5 Ways to be the Best Roommate You Can
By Breanne Swanson
As a freshman who went with random roommate selection, I have only known my roommate for five weeks. In that time, we have cried together, cried laughing together, and made a midnight Emergency Room trip together. My suitemates are just as great, and I’ve had a large number of experiences-and dance parties- with them as well. I’m pretty lucky to have the friendship and connection I have with my roommates, but my content with my living situation isn’t just because of luck. Having never shared a room with somebody before, and certainly never shared a suite with seven people before, I had to learn fast how to handle my new living situation.
1. Be Open.
When my roommate and I first met, there was some slight tension. We had no idea how to break the ice between each other. After the first night, short sentences and questions transitioned into jokes, stories, and getting to know each other.
My best advice is to break that ice as soon as possible. You can’t feel comfortable living with somebody if you have no idea who they are! Ask them questions about their life, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable in return. Remember that they are going through most of the same things you are.
2. Respect Their Space
With all of that transitioning going on and sharing a room with a maximum of three other people, it’s important to be able to have your own space. So keep your stuff relatively neat, or, at least in your section of the room. Expect your roommate(s) to follow this rule as well.
3. Be Understanding
As a freshman, you are surrounded with other freshmen transitioning at the same exact time as you. Some people have never spent more than a night away from home before, whereas others have gone to a boarding school for years. Understand that everyone has a different situation than you, and some may be struggling more than others. Don’t allow anyone to walk all over you, but understand if they need a little bit of space, or comfort at first.
4. Learn Their Needs
I live in a suite with seven other girls, and though we all get along, we are different people who need different things. For example, I have a Type 1 Diabetic suitemate who only recently became insulin dependent. She is learning how to handle her auto-immune disease, and we doing our best to learn with her. We’ve put an action plan in place in case we need it, and we all sat down with her one night to learn more about her disease and how to best approach discussing it with her.
Other needs are much smaller scale. If your roommate needs to go to bed earlier than you, respect their need for a quiet room. If they are crying and need a shoulder, lend one if you can. Recognize that you want your needs met as well, and convey them using any amount of social skills you may have.
5. Embrace It
As a relatively introverted person, spontaneous walks with my roommates to meet people past 9 pm aren’t my thing. But college is a place to meet new people, to have new experiences, and to enjoy your life as an almost-maybe-adult. Don’t jump out of your boundaries headfirst, but test the waters a little bit. Go on that trip with your roommates. Stay up late laughing together, watching movies in the common room. Don’t shy away from experiences, and get involved in events or clubs with your roommates. If you let them, roommates can be built in best friends, family, who make your college experience better than you could have ever imagined.