Living with three other guys in a mere 1106 square foot apartment isn't easy, but it can be done.
An apartment filled with four good friends, who love to socialize and party together, would seem like it be an easy breeze. Though when you live with friends you bring new difficult elements into your friendship.
That being said, my roomates and I came up with a few keys to make our co-existence, in such close quarters, much easier.
One key is organization; having a place and order for everything. When you have so many people's possessions in such a limited space, adding some organization to the home eases possible tension between roommates.
This also allows roommates to clean the apartment even when one is absent; they know exactly where all items go!
A moment where this happened in our apartment, was when I was running late for class one morning; I was rushing to gather my things and had happen to forget my laptop charger in the living room. I knew I wouldn't have to search for it, because it would be in a cubby hole, which was our designated charger holder.
Organization also refers to picking after one self, and being considerate to the fact that others live with you now. Just picking up a few things here and there goes a long way.
The second important key to successfully living with roommates is compromise; recognizing that you will not always get your way.
Frankly, when living with so many other people, disagreements are bound to happen. Though, that doesn't have to mean someone will get their way and another won't. This is where the art of compromise comes in.
I currently live in an apartment with three artist, one traditional, one digital, and the other a sculptor. They all had an artistic vision of how the apartment should look. Sadly those artistic visions different some from one another. We had to come to a compromise one who would design and decorate specific rooms and aspects of our home.
In the end everyone was happy with their work and the outcome of the apartment as a whole.
The last important key is communication. When I lived in the dorms, my dorm mate and I barely ever talked. I suspect that was one of the reasons I disliked it there so much.
Roommates must communicate on a number of levels to maintain a calm living atmosphere. From just talking about one's day to addressing grievances, communication is a must.
If someone is unhappy with a particular thing in the home, then it is important to address it, politely, with the rest of the house, before the problem builds and intensifies.
Organization, compromise, and communication, these are my keys to successfully living with college roommates peacefully!
