Picking a roommate is like a Choose-Your-Own Adventure book. Choosing one person could lead down one path, or picking another person leads down another path. The possibilities for choosing a roommate are endless. Chances are that someone from your high school is going to the same college as you and they may have asked you to be your roommate. Here are some tips for when you’re trying to pick your roommate!
Just because you know someone and they are your friend does not mean that you will be able to tolerate living with them. There is also the case in which you get assigned a roommate you do not get along with, but you can tolerate living with them. That happens in some cases, but either do not happen all the time.
If you have an 8am class every day of the week, do not room with someone who will keep you up late at night. Or visa versa. Don’t room with someone who has 8am classes every day of the week, while you don’t have class until later in the morning. It just causes a lot of resentment between the two roommates.
If it bothers you to look at a dirty room, don’t room with someone who is a ‘slob’, or doesn’t have time to do laundry or clean until the weekends. Their mess could carry into your side of the room, and if you’re anything like me, it makes me want to scream when my roommate does that to me.
Take for example if you are both into Supernatural, and your roommate watches ahead. Are you okay with them spoiling the episode for you? Probably not, but at the same time, if you decide to watch the same episode so neither of you watch ahead, then it gives you something to talk about either the next day, or the next week.
I am sure that every campus has parties and drinks. Are you going to be able to accept your roommates decisions on whether or not they are going to participate. Are you going to participate and make sure that it is okay with your roommate that you ‘party’?
Are they going to be able to look at you when there is something wrong and be able to tell you what they are thinking without backlash? Or are you going to be able to decide who buys what for the room without either of you complaining, or chipping in? Are you going to be able to explain what is going on?
Do they enjoy playing music while they study? Do they like the room warmer or colder? Even though these questions seem simple and out of place, they are worthwhile to ask your prospective roommate as it will avoid conflict later down the line.
This has caused much conflict between me and my roommate as she pledged and I did not. Her pledging was way different than our normal schedule, which then threw off my sleep schedule. Despite what many people think, pledging affects more than just one person. If affects your roommate as well, which is why it is important to consider.
Is the purpose to be strictly for studying and sleeping or to be a place to relax along with studying and sleeping? This is something that should be considered by both people and should be talked about before arriving to move in day.
If your roommate is having hookups or has their significant other over and want to be alone, are you okay with finding somewhere else to be for a while or do you want to be rooming with someone who is okay with not having sex with people? Are you okay with people that you may not know chilling in your room? Are you okay with people hanging out in your room when you are there? Or even when you are there? It’s something important to consider.
Keep in mind that it is okay to not be able to live with your roommate. You can request to be moved to a different room with someone and most colleges move you within the week. Take it one thing at a time and don’t be afraid to move rooms or talk to your roommate.
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