Whether you are best friends or complete strangers, whether you’re sharing a double room or sharing a four-bedroom house, you are going to have arguments with your roommates. No matter how hard you try to avoid arguing, students living together in such close quarters is bound to cause tension. So here are some top tips – from a third year who has dealt with her fair share of arguments – for how to cope when the inevitable arguments start.
1. Take a breather—maybe during the argument or directly after, just take five.
Calm down because you can’t think clearly when you’re angry. So take five, have a drink, phone your mum, whatever you need to do—just breathe.
2. DO NOT rant or bitch to other roommates/housemates if the argument has just been between a few of you.
No matter what kind of dynamic you have in your house, there are never certainties and you never know when ranting or being rude about your housemate when angry could come back to haunt you in future arguments.
3. Give yourself and them some space.
This can obviously be hard if you’re sharing a room, but space is key after an argument. You need to be apart because if you’re around them, everything they do will start to bug you. Give both of you some space.
4. Although you need space for a short while, try and make up as quickly as possible.
Ultimately you’re going to have to keep living with this person/people so you need to make up relatively quickly.
5. Apologise.
Even if you aren’t in the wrong, apologies always help. Just apologise for arguing if you have nothing else to apologise for.
6. Forget about it.
Don’t keep reminding yourself of the argument. Once you’ve all apologised and made-up, then forget it, because if you constantly think about it you’ll just get angry all over again…
7. If all else fails, have a cup of tea.
Well, that’s what we do in England, do the Canadian equivalent … have an iced capp.