Living with a roommate is an eye opening experience, and you learn about yourself when you live with someone else. Living with someone won’t always be easy. Everyone wants the perfect roommate – a built-in best friend who will always be by your side. Most of the time, this isn’t the case and it rarely happens among college freshmen. You don’t need to like your roommate to live with them. Here are some tips on how to live out the rest of the semester peacefully.
1. Communication is key:
Communication is the fundamental part in any relationship and one of, if not, the most important tools to a successful roommate experience. If something is bothering you, speak up while it’s still an annoyance. If you wait it out and don’t speak up, it could result into a big problem and someone’s feelings will be hurt. It’s in your best interest and your roommate’s best interest to have open communication with each other. This could be asking to turn the lights off when you want to go to bed or to maybe not play their music so loud.
2. Be open to change:
Coming to college is a big change, and sharing a room with a stranger can be an uncomfortable change for most people. If you or your roommate feels uncomfortable at first, try to bring it out in the open by making a funny joke about how it might be a little awkward. This will lighten the air and create a relaxed environment. Remember not everything will be just how you want them to be, and you will have to make compromises throughout the year. If you go in with an open mind, your experience will be easier.
3. Secrets don’t make friends and friends don’t make secrets:
Don’t talk about your roommate behind her back. If you run into a problem with your roommate, it is best kept between you and your roommate. Don’t share with your entire floor and social media. This will cause resentment and animosity between you and your roommate, and someone’s feelings will be hurt. It may seem harmless to tweet something directed to your roommate, but it is hurtful on the receiving end. Don’t be the “mean girl” in college because they don’t have many friends. People are mature enough to realize that what they’re doing is hurtful. If you are on the receiving end of bullying, it’s best to try and ignore it. If you don’t react, the gossip will most likely stop. If it doesn’t stop, try to confront your roommate about the problem.
4. Have a back-up plan:
If all else fails, don’t be afraid to move out. Don’t put yourself through a stressful situation. You will have enough stress from school, so drama will make for sleepless nights and you’ll see it in your grades.
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