What You Should Really Know About Having College Roommates
Your first year of college can be a bit worrisome when it comes to figuring out how seasoned your roommate will be when it comes to cleanliness and tidiness. When you’re paired with someone you don’t know, you’re stuck worrying about many things, such as if they are a rowdy bunch, someone who doesn’t dispose junk properly, or if they hoard paper and trash altogether. Here are a few things you should really know about having college roommates.
Rules
If you’re rooming with someone you do know, never forget that discussing rules with them as well is a must. Keep in mind that knowing someone isn’t the same as living with them, so be mindful of your choices. If you can, try to get to know your roommate so you guys can establish regulations and boundaries in the shared room. When you meet your college roommate, it is essential to discuss bathroom habits. Anything that is left out, such as toothpaste or perfumes, will be used by others that you are sharing the bathroom with. Make sure that if you have some toiletries that you don’t want to share with your roommate is put away in a bathroom drawer or a container of some sort, either on a shelf or under your bed. It is best to avoid any confusion or conflict. You and your college roommate should have your names labeled on each and every container that stores your personal belongings.
Alarms
Stating the obvious, you and your college roommate are most likely not going to have the same schedule for classes and the sooner you guys find out what classes the two of you are taking, which may be around the same time, the easier it will be to plan ahead. You both might decide to set an alarm for the first class but if you or your college roommate has early bird classes at the early hours of the morning and the other has their first class near noon, then it may not work out. This may not affect you much if you are a deep sleeper, but if you are a light sleeper this would definitely leave you feeling groggy during the day. As a result, this also may cause some tension. Be sure to discuss your class schedule with each other and determine the best way for both of you to make it to your classes on time.
PDA
Also, there will be college roommates who would be into light PDA with their partner, or feeling amorous and hopes to let their partner stay overnight. If this causes you discomfort, let your college roommate know that their partner should be considerate of your privacy and that they shouldn’t break the visiting hours. This should also be of a topic when first meeting your roommate. Both of you can demonstrate how to set your own privacy, boundaries, and limits concerning visiting guests. Discussing these topics with your roommate might be uncomfortable, but it is better to set ways in which both of you can respect each other’s personal life without walking over each other about it. Remember that you and your roommate should definitely stick to the rules you both have agreed to about having visitors in general and never feel that you both should disregard the rules, as this can cause tension and bring about a potential conflict.
Converse
If you have any issues with your college roommates, whether it’s big or small, address the problem with your roommate right away. It will never do you any good to be impudent to anyone. Do not assume that the roommate is going to remember all the rules and regulations that was formed from the first day you guys met. Be an adult and state your issues or concerns in a diplomatic manner. There will be times when either of you could arrive late from an event to the dorm or misplacing the room key and it’s okay. Remember that you don’t have to be best friends with your roommate but you guys should respect one another regardless if both of you are bumping heads or not.
