Sharing a living space is a very typical college experience and depending upon your roommate situation it can either be extremely positive or downright horrific. Whether you are going to be living in a dorm or apartment, these 10 Roommate Commandments should provide insight on how to treat your roommate(s), and hopefully, you won’t have a roommate horror story to tell!
1. Thou shalt respect thy roommate’s privacy.
Always knock, don’t just barge into the room. The last thing anyone wants is to see someone naked ... or two someones naked. Sometimes walls and doors aren’t as thick as we like to think they are, but that doesn’t mean we should purposefully listen in on private conversations. Lastly, don’t be that asshole that goes into their roommate’s room when they aren’t home and snoops. Snooping isn’t cool.
2. Thou shalt not borrow thy roommate’s belongings without asking.
Clothes, laundry detergent, sports equipment ... ask before you borrow any of their possessions. It’s just a common courtesy.
3. Thou shalt respect thy roommate.
Respect is vital for a peaceful coexistence. Hence, many things fall under the respect rule. For instance, it is very rude to make a commotion when your roommate is sleeping. It is disrespectful to say negative comments about their friends or family or to talk inappropriately about their significant other. Refrain from doing this. If you are going to have people stay in a common area, give your roommate advance notice. Coming home only to find loud, obnoxious people drinking in your home can really put the cherry on top of a really bad day. Give advanced warning if you are going to throw a party, so they know and can plan around it. Lastly, in college it is very common for experimentation. If you choose to partake in illegal drug or alcohol use, you’re doing that at your own risk. However, choosing to do those things in the space you share with your roommates also affects them. Respect their decision if they aren’t okay with that going on in their home.
4. Remember to turn the lights off when leaving rooms to keep the electric bill down.
Paying an electric bill sucks enough. Keep the overall cost as low as possible and just turn off the lights (and appliances and devices and anything else that doesn't need the juice).
5. Take care of thine own pet.
If you are responsible enough to own a pet, you are responsible enough to take care of that pet. Pay the pet deposit at your complex. If your pet destroys something, replace it. Always make sure your pet has food and water. Maybe your roommates won’t mind helping you with it, but no one wants to feel like an animal is being neglected.
6. Thou shalt not steal thy roommate’s food.
Nothing sucks as much as having a craving all day for that pint of Blue Bell ice cream only to come home and find out your roommate ate it! I know that ice cream wasn’t yours, and I know you didn’t pay for it ... so why did you chomp down on it?
7. Thou shalt not constantly change the thermostat.
hen you first move-in together it’s a fairly smart idea to discuss the thermostat issue. Decide and agree on a temperature for the summer and winter months, and stick with it! Nothing is more annoying than having a roommate set the A/C on 65 degrees in the winter but 82 degrees in the summer. If a battle over the thermostat is initiated, be ready for a steep electric bill.
8. Thou shalt not be filthy.
If you made a mess, clean it up. There isn’t a little cleaning lady waiting to come along behind you to tidy up the trail of nastiness you’ve left. If there is a perpetual stench in the kitchen from your dishes, you need to discover soap before something on a plate grows legs and starts walking out of the sink. Bugs should never be a problem, nor should there ever be animal crap lying around. It only takes a minute to clean up a spill or wipe down the stove, just take the minute to do so.
9. Thou shalt not leave laundry unfinished forevermore.
Remove laundry once it is finished, in a timely manner, other people need to use the washer/dryer too. Also, don’t touch your roommate’s laundry. I can say very few things have annoyed me more than someone removing my things. I don’t need you touching my Victoria’s Secret items, nor do I need you putting my laundry into the dryer and shrinking it.
10. Thou shalt not leave passive-aggressive notes.
For any relationship to function, communication is key. Being immature and leaving confrontational notes for roommates isn’t going to solve problems but create new ones.
