This year is the first year I’ve lived on campus and the first year I’ve had to live with a roommate. The situation has been less than ideal to say the least. I started off in my own room where I just had to share a bathroom with one person, and ended up in the most traditional dorm style you could ever imagine. You know, the whole: 2 twin xl beds with communal bathrooms? Yup. That’s the one. Not exactly living the dream here.
These are a few adjustments that you can make to make transition a little easier for both of you:
- TALK TO YOUR ROOMMATE!! Moving in with a stranger can be really weird and uncomfortable at first, but I promise it’ll be way easier if you get to know them a little bit. Here’s a few easy conversation starters to guide you:
- “Where’d you go to high school?”
- “What’s your major?”
- “What made you decide to come here?”
- *maybe show them a funny tiktok you’re watching*
Anyways, you get the point. Start a conversation, relieve the tension. It’s only awkward if you make it awkward.
2. FIGURE OUT HOW THEY OPERATE. What I mean is, figure out when they like to wake up, go to sleep, eat, etc. It’s really easy to figure these things out if you just ask. This way, you can plan your day accordingly. If you like to wake up earlier than they do, let them know and ACTUALLY WAKE UP TO YOUR ALARM, don’t be the person who hits the snooze button 10 times. Learning little things like this will make your life easier in the long run. Keep in mind it’s also important to be courteous of your roommate, if they like to go to sleep at 10pm, try to be in the room by then. If you’re a bit of a night owl, try to keep the noise to a minimum when you’re coming back, and try to not let it be a nightly thing. But nobody’s perfect.
3. INVITE THEM OUT: I know this one is a little scary, but try it out. If you’re going to the dining hall, ask if they want to come with. Football games, even the grocery store can be easy places to let them tag along. Even if they say no, it’ll be a lot less awkward if they don’t think you hate them because you never invite them anywhere. If you invite them and they do say no, it’s always nice to ask if they need anything while you’re out. On that note, let them know when you’ll be back. This isn’t necessary, but it is courteous and really easy to just say, “hey, i’ll be back around 8, do you need anything?” Most of the time, the response you get is, “okay, see you later,” or “no, I’m all set thank you.” So there you go, no awkward tension, just a quick goodbye and now they know when to expect you back. Sometimes I leave my dorm and let my roommate know when I’ll be back, but end up deciding to spend the night at my friends house, so I’ll text her and say, “hey i’m actually going to spend the night out, i’ll be back tomorrow around noon”. Basically, you don’t have to invite them everywhere you go, but it is the nice thing to do, and you might end up having a great time. If you’re not going to invite them out, just be courteous and keep good communication. This will also prevent some really awkward encounters with surprise dorm guests, if you know what I mean.
Overtime, you’ll figure out what works best for you and your roommate, but relieving the initial tension and trying to actually be their friend will make things so much easier. Whether you end up loving or hating your roommate, it’s always helpful to have a guide of where to start when you move in with a stranger for the first time.