How Not to be THAT Roommate

Whether you’re a freshman who is new to living with people other than your family, or you are a seasoned veteran when it comes to sharing a room or house, everyone experiences the ups and downs of roommates. Here’s a list of 7 do’s and don’ts to avoid being the leading character in a roommate horror story.

1. Do make an effort to get to know the person that you are going to be living with for the next 10-12 months. Even if it seems like you might not have much in common, you’ll never know if you don’t give them a chance.
2. Don’t be passive aggressive when it comes to things that are bugging you about a situation with your roommate. Are they talking on the phone while you’re trying to study for a big test? Say something. It doesn’t do any good to hold everything in up until the point where you could explode on them at any given moment.
3. Do be courteous when it comes to sleeping habits. Getting the right amount of sleep in college is vital. But, we all have different habits when it comes to when we go to sleep and wake up. Respect each other’s habits and try to find some middle ground if you’re an early bird and they’re a night owl.
4. Don’t vent on social media. If you are having an issue with a roommate, talk to them before you talk to your Twitter followers. I once had a friend who vented all of her feelings about her roommate on her Twitter page, which was public, and her roommate ended up seeing all of it. Not good. Squash any issue in person and avoid cryptic tweets about how you can’t sleep at night because someone snores really loud.
5. Do clean up after yourself. Everyone falls in different places on the scale of clean to messy, but have some common courtesy for the person who has to look at, and sometimes step over, that mess. This includes things personal hygiene related. I once had a roommate with long hair who was constantly shedding everywhere and she didn’t bother to pick any of it up. There is absolutely nothing worse than getting a wad of hair stuck to your foot when it’s not your hair.
6. Do say hello, goodbye, and how are you. Even if you and your roommate aren’t very close, it’s always nice when someone says hi and asks you how you’re doing. You might be the only person that day that actually asked them how they are, so do it. You have nothing to lose.
7. Do be the kind of roommate that you would like your roommate to also be. Remember that the type of roommate you choose to be to them, will affect the type of roommate that they are to you.

Even if you didn’t choose to live with them, you’re most likely stuck with them. Your college roommate could end up becoming your best friend, or your worst enemy. The good news is that you have the ability to choose between the latter two if you follow these do’s and don’ts.