Being in college prepares you for the world, and a good majority of the challenges you will face in your lifetime. One of those challenges you must learn to conquer is living with another person. It's not as easy as it may seem. Sure, you've, most likely, been living with other people your whole life, so this shouldn't be too difficult, right? Not so much. You've probably been living with people that, more or less, share the same ideas about certain things as you. When you get to college and live with someone that comes from a different household, that you've most likely never even met before, it's a whole 'nother thing. I think there are guidelines that all roommates should follow, in terms of courtesy and just learning to get along with each other.
No, this is not me firing shots at my roommate. No, I am not calling anyone out. These are all general statements that I feel anyone can follow if they are living with another person. Anyone who claims otherwise will get a stamp on their forehead that says "YOU ARE WRONG, FOO!" and a smack to the face.
- Keep it clean. Literally.
Responsibility is an important thing that you really learn about while you're here. You may have had chores here and there back at home, but you have no idea what full responsibility is as far as keeping a whole place clean goes. Keep your side of your room clean. Make your bed, take out your garbage, sweep/vacuum your floor. Spray some lysol if necessary. Also, if the garbage gets unruly as far as odor, if you got that good morning breath, or if your roommate farts in their sleep, it's ok to say, hey, the room is a little tart. Or, if you don't feel it necessary to open your mouth, open a window. Turn on a fan, spray some air freshener, do something. Keep everything organized. You don't want to put something somewhere and wake up the next morning looking for it somewhere else and accusing the roomie of stealing.
- Keep it clean. In other ways...
Don't have sex in the dorm room, especially if you share a room with another person. Not even while they're gone. (If you have your own room, there may be ways around that...) You can smell sex. And I'm pretty sure your roommate doesn't want to come home to used condoms chilling at the top of the garbage. And what if they come back during your little escapade? Bad news. Also, don't watch porn and don't masturbate while your roommate is sleeping. That's awkward. For so many reasons... And, if you know your roommate is uncomfortable with profanity, stop cursing so much. You can talk any way you want to with people who are comfortable with that, but if the roomie is too wholesome for your words, calm it down, especially if it's not even necessary.
- Be courteous and polite.
This kinda goes along with cleaning up your language. You don't have to be a saint, no one expects you to be. This is college, which means no parents, no real strict rules, and you can do, pretty much, as you please. But, it's always nice to have common courtesy. If your roommate is trying to sleep or doing homework or studying or talking on the phone, don't barge in the room making as much noise as possible, and don't bring your equally as noisy friends into the room with you. Don't blast your music either. If they do need to be woken up, don't be an asshole
about it. And, for the record, quiet hours means QUIET hours. Shut up when you're supposed to be quiet. Also, if your roommate has politely asked you to keep the door closed, CLOSE THE
DOOR behind you when you leave or
return to the room. Your roommate shouldn't have to get up and close the door behind you. If there is a distraction, there are plenty of other places you should be able to go to mind your business, meaning, to study or do homework, or maybe even skype or take a phone call. But if you feel more comfortable in the room doing whatever you're doing, you have the right to be there. It is your room, after all. But so does that distracting roommate. Just let your roommate know how distracting they're being, and I'm sure you'll be fine. Unless your roommate is just flat out mean. Then there's a problem.
- Do favors every once in a while.
Your roommate might be a sleeper. I know I am. They may not be your responsibility, but it doesn't hurt to give them a hand every once in a while and wake them up if you're awake and you know they have a class. They might even ask you for help. I know, personally, I've always had the most trouble with 8 o'clock classes. They're horrible. Who wants to wake up that early?! So, sometimes I ask for a little assistance with getting up in the morning. (Doesn't always work, but it has before lol.) Little things go a long way. Picking up the mail, letting the roommate use your printer sometimes, giving your roommate an extra meal when you know you have too many, and just doing little stuff that won't even put you out of your way will probably get you in good with your neighbor. No one says you HAVE to do it, but if it's, like, no trouble at all, then go for it.
- Just be nice.
Plain and simple. Don't be a mean person. Don't talk about people behind their backs, don't say harsh things, keep your comments to yourself. You barely know this person. They may do, say, or believe some things you don't agree with, but that's just who they are, and you're going to have to accept that, because that's what the real world is like. Not everyone is the same as you. So don't shoot down their lifestyle, don't be a bitch, don't be an asshole. You don't know their story and they don't know yours. Until you can say you really know that person, you have no right to criticize or judge. You might do it silently in your head, but don't let it come out your mouth, because it will start a whole lot of trouble.
- If you're not getting along...
Figure out what the problem is between the two of you. Talk it out, solve the problem. It's that simple. If you have a problem with your roommate, approach them. Correctly. If you think your roommate has a problem with you, wait and see if they approach you first, but if they don't want to do that for whatever strange reason, you have the right to approach them and ask. Correctly.. You're supposed to be living with this person for a while, and you don't have to be the best friends, but the least you can do is get along. If, somehow, you come up with irreconcilable differences, you might have to get a room switch. But I personally don't recommend rushing into that decision so quickly. It's a lot easier to just solve problems and keep living your lives in your room. You've turned it into your home (for the moment), you shouldn't have to leave.
It's not hard. And if you think it is, it's not impossible. Don't let something as trivial as a roommate issue interfere with the reason you're there in the first place: college. Getting your education on. There are dozens of hundreds of other people all over the place, so you can make other friends. You just have to get along with the person you're living with.
I say it with love.
♥
Also...
I guess today, I'm just thankful to be alive.
And, making up for the last post where I forgot to mention it, I'm also thankful for the opportunities I've been given in life. I might get frustrated and upset and flat out sad sometimes, but, overall, I have a pretty decent life.
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