I cannot believe that the summer is already over. I feel like just yesterday I arrived home from a crazy school year excited for the beautiful weather and fulfilled months ahead. Now we can look forward to changing leaves, football filled Sundays, and pumpkin flavored everything. 🙂
These past few weeks have been a bit crazy for me because I am moving into a new apartment. There is nothing worse than packing all of your furniture, clothes, dishes… basically your entire life into a moving truck that is really only going 0.5 miles down the road.
Regardless of that, I have finally got everything into my new place and am putting the finishing touches on my decor. I will share photos soon enough. I have a good feeling about this upcoming year- with regards to my living situation and my life at school. 🙂
Over the past two years of having roommates, I have come up with a few tips on how to make it work. I know it is so difficult, especially your freshman year, when you are placed in a 9×10 dorm room with 1, 2, or even 3 people that you have never met before. I have had my fair share of drama due to bad roommates, so hopefully the following tips can help make this upcoming year a bit more enjoyable for you and yours!
1. Talk about rules/boundaries immediately – This is awkward, there is no denying it, but it is even more awkward if you wait until the first issue surfaces and you’re forced to have a confrontation. The more things you clarify upfront, the less problems you will run into later. The most important things to talk about (in my opinion) are overnight guests, who is going to buy toilet paper/trash bags/other essentials, a chore schedule, using each others things, and groceries.
2. Confront problems – If your roommate is doing something that drives you absolutely nuts, you are better off saying something about it right away than letting it bottle up. Last year I bit my tongue when my roommate would do certain things and by the end of the school year I was ready to explode. Trust me, it will continue to bother you more and more if you don’t get it out there.
3. Do your dishes – There is nothing worse than going to use the sink only to find that it is filled with somebody else’s dirty dishes. Make an agreement with your roommates that you will wash your dishes as soon as you use them. If this doesn’t work for you, agree to at least rinse them out and be sure they are washed and out of the sink before you go to bed.
4. Remember that it’s not forever – It is HARD to live with somebody else, even if that person is your best friend in the entire world. Especially in college, where we are often cramped in tiny spaces without much privacy. If you keep in mind that your situation is not permanent, it will be much easier for you to handle. I wish that I had kept this in mind while dealing with my last roommate.
5. Personalize your room – If you’re not lucky enough to have your own bedroom, you can skip past this point. But if you are, make your room your own personal haven. Fill it with pictures of loved ones, good memories, and things that make you happiest. Also, try your hardest not to do a lot of work in your room. I know sometimes it takes a lot of willpower to walk across campus to the library, but you’ll be happier when you arrive back home later on. This will make your room a place that you can feel completely relaxed and unwind – rather than worrying about the 500 things you have to do.
Hope this is helpful for all of you facing new living situations this year!
xo,
Jaclyn
Q. Do you have any tips on dealing with college roommates?