ROOMMATES Roommates can really make or break any living situation. Have a good roommate and even the crappiest place will feel like home. Have a not-so-good one and, well, things might not feel as great. Whether you are sharing a room or a home, coexisting with a new person is never easy. We hope these tips will make things a little easier for you. IT’S OKAY IF YOU AREN’T BEST FRIENDS! Roommates can be great friends and incredible support systems, but that doesn’t mean a good roommate needs to be those things. Being friendly and liking each other is a must, but a good roommate is someone who is respectful of your shared space and is willing to compromise on different needs and wants. Someone that has a similar lifestyle to you will probably be your best match. CLEARLY COMMUNICATE EXPECTATIONS AND ASSIGN TASKS. Basically, have a roommate agreement. Ideally on paper, even if you don’t think you need it. Life can get messy pretty fast and if you don’t have certain base expectations to return to, it’s very easy for that mess to spill into the shared living space. Clearly defining roles and certain tasks 48 | STUDENT LIFE
to be completed each week by different people can save you from a lot of headache later. What does a clean space look like for both of you? How are you dealing with dishes? How are you approaching having people over? Some of these questions might feel really easy to answer, but you might also find that your definition of clean and someone else’s definition of clean are very, very different. HAVE BIWEEKLY (OR SOME SORT OF SCHEDULED) CHECK-INS. University is a busy time. Some weeks you might find yourself with no time or energy to perform a certain necessary task or your roommate starts doing something that you are not entirely comfortable with. Instead of building resentment, check-in with each other to see what’s going on and how to move forward. Sometimes these conversations can be as easy as ‘I had a tough week, could you do [blank] this week, and I will do [blank] next week instead.’ Other times it will require a bit of cooperation, understanding, and compromise, but usually there are few issues that communicating clearly about your needs won’t solve. At the end of the day, healthy communication is the most important part of living in harmony with a roommate! U
