When it comes to living the college life, you either live on your own, with friends or complete strangers who will eventually be your new roommate(s). Having a new roommate can be a great thing or a complete nightmare. For me, I went through it all and let me tell you, it was both good and bad. Mostly it was great, but there were moments where I just wanted to pull my hair out. Some students are allowed to pick who their roommates are, some aren’t. For me, I wasn’t able to pick who I wanted to live with. We had to take a survey of our likes/dislikes, etc. and that’s how we found out who we would be living with. Lucky for me, I got to live with three other girls. Like I said, it had its good and bad moments. But, whenever you do decide to live with anyone, there are certain conversations that need to be had in order for to keep a positive mindstate.
1. Keeping your place clean.
I don’t know about you but I like to live in a clean house. A little mess here and there is okay but not all the time. Be sure to discuss with your roommate possible cleaning standards on keeping the place neat and tidy. Doubt you want bugs in your place!
2. Getting to know each other.
Get to know the person. What are they like? Do they go out a lot or stay home? Do they like to be left alone? Are they loud? Do they listen? Do they work or rely on others for cash? It is important to get to know the person who you will be living with for quite some time. You don’t want to live with a complete stranger and feel uncomfortable because you can’t trust them entirely.
3. Respecting the thermostat and everyone in the apartment.
This doesn’t sound like a huge issue but it can be. Nobody likes to be too hot or too cold. When I lived with my roommates, they wanted the heat on so high that it made me sick to my stomach with how warm it got in there. Discuss a temp you guys would like to keep the thermostat at so nobody gets angry.
4. Paying the bills on time is a must.
Some colleges have off-campus living situations where you are expected to pay rent and other utilities. It’s important to have a roommate you can trust with money and make sure bills are paid on time. Find someone who is responsible and has a job that can afford to live with you.
5. Keeping noise levels at a normal volume.
This is by far one of the most important red flags to discuss. Yeah, college life is supposed to be fun and exciting but its also important that you have a place where you can come home to and it’s quiet and you can relax especially if you need to study.
6. Making communication a top priority.
It’s important that you have someone that talks to you and communicates with you especially if there is a problem. If they don’t tell you what’s wrong then how will the issue get fixed? This is how a lot of roommate situations go south, people think it’s easier to be passive aggressive than actually have a conversation.
7. Sharing should happen, but you shouldn’t take advantage of each other.
There are things you share and things you don’t. Discuss things you both are willing to share, such as food, bathroom products, etc. But make sure you split the costs when purchasing items that you guys are willing to share. You have to take turns. Don’t let someone take advantage of you or use all of your stuff/eat all of your food without pitching in.
8. Knowing you have to discuss having people over.
It’s okay to have people over sometimes but not always. You want to discuss who is coming over and for how long. You don’t want someone coming over every day or staying the night, especially if they aren’t paying to live there. Or, if your roommate is wanting to throw a party but that’s not something you agree to. It’s important to have an open line of communication and feel comfortable enough to say no when you really need a quiet night in.
9. Being respectful when you come home with a guy/girl.
Everyone has needs/wants. When living with someone, chances are the walls will be super thin and you can hear everything. Make sure you are respectful when you have a wild night with a guy and your roommate also respects your privacy/you.