We all know that living with a complete stranger for almost a full calendar year can be difficult, and it can be even worse if you have been friends with your roommate prior to living together. Now, not all people will have horror stories about their roommate in college, but many people will. Here’s how you can keep that from happening to you …maybe.
1. Don’t leave passive aggressive post-it notes all over the place. Just talk to the person! Post-it notes are hard to understand because you don’t know the tone of voice they're in or what somebody actually means with their words. Good luck if you have a sarcastic roommate. Unless the note is something like, “do the dishes or there will be hell to pay”, it’s rather difficult to understand someone.
2. Build a fort. Yes, you read that right. Build a blanket fort. In times of turmoil, one must construct a blanket fort. Fact. Use each other’s blankets and construct a fort so magnificent that it would make a king blush. Have a movie night in that blanket fort and make some popcorn and if you are feeling up for it, tell some scary stories! It may seem a little childish, but sometimes you have to let your guard down and just enjoy yourself. You aren’t just building a fort; you are building a friendship. (All right, I promise I won’t get any cornier from this point on.)
3. Have a game night. Break out the old dusty board games and have a ball. This could ease the tension between you and your roommate. Connect Four, Life, Sorry!, Candyland, Trouble, Bop It!; the list goes on and on. Don’t be afraid to break out the classics. Now, the only way this could backfire is if you and your roommate get into a rather hostile game of Monopoly. God help you if you do.
4. Perform a random act of kindness. If you are actively trying to make amends with your roommate and you don’t know what to do, why not do something that will make their day? Make dinner for them, buy them a small gift, do their laundry (just don’t mess that up). Anything will do. What you are doing by this is you are showing them that you care about the relationship between the two of you.
5. If worse comes to worse and you are constantly butting heads, it’s best to just move out. If you have tried your best to make the most of the situation at hand and your roommate isn’t making an effort to improve, then it’s best to move on. Talk to your R.A. and see if they can assist you in the process. If it is too late to change rooms, do the best you can with what you’ve got. Your college years should be some of the best years of your life. Don’t let one crummy roommate ruin your experience.
