Having a roommate can be awesome! Think about it, if you both don’t know anybody at the school, you could be each other’s first and maybe even best friends. I know several people that are close with the roommates that they were assigned with freshman year…but if I’m being honest, I also know several people that barely speak to their roommates, even while they still live together. So here are six things you should discuss with your roommate before you decide to live with each other, and anytime during. P.S. this advice is for rooming with random strangers AND also rooming with friends.
1. Honesty
To start off, when you’re filling out the roommate questionnaire, make sure you’re completely honest with everything. Don’t try to be laid back when it comes to this; for example, if you say you’re pretty chill about the state of the room, but you’re really a neat freak, you can’t really blame your roommate for being a little messier than you would like him/her to be.
2. Sex
Make sure you and your roommate know if either one of you are sexually active. This might sound like TMI, but if you want to have a hookup in the room, it’s best that you and your roommate have an agreement on what to do before it comes up. Of course, you and your roommate should still always respect your time and comfort.
3. Alcohol
Drinking is technically illegal if you’re under 21, but let’s be honest, you’re in college. If you don’t drink, you still need to know whether your roommate drinks because, if they have alcohol in the room, you can still get in trouble. Also, you guys should know what to do when if one of you comes to the room drunk.
4. Sleeping arrangements
If your roommate sleeps at a super weird time, and keeps the lights on in the room while you’re trying to sleep, and this bothers you, let them know! If you’re a super light sleeper, ask them to be mindful or to do work in the lounge if it really bothers you.
5. Allergies
This is really important. If you have a serious allergy to peanut butter for example, like so serious that even the smell can cause a reaction, then your roommate should definitely know so that she doesn’t accidentally bring it in the room. Same goes the other way around too.
6. Cleaning
Make sure you decide at the beginning of the year when you will set aside time to clean the room- especially if you have a bathroom! Don’t let it go without being cleaned, and no one should be cleaning a mess you both made alone with no help.
To conclude, never be afraid of giving TMI, or hurting someone’s feelings. Obviously be respectful, but don’t let your roommate disrespect you either. Be completely honest about expectations beforehand to avoid confrontation later on, and if there’s ever an issue, tell them first, and then tell a CA. Happy rooming!
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