try having one or both people shower at night to save time in the morning or alternate waking up early so you can both be ready on time.
3. Annoying Habits
Do they like to crack their knuckles? Talk to themselves? Whistle or sing? Will any of these habits annoy you? You may not be able to break their habits, but you can buy some earplugs, use some headphones and your IPod or learn to live with it. If you learn what your roommate habits are early you can better prepare for what’s to come.
4. Visitors
Sometimes you can get a new roommate who is a social butterfly, while you may be more of a wallflower. Your roommate may want to have friends over, while you’re trying to study. To help solve this problem, warn your roomie when you have a big test coming up and let them know that you need to be able to focus on the material so a quiet dorm room would be appreciated.
5. Sharing and Borrowing
When you’re confined to a dorm room, you may not be able to get out much to shop so it might be easier to just share things with your roommate. At the beginning of the year you should find out how willing to share your roomie is. In other words, discuss what items are and are not off limits.
6. Significant Others
Your new roommate may have a boyfriend or girlfriend and you don’t want to sit there awkwardly watching them. If they need a little private time, ask them to plan ahead so you know when to stay away from your dorm.
7. Health Records
You don’t need to know every single surgery or hospitalization, but it’s helpful to know your roommates allergies and other conditions. Are they diabetic? Do they use an inhaler? Is there a possibility of them passing out randomly? If you know things like this about your roomie you can better plan for any emergencies that may arise. If you are both willing, maybe even get an emergency contact from one another.
8. Responsibilities
Even though both of you should be taking care of your own stuff, there are some responsibilities you should work out. For instance, who will take out the garbage? Or if you have and apartment, who will do the dishes? There are quite a few responsibilities, so split up the workload evenly.
If you live on-campus, don’t forget to fill out and sign your roommate contract! If you are off-campus but still have a roommate, consider writing one up and signing it. That way if an argument ever arises over one of the things listed here, you have a reference sheet.