R oommate R ules How to be a good roommate, whether you live in a dorm or apartment by Madison Dobrzenski News Editor
Whether you’re moving into a residence hall or an off-campus apartment, there’s one thing almost every college student (and person) has to deal with at some point: being a roommate. I have had the privilege of never sharing a bedroom with anyone. In my first year at UNC Charlotte, I lucked out with a two-bedroom, two-person suite, so I only shared a bathroom and common space. The year after that, I had a similar dorm, and now I live in an apartment with two roommates where we share a bathroom, living room and kitchen. No matter how much of the space you share, sharing a living space with others requires thoughtfulness and consideration of others. If you’ve never had to share a space with a roommate, this may take some learning and adjustment! Below are some tips for being a good roommate. Clean up after yourself This may sound obvious, but many people forget to do this basic thing to be considerate of their roommates, whether it’s washing dishes after cooking, picking up your belongings in the common area, or cleaning up a spill you made when making coffee in the morning. Most people don’t enjoy cleaning up their own messes, let alone someone else’s. Be conscious and deliberate about space whenever possible Everyone in the space is paying for it, and as such, everyone is entitled to take up space in their own home! However, it’s considerate and helpful to be aware of the amount of space you are taking up. Taking your shoes off and leaving your bookbag in the living room can be perfectly fine, but you don’t want to leave too many items in the common area at a time because it’s
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exactly that: a common area. It’s your space, but it’s also your roommate’s, too! This also goes for using certain services or spaces, such as the bathroom, laundry unit or kitchen. Once again, you’re paying for the space so you can use everything as much as you need! But that applies to everyone else, too, so be sure to keep up with your laundry, so it’s not always taking up the washer and dryer, and make sure you’re not hogging the bathroom so others can use it. Set up expectations This applies to many aspects of living together, such as when you can have company over, how to maintain the space’s cleanliness, or establishing any other necessary boundaries. This can look different for different people and their dynamics. Some people may want to be asked before having a lot of people over; some people may not care at all. Some people need to decide on specific chores each resident is responsible for and even hang a small board listing the responsibilities so everyone’s aware. Other people may decide on a day that all roommates pitch in together and clean the space. An important thing about these expectations is to be flexible with them. If you get a couple of months into your time at this residence and find that you’re doing all the work (or that someone else is), be open to discussing new expectations of each other! Contribute to common items In my experience, there are always going to be some items that are shared amongst roommates. If you have your own bathroom, then luckily for you, toilet paper and hand soap will not be one of those items! However, there is still the
kitchen and living room or common area. This means that everyone is responsible for things like paper towels, dish soap, multipurpose cleaning spray, etc. No one wants to feel like they’re the only one ever buying these items. What I do is text the roommate group chat whenever I’m already at the store, asking if anyone knows of items we may need. This makes people aware of the fact that you’re contributing and hopefully ensures you rarely run out of anything. The only flaw with my process is that you may find yourself being the only one purchasing these items. If this happens, that is where communication comes into play!
Communicate This is the most important part of being a good roommate. All of the aforementioned tips can still be modified, or any problems caused by them can be solved with simple communication. For example, if you cooked breakfast before leaving for work and didn’t leave time to clean the dishes and kitchen, a simple text to your roommate saying, “I am going to clean up after work!” can prevent conflict. Communication is also how you properly set expectations, discuss common household items and establish any necessary boundaries.
Photo of people moving into dorms in fall 2020, by Dominic DiNardi
NINER NATION GUIDE 2021
