Roommate Living Survival Guide

Living with a roommate may not be one’s first choice, but in college, it is more than likely the only choice.

Whether students are just starting out their college experience as a fresh- man or counting down the final weeks as a senior, chances are they have lived with a roommate at some point in their college career. Living with another person, or even more then one person, can sometimes be difficult, and sometimes it might not al- ways go how one expects it to.

There are some successful stories and failed attempts at roommate living. Here are some tips on surviving the rest of the year.

Do not hold in any emotions. If something is wrong, make it known to each of the roommates in a calm and concerned manner. Chances are the roommates are not aware that they are doing any-thing wrong.
“Just be super honest and address problems as soon as they come up, instead of waiting until there’s resentment,” said an anonymous freshman.

Do not be passive aggressive. Now this one may be difficult for some people to understand, but no matter how many sticky notes are left for another roommate, chances are they still will not take out the trash.

“Assign chores, so you both contribute and one person isn’t doing every- thing, no one waits to be the maid,” said an anonymous junior.

Try to be understanding. Everyone lives a different life and it is important to understand that. Whether someone prefers to spend his or her Saturday in bed watching Netflix, or down at South Beach lying by a pool, they are entitled to their own life choices

“When living with some- one you’ve just met, or don’t know that well, it is important to set boundaries. Understand that oth- ers live differently than you and be patient while figuring each other out,” said an anonymous senior.