We all know we have had one, the roommate you would never wish upon anyone. I can say, I have had a few of my own. Whether it be your best friend who gets way too comfortable or that girl you claim cat-fished you on Facebook freshman year; any roommate can completely suck. Well lucky for you, I have a few tips to share on how to handle even the worst of roommates.
Disclaimer: I can’t pride myself on always handling situations in the way I am about to tell you to, but hey, at least I learned, right?
To the roommate who seems to think dishes wash themselves, wake up sweetie, there is no dish fairy. Your egg crusted pan, nearly as old as myself, MUST GO. I will admit, at the time I didn’t know how to handle the situation, friends told me to confront her, but obviously, as the hard-headed girl I am, I refused.
- Tip Number One: Never, and I repeat, NEVER avoid it. Coming from a girl who did, you’ll end up cleaning that egg crusted pan every day for the next four months. Bad habits, unless broken, only get worse.
To the confrontational roommate who finds any reason to start a fight, please learn to pick and choose your battles. As we can all fall guilty, there will be times you, or your roommate, will have a bad day, left in a twelve by twelve-foot room with only each other’s heads to rip off. In these moments, try to remember you sleep less than six feet away from each other and close quarters can quickly become uncomfortable.
- Tip Number Two: Learn to walk away– fighting fire with fire will always cause a bigger fire. No matter if it’s your BFF or not, you will feel uneasy in your room post blow up. Remember, being the bigger person is just as satisfying as winning the fight.
And I’m sure whether it be your roommate or as some may call your “third-roommate” we’ve all encountered a friend who gets way too comfortable. Yes please feel at home, but there is no need to make it your home. For some, it may be the case that your BFF has now become your roomie as well. Thinking you will have the best year yet, you soon realize you were naive. There should never be such a thing as an open door policy. Whether my door is open or closed, please do not feel free to help yourself. And to the third roomie (who’s not actually one at all), my bed is not your new closet. Please evacuate the premises.
- Tip Number 3: Once they get comfy, there is no going back. Whether BFF, roommate, or both, be open about boundaries. Your room is your space; no one should make you feel unhappy or uncomfortable. Just think, if you did it to them, they would probably hate it too.
And here we are, the best for last. If you are still reading, it means you probably haven’t come across the root of your roommate problem yet.
Here’s to the all-time, worst roommate ever —
To the girl we’ve all met before, please stop having your boyfriend visit and kicking me out of the room, stop eating my food, and worst of all, throwing the hair from your hairbrush on the floor (I’m actually kind of concerned about the amount). The girl who single handledly wins the title for all time worst roommate. Anything imaginable that a terrible roommate could do, she has done, and worse. The girl you picked on Facebook the summer before freshman year who you claimed to be your BFF (reality check: they are only obligated to be for the first two weeks or so.)
- Tip Number 4: when you come across the girl you thought would make you thrive freshman year, later realizing she is your worst enemy, all I can say is hang in there.
To be honest, I have no tip for this at all. Most girls would say “just move out, no need to ruin your freshman year (or any year for that matter) on a roommate who sucks!” But I am not most girls. I stuck it out, and for eight long months, I had the worst roommate ever. But you know what, one bad roommate isn’t a bad college experience. For what it’s worth, it’s often a great story to tell later on.