The conventional wisdom about college roommates is “The best friends you make are those you make in college.” It’s partly true. You do make friends after college too and those friends you made in high school — well, some of them will continue to be your friends. However, in college, you have the chance to make friends with people you may never meet outside of college. Sometimes the best friend you’ll ever have in college are the people you live with in your college apartment. Even if your best friend does not live with you, the roommates you have in college — they’ll be memorable (even the bad ones). Here are some tips designed to help you generate a positive roommate experience.
No Bad Roomies
No one wants a bad roommate. It’s crazy how easy it’s to be a good roommate. Make sure the person who you decide to live with, even if they are not a friend already — is someone who you could at least see as a potential friend. By friend we don’t mean someone you share all your deepest darkest secrets, but at least someone you respect and generally like.
Don’t Be a College Roommate Cliché
There are plenty of student housing horror stories about bad roommates. That awkward moment when you realize your roommate’s main squeeze has actually moved in (even though you signed the lease) or the slob who never washes dishes. You get the picture. Don’t be a college roommate cliché. Make the effort to let your roommate know if you’re moving out — give at least a one month notice. Don’t shortchange your roommate with unpaid bills. Don’t eat their peanut butter — and if you do — own up to it and make amends. It may sound hard having to live with someone else, but think about it as training wheels for what comes next.
Keep it Classy
The first thing to keep in mind is that your roommate is someone you’ll be seeing a lot of (when you’re not in class, at your job or out with friends). Set ground rules even before you start loading your stuff in the moving van and the landlord hands you the keys.
Living with roommates will help you become a better person. No, you won’t win an award for surviving a college roommate, but living successfully with someone, who is not your family or significant other helps you out when you graduate.
You’ll learn how to deal with conflicts that emerge in the house and on campus. You’ll have to negotiate who does what in the apartment, from deciding who mails the rent check to who takes out the garbage. All of these things may sound nit-picky, but putting together your expectations (preferably in writing) will save you a lot of headache down the road.
Are you a college student? Have you recently graduated? What are your stories about successful roommates? What makes a good college roommate? Let us know about your experiences in the comment section below.
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