Roommates – Learning to Live With Others…
For many students entering college, this may be their first time away from home for an extended period of time. While dorm living can be an enriching and wonderful part of the college experience, it can also be a source of great stress and discomfort if the roommates are not a good match. Granted, the fit does not have to be perfect; as a matter of fact, I always found myself in a better situation when I lived with girls I was friendly with rather than best friends with. This really allowed me to meet so many more people outside of my friend groups; all part of the college experience. Students do, however, need to be able to comfortably and safely co-exist in their shared living space.
When you’re going into college and you start your many firsts- such as living on your own, it is so important that you make sure you are a good roommate! Life can be easy living at home with your parents helping you cook, clean, do your laundry, scrub your toilet, and wash the floors. Moving into an apartment (or even a dorm) is actually a lot more responsibility than most students think.
My roommates and I would get together every Sunday and all help each other clean the apartment. Not going to say it isn’t gross again by Monday, but we made an effort! As a roommate, it is important to set guidelines on what you want to share as a group and what you want to keep personal- especially when it comes to the fridge! Make sure you and your roommates are always on the same page, I promise it will be helpful.
Should problems arise, whether they are as simple as someone constantly leaving dishes in the sink or more complicated like a roommate constantly having overnight guests, the first step should always be to have a calm discussion and look to compromise. College is such a new experience in the beginning so it’s best to find solutions that satisfy all the roommates with lighthearted, easy conversations.
It might be important to set ground rules at the beginning of the year for things like when you all are going to clean, how everyone feels about late hours or studying in the room. So many of us spend so much time texting instead of talking, but it is definitely important to have these conversations in person so everyone has the same intentions. If you live in the dorm, the RA is a good resource to go to if the issue cannot first be resolved between the roommates.
Madison Stutman, Intern
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