Okay, so you went through the whole process of finding a roommate. A weight has been lifted off your shoulders and you become stress free. But only a mere two days later you get a text saying, “Hey! Want to meet for lunch this weekend? –xoxo your future roommate.” Panic immediately ensues, and you begin preparing yourself for this moment. Sounds stressful, right? Being a senior in high school can be nerve-wracking enough, so we at SOCIETY19 have formulated the perfect game plan to make meeting your roommate for the first time a home-run!
An awkward silence is something that should be avoided at all costs. For the more talkative crowd, this won’t be an issue. However, if you aren’t chatty, making a list in your head of topics to keep the conversation going will be key. This may sound dumb, but it will be extremely helpful when meeting your roommate for the first time, you won’t have to worry about running out of things to talk about.
Thinking in your head all week about things that could go wrong is not going to help you. Although all these thoughts are completely normal, they can cause you to get worked up, in turn, causing YOU more stress.
A full out cocktail party get-up will not be necessary. However, a good first impression is essential. It is important that you display your true style, while not looking sloppy at the same time. Even if you are wearing a t-shirt, avoid the one that has a stain on the left sleeve.
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Make sure you show your true personality. Don’t be who you think your roommate wants you to be; be who you really are because you will have to live with this person for the next year. Even if you two meet up, and you end up being not as compatible as you thought, there are hundreds of other people who can be your roommate.
Plan on arriving at your destination ten or fifteen minutes early when meeting your roommate for the first time. You want to show your roommate that you are responsible and eager to meet him/her. Even if you just sit in your car until two minutes before you are supposed to show up, it will give you time to give yourself a pep talk. There’s nothing worse than being nervous and stressed because you are late.
As the date of your meet-up approaches, you may panic and want to back out. Ignore this instinct or else you’ll never have the confidence to take the next step with your roommate. You are going to have to meet him/her eventually, and having that be the first night of college could get a little awkward.
Be confident. Taking deep breathes prior to your arrival can be very helpful. The moments before you meet someone for the first time can be very intimidating and scary. In order to make sure things go smoothly, you need to be self-assured.
When you finally meet up, make sure to have an actual conversation, and not just small talk. Don’t just answer yes or no, and don’t take that as an answer. Ask more personal questions that require a longer response. Give yourself enough time to learn about each other, so a 30-minute meet-up and ditch is not ideal.
Even if you have to lie, telling your roommate “my sister needs the car at 8, so I can only hang out for a couple hours” will make the departure less awkward. If you do not do this, you may be awkwardly sitting at dinner for 4 hours wondering how to effectively end this date without seeming rude. Most of the time when this happens, the other person is thinking the exact same thing in their head, too. Setting a time limit beforehand will make sure that you both know when the meet-up will end, so it’s not awkward when one person wants to leave.
When first meeting your roommate, make your intentions known. Don’t pretend that you will want to study if you actually plan on going out every night. Make sure your roommate gets a full sense of who you are. If you had a great time, make sure to voice it! On the other hand, if you realize you don’t want this person to be your roomie make sure to tell him/her. This may sound harsh, but you’re entitled to your opinion of whom you do and don’t want your roommate to be.
Haven’t found a roommate yet? Or maybe you have already experienced meeting your roommate and things don’t work out? Check out this article to help you with the process!
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