Dealing with Roommates

Living with your parents can be difficult but living with roommates is a whole different ballgame. Your parents may piss you off but at least you can yell at them when they do, yell at a roommate and you could end up losing a friend in the process.

I am currently living with two other girls. It's great because we're really getting the roommate experience by living together but there are some things to remember when you are living with people who aren't your family.

When living with roommates:

1. Always be the kind of roommate that you would want to have
    If you wouldn't want someone going into your room without asking, then you probably should give your roommate the same courtesy. You should go out of your way to be a great roommate. Never take things without asking, don't use their things, eat their food, be too loud or generally do anything that could be seen as inconsiderate.

2. Be open
    Make the effort to be a great friend to your roommate. Don't hide away in your room every single night or eat every meal alone. Hang out in common areas, strike up conversations and invite them places with you. The more open you are to a relationship with them, the more rewarding the roommate situation will be.

3. Learn to share
    Sharing can be hard but sometimes it's necessary. Just make sure that you show whatever you're sharing the same about of respect that you'd hope your roommate does.

4. Set boundaries right away
     There are boundaries that I wouldn't cross but someone else might not see it as a no-go so make sure you talk about what is okay and what isn't right away.r

5. When something bothers you, address it immediately
    If your roommate is doing something that bugs you then you should tell them right away. Don't let it stew up inside you until you explode. Also, the quicker you address the problem, the quicker your roommate will stop doing whatever it is that bothers you.

6. Pick your battles
    While you may find the things your roommate does pretty annoying, you do need to decide what really matters. If you give your roommate grief every time they annoy you then you'll just end up constantly harping on them and they will start feeling like you're acting like their mother and nobody needs another nagging mother.

If you try your best to be the best roommate you can and help your roommate be the best roommate they can be by telling them what bothers you then, you shouldn't have any problems. Enjoy having a roommate! It's like a live-in best friend. You'll never be bored or lonely when you have a roommate so take advantage of a 24/7 pal!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Roommate, Conscientious Cleaner, Mediator of the Apartment