We’ve all heard how detrimental a negative roommate experience can be to a person’s overall success, comfort and well-being in college. Although, it’s not realistic for everyone to expect to magically end up with someone they’re completely compatible with as their first roommate. As a freshman, I always had a looming fear that my roommate would be completely different from me, and that it would ruin my entire experience. However, what I have come to learn is that living with someone, despite unavoidable differences, is surely not rocket science. Before blaming the other person, or the supposed lack of common interests you both share, try taking the initiative to securing a positive, welcoming environment.

1. Clean your space.

It only takes a few minutes of your day to keep your stuff moderately clean and out of the way of your roommate. I would argue that more people would rather live in a clean living space rather than an unclean living space, so this is crucial. Not only is a messy room an eyesore to you, your roommate and any visitors, but it can easily get out of hand. So don’t be afraid to be the one to noticeably make the effort to tidy up. Odds are, if your roommate sees you doing this, he/ she will be motivated to follow suit.

2. Take an interest.

It costs you $0.00 to ask your roommate about their family, hometown, best friend at home, favorite food, major, classes, favorite sport, other extracurricular activities, etc. In case you haven’t noticed yet, people generally like talking about themselves and their experiences. If they’re quiet, ask them first! Take the initiative. The last thing you want to do is passively coexist together.

3. Don't be selfish.

Sharing is almost unavoidable in shared room. Weird concept right? Things like Keurigs, Britas, blenders, the sink and trash cans are among the many objects shared. When one person is constantly using these things, but is unwilling to put in any effort to replace parts or clean up, it’s simply not fair. Everyone understandably gets caught up in their own hectic lives, but it’s important to be mindful of how your use of these shared items can impact your roommate. Don’t be that person who fills up the Brita with only enough water for your water bottle. Instead, try filling it before you leave, so when your roommate comes back, he/she can have a bountiful amount of fresh, purified water. Wouldn’t you want that in return?

4. Be supportive.

In college, or when you’re living on your own, you are deprived of the steady flow of support and encouragement that Mom and Dad always provided. Who’s to say that your roommate can’t be a similar type of support system? A few weeks ago, when I was stressing about midterms, my roommate left me a letter on my desk saying that she noticed I was swamped with work and assured me that my efforts and studying would pay off. That small, sweet gesture had a huge impact on my day and was really nice to read after hours of studying. It doesn’t take very long to write your roommate an encouraging letter every now and then. If you’re going to be supportive of anyone, I’d say supporting the person you live with is a good place to start!

Having a roommate is a new experience for most college freshman, but it shouldn’t be intimidating or invoke stress. Instead of tentatively sticking your toe in, to test the waters of your relationship as roommates, just jump right in! Being a good roommate is something that anyone can do at any time. Take the time and invest in making your roommate’s life a little brighter. Who knows, yours might just improve along the way.