While making the transition from high school to college, one of the biggest changes is having a roommate. The process of getting used to a roommate can be stressful without the proper work. Some issues that roommates can have with each other are anything from no communication, lack of sharing cleaning duties to being naked all of the time and the absolute worst- sex in the room.
Communication is key when it comes to having a great relationship with your roommate. Communication can solve all of the problems listed above. Everyone has issues with their roommate. A good way to start great communication is with a roommate agreement. Most colleges require students to fill out a roommate agreement at the beginning of the year so you don’t have to feel awkward about suggesting it. If you still have issues with your roommate, you can always bring a third neutral party in to discuss the problem. A resident advisor is a great third neutral party!
With a little work and good communication, you have the potential to find a lifelong friend right in your own room. This can be the person you hang with, share advice, secrets and even food, unless your roommate is Joey Tribbiani. Remember that the friends from college are typically the ones that you keep for years and years to come.
Here are stories from college students just like you that are having problems with their roommates.
1. "Him being naked all the time when I walk in. :')"
-William*
2. “So last semester I was always asleep before my roommate ever came back to the room at night. It was nice that she never made too much noise. However, I drew the line when I woke up one morning and saw a naked guy in her bed. Having no warning and small rooms, waking up to a naked stranger is less than ideal. The worst part is that it happened multiple times. No warning at all.”
-Lynn*
3. "My roommate dropped her phone in water, so only half of the screen would work. One night I was trying to sleep and since she couldn't press the add alarm button on her phone (since it was on the half that wouldn't work), I kept hearing her ask Siri to set an alarm. Well... Siri couldn't understand her, so this process went on for about 10 minutes. Thankfully, she has a new phone now and we look back on that and laugh!"
-Elizabeth*
4. “I think the biggest thing to keep in mind when rooming with someone, is to make sure you have good communication with your roommate. It is important to address any small issues with your roommate before they become bigger issues down the road.”
-Renee*
*Indicate false names, in order to uphold privacy.
