As a senior getting ready to graduate, I have some tips for new freshmen living on campus. Roommates are one of the biggest complaints from freshmen.
For one thing, sometimes you never know if you will like your roommate. There is that anxiety over how well you will get along.
There are several options to make it work. One, you can get a private room. This is an easy problem-solver, but a little more expensive. Two, you have a roommate, but he/she is never in the room. This is similar to the first solution. Three, you end up with a great roommate and make the transition from high school to college very easily. I had this kind of roommate, and through her, I made a very good friend.
Then there are the other roommates. These are the clingy, non-talkative, or totally different side of the spectrum from you. How do you deal with these? Well, you can always go to the library and study. This keeps you away from the roommate and makes your parents happy because your grades are good.
While you try to figure out what kind of
roommate you have, you need to figure out how to share a tiny space with this person. If some of you have shared a room with a sibling, then you are somewhat familiar with this. But, there is one big difference – Mom and Dad will not be there to break up the fights that may happen.
When sharing a space there will be discussions on how much of you and your roommate’s stuff you want to combine. Sometimes during the summer roommates talk to each other about these things. What are you bringing and what am I to bring? For example, who brings the TV, the refrigerator, the phone, the microwave, etc?
Once the school year starts then the fun part begins. You get to find out how annoying some of the little things can be. For example, if you don’t have a class until 11:20 a.m., and your roommate has an 8:15 a.m., then the 6:30 a.m. alarm might get old fast. It is really bad when he/she uses the cell phone as an alarm.
Another item is surprise boyfriend/girlfriend visits. Can you imagine how weird it is to walk in your room and have a strange person sitting at your desk? Your roommate should tell you if his or her significant other wants to make an appearance.
Since the dorm is in the open-door zone, even if your door is closed, a lost item may be privacy. With friends, neighbors, and other stray people coming through, it is not helpful when studying or trying to sleep. Also sometimes these people think that any food or drink in your room is available to them.
Another issue is the TV. If you have one, do you let your roommate use it? Or the reverse, will he/she allow you to use the television. Again, another “sharing a room” situation that you will have to work out with your roommate.
When you leave for the weekend, if you are able to leave, what does your roommate want to do in the room while you’re gone? If they are a good roommate, he/she will tell you if a friend might be spending the night, ask would you mind if that person uses your bed. On the other hand, you may leave and come back and find Goldilocks sleeping in your bed, Baby Bear. Which one do you want?
I think you need to talk things over with your roommate to make things go a lot smoother for your first year. Remember sharing, cooperation, and compromise will make all of the problems seem much less stressful and severe.