Some consider living in IV a college student’s paradise but, sometimes trying to live with 5+ people in a tiny apartment can put a bit of a damper on that paradise.
Living with a lot of different people is never an easy task, no matter what you see on shows like Friends or How I Met Your Mother. Although having roommates and living with your close friends is a lot of fun, sometimes it can be hard to compromise on your living situation because so many people have different standards of living. After experiencing my own challenges with learning to live with 6 people in an apartment on DP, here are some things I feel really help settle any conflicts or hardships that may be present among your housemates.
1. Hold house meetings often
It is a good idea to get together with all of your housemates at once to discuss anything that needs to be improved within the house. Within our house meetings we designate chores to each person, organize our parking, or just talk about how communication can be better among all of us. These meetings are good to figure out general household guidelines, like how late everyone can play music, maintaining the house when guests come over etc.
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2. Create a chore chart
Most apartments in IV do this just to make sure everyone is kept accountable for their part in keeping the house clean. In my house each person just keeps the same chore all the time and just take turns doing the more difficult chores like cleaning the balcony or mopping. Chore charts just help make sure everyone is doing their share and that all house responsibilities don’t fall to one person. Image via giphy
3. Talk one-on-one when necessary
Every once in a while disputes can occur between yourself and another person in the house. It’s always best just to talk to them one on one before any frustration or anger steeps too long. Having a conflict with another person in the house can have a negative effect on the entire apartment, so it’s good to get in front of it. When talking over a conflict make sure to go in kindly and with understanding. It’s so important to treat the people you live with, with respect especially considering you have to share a space with them for a long period of time.
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4. Keep track of household purchases
Most people in IV buy their own groceries and other extras but it’s pretty common to purchase communal household items like paper towels and dish soap to share. Keep track of who buys what thing each time, that way everyone in the house shares the burden. You could also just make sure to venmo people.
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5. Be considerate
At the end of the day, living with other people is all about being considerate. It’s never going to be easy living with so many different people but if you keep the well-being of your housemates in mind it can be much easier!
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