When I first got my acceptance letter, I immediately began to think of what my living situation would look like when I moved to Gainesville.
I knew I couldn’t afford a two-bedroom apartment, nor a three-bedroom apartment, but that was OK with me.
I knew having multiple roommates would be a valuable learning experience, and I was looking forward to making new friends. However, there were many aspects of living with multiple girls that I wish I’d known beforehand.
I live with three other girls in a small apartment not too far from campus. I only texted one of the girls consistently prior to the anticipated move-in date.
A piece of advice I would give to anyone moving in with new roommates is to communicate as much as possible before moving in with one another. Whether it’s about what you will buy, what your interests are, what your plan for classes looks like, communication is a must.
You can learn a lot about a person over the phone, a perk of this technological age we live in. Use it to your advantage.
Not only can you make plans about the apartment together, but you can also get excited about this new chapter together!
One thing my roommates and I didn’t establish was our rules, boundaries and duties.
Not setting these from the get-go caused some issues for us later in the year.
Not to scare you, because everyone is not the same, but this, unfortunately, happened to us.
I suggest setting roles for everyone within the apartment. Maybe one person could do the dishes, one could vacuum, one could clean the kitchen, etc.
If this doesn’t sound like it would be the right fit for you, that’s OK, too.
You each can be responsible for things like your own dishes and areas, but you have to come to that agreement from the beginning.
My roommates and I didn’t do this, and it led to confusion, misunderstanding and frustration down the line.
Granted, these are small issues, but living with multiple people who have hectic schedules can make small, undiscussed problems into huge ones.
In my case, I have a different relationship with each of my roommates.
I have different hobbies and interests in common with each one, and I find this to be a great thing.
I think one of the best ways to grow closer and more comfortable with one another is to find common activities that you both or all like to do together.
If there are bonding activities you can do together that simultaneously help you all work toward your goals, I recommend doing them! You can go to campus to study, head to the gym and learn to cook together.
Not only are you all working toward achieving your goals, but you and your roommates are growing closer with each activity.
Doing things together doesn’t have to be an everyday occurrence, but it’s a great way to make sure you are bonding with your roomies.
The biggest tip I have for you, as simple as it is, is to pay attention to who you live with.
Through this, you will learn their mannerisms and tendencies, which can help you understand them and how they will react to things. For example, over time I have learned that one of my roommates likes to be alone when she’s having an off day, while the other ones like to take comfort from others.
Knowing this, I can respect their wants and needs and create a better living environment for all of us.