We’ve all heard horror stories of someone’s crazy roommate. They can be all over the spectrum; ranging from loud, late-night guests, to being watched while you sleep. Whatever your situation is, think of your relationship with your roomie and try to not be that roommate. You know, the one whom you and the rest of your roommates complain about incessantly. Try not to do these things and maybe you’ll end up having a better relationship with the people you live with.
Don’t refuse to change the toilet paper.
Come on, we all go to the bathroom, and we all need to use the toilet paper; it’s a fact of life. It is only fair to help pitch in every now and then by buying the next round, or at least, changing the roll when it runs out. It takes two seconds. Why is it such a problem?
Don’t be loud late at night.
Really? You’re coming home at 1:30 in the morning, slamming doors and singing?? Quiet hours are in place for a reason. Most likely the people who live around us are trying to sleep, and while your rendition of “Hello” may sound good to you, to the rest of us it sounds like another reason for us to be grumpy in the morning.
Don’t use what is not yours.
How would you feel if your roommate used something of yours without asking? Probably like you’re seven years old again and your sister used the last of your stickers that you were saving for a special project. It hurts. Always go by the golden rule and ask first. Manners go a long way.
Don’t invade people’s privacy.
This one covers so many things like barging in unannounced, listening in on conversations, asking questions that aren’t any of your business. Basically just understand boundaries and be a respectful person.
Don’t have loud overnight guests.
Set up some ground rules first. I might be comfortable with your boyfriend staying over every now and then, but if I’m trying to sleep and all of a sudden I hear some…uncomfortable…noises through the wall, there might be a problem. Dorm walls are thin. So thin they’re basically paper. I can hear someone sneeze from down the hall. Please, please don’t make me listen to your hookups. My headphones are only so effective.
Don’t disrespect common areas.
I totally get it if you have a few friends hang out in the living room. it’s a big, comfy space. Why not use it? But if you do, clean up in the morning. That is my space too, and I don’t want to sit on a couch covered in last night’s pregame.
Don’t be a stranger.
Hey, we have to live together; we might as well try to get along. You have your friends, and I have mine, but that doesn’t mean we have to ignore each other when we’re both home. Reach out occasionally!
I’m not going to lie, I am definitely guilty of a few of these. Aren’t we all? None of us are the perfect roommate. But if we do make mistakes, the least we can do is apologize and try to be better next time. As roommates, we don’t have to be inseparable, but we should at least try to be the best person to live with as we can be. Treat others the way you want to be treated, right?