What’s the best part of college? Living away from your parents. What’s the worst part of college? Sharing a small room with a complete stranger. Just kidding, it’s not that bad — all the time. Having a college roommate can have its ups and downs. As long as you’re respectful of the fact that you’re sharing a space, you’ll be fine. But in preparation for having a college roommate, I wanted to give you some advice. Here’s everything you need to know about sharing a space in college:
You Probably Won’t Have The Same Schedule
You and your roommate aren’t going to have the same schedules. Not only will your class schedules differ, but so will your life schedules. She might be an early bird and prefer waking up at 6 am. Whereas you might like staying in bed until noon. You’re not twins — you’re not going to be doing everything together and it’s crucial you know that prior to moving in. If you expect your new roommate to be on your schedule all the time, you’re going to be disappointed.
You’ll Always Have A Study Buddy
Having a college roommate means you’ll always have a study buddy. Because if there’s one thing all college students have to do its study. You two might not be able to spend every waking moment together. But you’ll easily be able to plan out your days so that there’s time for you two to head over to the cafeteria, study room, or even the library together.
You Should Talk About Alarm Clocks
Odds are, you and your roommate are going to use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning. Especially if either of you has early classes. The only problem with alarm clocks is that they can be incredibly loud. And unless you’re both getting up at the same time, one of you isn’t going to be too pleased with a loud noise that early in the morning. Which is why you two should compare schedules and decide on an alarm system you’re both okay with.
You Should Take The Time To Get To Know Your Roommate
In order to live with someone, you need to know them — their quirks, what makes them tick, and what they’re completely okay with. Some people have a very low tolerance when it comes to messy spaces and some people are perfectly fine with a little disorganization. You both need to really take the time to get to know each other so that you can make your living situation a positive experience.
You Should Choose Your Battles
Spoiler Alert: You’re not going to have the perfect living situation when you’re sharing a room with another person. There are going to be times when you’re going to have to deal with your roommate’s loud music, snoring, and whatever else they do that you’re not too fond of. That’s just how it is. Which is why it’s important for you to pick your battles. Try not to complain to your roommate over the little things.
You Should Be Upfront
It’s better to be vocal right off the bat with your roommate than it is to wait a few months after you’ve been living together to make requests. If you want to decide who does what chores, you should come up with those rules right when you two meet so there’s no confusion or guesswork surrounding cleaning tasks.
You Should Have Rules For Boys, Too
College is all about meeting people and forming connections. You and your roommate will both meet your fair share of fellas. So, make sure you have rules when it comes to when boys can come over and even stay the night. So many roommates find conflict with this because rules aren’t put into place. No one wants to share a small space with a roommate AND one or two boyfriends. Nip this problem in the bud before it even starts to become an issue!
You’ll Teach Each Other Responsibility
Your roommate will teach you how to keep your things organized and clean. There’s a good chance you’re going to be living with someone who won’t LOVE your messy clothes all over the place. And she’ll probably tell you. But even if she doesn’t, you’ll most likely keep your thing organized on your own out of respect to your roomie. Living with someone will teach you how to be considerate, which is so important to understand before you’re a full-grown adult.
You Should Make Time For Your Roommate
Roommates are great because they provide you with human interaction. Yes, you’re going to see people in your classes but with over 100 or so students in a lecture hall, there’s a good chance you might not actually interact with them — especially not at the beginning of the school year when you’re a little shy and still figuring everything out. Your roommate might be all you really have for a while. And even as you start to make friends, you should still try to make sure you have a relationship with your roomie as well!
But Don’t Force A Relationship Though
Sometimes, people just don’t click. Hopefully, you and your roommate will get along and actually enjoy each other’s company. But even if you don’t, that doesn’t mean the experience has to be a negative one. You two can still have a good time living together just as long as you remember to be respectful!