Many college students have experienced the imaginary “line down the middle of the room” meant to create privacy scenario. Whether you saw it on TV or lived through it yourself, you understand what a line of duct tape across the floor symbolizes.
You are in college now and will soon learn, if you haven’t already, that apartment living can be a challenge. You aren’t sharing a room with your sibling anymore so you can no longer go get mom to solve your space sharing problems. Instead, you are expected to handle the situation yourself and in an adult-like manner.
Hopefully, your roommate also understands the importance of boundaries and the mature way to establish them. If that isn’t the case, here is some quick apartment living advice that can help you strategically divide your space without pulling out the duct tape.
Here are four cheap strategies for dealing with privacy in a shared-room living situation:
Foldable Screen
If you are going for extreme privacy, purchase a foldable screen wall. These come in a variety of materials, from fabric to wood. They are thin and easy to move when you decide to come out of hiding.
Curtain
Hang a curtain rod from the ceiling and hang a ceiling-to-floor length piece of fabric across the room. These are especially appealing because of the huge variety of colors and prints available. Make the curtain yourself or buy one ready to hang. Express Yourself!
Tall Bookshelf
Make the most of your space divider and invest in a tall bookshelf. You already have plenty of books for school, so why not use them to give yourself a little more privacy? Situate the bookshelf in such a way that won’t inconvenience your roommate, but also sends the clear message that “this is my side.”
Communicate
Ideally, talking through pet peeves should be the first thing you do in a shared-living environment. However, sitting down with a roommate that you might not know well and expressing your feelings about the importance of privacy can be hard. If you decide to make the effort, try to keep it in the first person with phrases like “It is really important to me…” or “I feel more at home when…” Try to to keep the conversation positive.
If all else fails, drag out that duct tape! Or, check out more apartment living advice here.
What are some things that worked for you when dealing with room-sharing problems? Sound off in the comment section below.
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