It’s pretty safe to say that majority of students have encountered the roommate that isn’t really a great roommate at all, and just generally sucks. Well, how do you deal with someone who isn’t someone you want to deal with at all?
Here are a few tips on how to survive a bad college roommate:
Respect one another. Sometimes this may be easier said than done at times, but you should always try your best to show respect. At the end of the day, think about how you want to be treated.
Be considerate. For example, if you have to be up at 8:00am for class, before you hop in the shower and wash your hair, decide whether you need to use a blowdryer afterwards. If so, consider washing your hair the night before so you don’t have to wake up your roommate who doesn’t have to be up until 10:00am for class.
Set some ground rules. Establish some rules that will make you both comfortable. Maybe it’s something like keeping the noise down after 10:00pm Monday - Thursday and communicating about potential guests that might be staying over.
Communicate. This is super important. If you’re roommate is driving you crazy, maybe they have no idea. Find a way to politely let them know what’s bothering you. Remember without communication, you two are going to get nowhere, fast. Communicate your side of things before things get ugly. Communicating right off the bat can save you from potential fights and unwanted tension.
Pick up after yourself. Everyone hates having to deal with a messy roommate. To make things simple, clean up after yourself to prevent a mess and possible complaints.
Vent to someone. Venting is extremely healthy. Find someone you can talk to and get out anything that’s bothering you. This can help a lot and might release some tension, allowing you to confront your roommate in a more rational manner.
Hear no evil, see no evil, smell no evil. Stock up on some earplugs for the nights when your roommate wants to play music or you just want to end the night early.
But what if you’re at the point of no return? Or you’re just about getting there? How do you fix things with your roommate?
Dealing with an antisocial roommate. Try inviting them to an event or try to partake in something they like. If that doesn’t work, what about grabbing dinner? At the end of the day, just remember your roommate is your roommate, it would be awesome if you were best friends, but sometimes that just isn’t the case.
The over-sharing roommate. Have a roommate who always wants to conveniently share what’s not theirs? Go back to the basics and establish some ground rules. Let me know they should always ask if they need something.
The standoffish roommate. Were you best friends before but now you barely speak? Have a conversation about it and let them know it bothers you that things aren’t the same. From here you two can figure out what the next best steps are to take.
It’s just not working. If you find that things are getting nowhere, and you’ve tried everything, maybe moving might be the next best thing. It sucks that it didn’t work out, but not everyone can get along.
Have a tip you’d like to share? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
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