Living with roommates is something everyone will most likely go through at sometime in their lives. You may be trying to make it in the working world, in a dorm, or fresh out of college with a lot of debts and little paycheck, but sooner or later you will have to deal with roommates or at least house mates. Living with roommates is kinda like living with siblings, the only thing different is you can't run to mom and dad when they aren't playing nice. Here are a few things I have learned that keep me from pulling my hair out:
1.) Be in the circle, but not all the time.
You live with this person, you don't wanna also work with them, and hang out with them all the time. You need to have other friends you can go out with to have a break, or to talk to in times of frustration. You are gonna want someone to be able to hang out with who doesn't see all the funny moments first hand. Telling stories is a huge part of being human and you can't tell someone a story if they were there.
2.) Label things!
Living in close quarters with someone your things are bound to get mixed up a little. Whether its food in the fridge, or socks, there will come a time when you disagree about the owner of an item. So in order to solve the problem label your stuff. Put your name on the bottle of creamer and your initial on the toe of the socks. This will make it easy to settle any disagreement about ownership.
3.) Make time for yourself.
While it is great to hang out with friends, and your new living mate a lot of the time being around people 24/7 will get to you (especially roomies!). Schedule some time for yourself atleast once a week to go off and do something by yourself. Some great ideas are a calming bubble bath or reading a book curled in bed. Having time that relies on no one but yourself will be a nice break and often a treat.
4.) Guests, when three becomes a crowd.
Make sure that your roomie is okay with anyone you are going to have in your shared space. If you put the shoe on the other foot I'd be willing to bet you would not be very comfortable with someone you don't like sitting on your couch. But also be open to meeting and trying to get along with the people your roomie wants to bring over.
5.) Figure out the chore situation.
Chores are always a situation when you are talking about a shared living space. No one fits exactly. While you like the dishes done right after dinner is finished your roomie may not care and want to wait until morning. And you need to split them as even as possible. Disagreeing about "who does more around the house" can start many damaging arguments.
I hope these little tips from my experience help you when you are dealing with a roommate. They may even help you choose a roommate that is the most compatible with your preferences. Keep in mind, no one will ever be a perfect fit, but you can sure get close.
