Regardless of whether university is your first experience having a roommate or whether you’ve had countless roommates before, here are seven things to prepare for:
1. If you have different schedules, you will communicate largely through sticky notes.
Be warned: your desk will become cluttered. It’s not uncommon to go for days at a time without seeing your roommate, especially during busy times in the term, so make sure you have a stack prepared.
2. If you share a fridge, your roommate might take your food.
Inevitably, it will probably be on the day where you’re sleep-deprived and overworked and need comfort food. Be sure to label everything that’s yours in big block letters.
3. However, your roommate might also give you food.
And if your roommate is a good cook, hold them close and never let go (literally).
4. At some point, you will probably semi-awkwardly meet your roommate’s friends or significant other(s).
Hooray for social interaction and small talk (not). However, you never know – they might become your friends as well. If not, the only thing better than a horrible roommate story is a roommate-with-a-horrible-friend/partner story.
5. Things may be wonderful.
You and your roommate might have an instant connection, find out you have 2851 things in common within the first thirty minutes of meeting each other, and decide to be roommates forever. You two will be the Chandler and Joey or the Monica and Rachel of your year and make everyone else jealous.
6. Things may be awful.
Your roommate may be rude, dirty, and loud. You two may have nothing in common. A tiny part of you may dread coming home each night. We all have an experience like this at least once in our lives. Try to compromise with your roommate – perhaps you allow them to throw a party every once in awhile, and, in return, they let you turn out the light early when you have an 8:30 a.m. class the night day.
7. Things might be confusing.
You may be neither best friends nor mortal enemies. You may think that they are a nice person, but have little in common with them. You two may find yourselves perpetually caught in that awkward phase between acquaintances and friends. As with many things in life, try not to worry about labels. Your relationship is what it is. Get to know your roommate one day at a time, and see where that leads you both.