Part of the university experience is living with someone else. Whether in a dorm room, apartment or house, you need to adjust your lifestyle to share a living space with another person. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean your roommate will do the same for you, which can be frustrating. This is why I have composed a list of unspoken rules to follow when you have a roommate.
Clean as you go
If you are in an apartment or house and need to share a kitchen, clean as you go. This means once you are done with a dish, wash it, or if you open a package of food, throw out the garbage. Leaving a mess to accumulate and then waiting to clean everything up is not cool when you live with other people who are also using that space. If you have any sort of shared space, make sure you keep it clean and aren’t leaving a mess everywhere. Nobody likes to have to be the magical cleaning fairy who cleans their roommate’s mess without them even noticing.
Try to get off the Phone Once and a While
I have been a victim to having a roommate that is always talking on the phone. This rule only really applies to people in a double dorm or very small apartment. When you are constantly speaking on the phone at all hours of the day and night, it can get pretty annoying. Whether you’re sitting in your room trying to relax, doing homework or even sleeping, constantly hearing someone talking on the phone is super disruptive. This doesn’t mean that you can’t take calls, just give it a break now and then.
Leave the Room Every so Often
This rule only really applies to people living in a double dorm: try to leave the room every so often. It can be super frustrating to never have the room to yourself and to always come home to someone else in the room. Even if you just take a walk, go to get food or even just go to the library for an hour to give your roommate some much-needed alone time in the room is super beneficial to maintaining a healthy relationship with them.
Give a Heads Up when Having a Friend Over
If you are having people over, especially overnight, it is super important to let your roommate know. This is especially crucial when you know that you will be in a shared area. It’s important that you warn your roommate so that they are not blindsided by a bunch of people in their house.
Make Sure Your Partner is not Over All the Time
Remember just because you like spending time with your partner, does not mean that your roommate does. Having your partner over more than three times a week is a bit excessive, especially when you are in a small living space. Now this can differ from roommate to roommate and may be different if you live in a bigger space, but your roommate did not sign up to also live with your partner. You must be respectful and understanding of your roommate when you are bringing a partner over. Making sure that they aren’t basically living there is important.
These are just some of my unspoken rules I have to be a good roommate. These can differ from person to person, but they are definitely things that I have struggled with during my time living with a roommate at university. It’s super important to talk about these things with the people that you’re living with to create a comfortable living situation. If you have ever experienced a roommate who does not follow these unspoken rules, I feel for you.