ROOMMATE RULEBOOK:
1. Communication is key —seems simple enough (and 10. Have a “DO NOT” talk —it’s so important to establish
2. Discuss what food (if any) you want to share —this 11. Discuss how to deal with certain situations —if
it should be) but people tend to hide their feelings and the
tension just keeps growing and growing. Don’t hold things in
and expect the other person to figure out what they are doing
wrong because that’s NOT going to happen. EVER.
is the cause of many dysfunctional roommate situations. There
is nothing that makes a college student angrier than their
roommate eating their ramen—25¢ is a lot when you’re broke.
3. It’s okay not to hangout —just because you live together
does not obligate the two of you to spend all of your time
together. Freedom to hang out separately is a good thing.
4. Learn to let go —set aside your pride. If something annoys
you, take a breath and ask yourself if it's worth getting into a
huge fight that will ruin your friendship.
5. Good friends do not always equal good
roommates —and good roommates do not always equal
good friends. You can have a roommate that you only hangout
with while you are at home. Sometimes that best friend you
thought would be a dream to live with has really annoying
habits and being around them 24/7 is too much for your
friendship to handle.
6. Exchange Emergency Info —this is something you don’t
really think about, but it’s super important. Who should they
call if you are injured or have an allergic reaction? What are
you allergic to? Give them a heads up if there is someone with
whom they shouldn’t share your info or whereabouts.
7. Use the buddy system —If you’re going home for the
weekend, going to be out all night, or going to be gone longer
than usual, give them a heads up so they aren’t worried about
you. Also, let them know if you’re going to have company.
8. Discuss how you both do things —if you have a very
specific way of doing something, talk it out and make sure y’all
are on the same page. Work out who is responsible for what
task and how those tasks are expected to be completed. Does
cleaning the bathroom include just wiping down the sink or
do you expect it to be mopped and the toilet cleaned?
9. Don’t be afraid to share down time —it doesn’t have
to be awkward to sit in the room doing nothing together. You
don’t have to have a full night of fun planned with your room-
mate. Just do your own thing in each other's company, that
way you don’t feel so alone.
boundaries. A lot can be accomplished by simply sitting
down and talking about what you will not accept or don't
want in your apartment. Small arguments can be avoided a
lot quicker if you do this when you first move in.
your roommate has had a bad day, are they the type of
person that wants to be left alone or comforted? If you are
having a serious conversation on the phone, do you want
privacy?
12. Learn to live with them —some habits aren’t going to
change. If it is something small that just happens to bother
you but isn’t truly affecting the way you live, accept that it’s
just who they are and learn to let it go, laugh it off, and live
with it.
13. Wear headphones —no, your roommate probably doesn’t
want to hear your music, despite how good you may believe
your favorite band is. If they are studying or trying to watch/
listen to their own thing, don’t bother them by blaring yours.
16. Clean like you're expecting company —there is a
certain level of cleaning you do when your parents visit or
your landlord stops in. Clean your space weekly to that extent
to avoid issues with your roommates. Plus, there is nothing
that relieves stress quite like a clean, clutter-free living space.
17. Give each other some space —Your roommate
deserves some alone time as well. Don’t make them feel as
if they have to leave the room to be alone. If you notice they
are wanting some solitude, be respectful and step out for a bit
to give them a break.
18. Do your duty —If you drink the last of the coffee and your
roommates haven't had any yet, it takes two seconds to reset
the pot. If you use the last of the toilet paper, PUT A NEW
ROLL OUT. There is nothing worse than running out of
toilet paper while you’re already on the toilet.
19. Don’t leave passive-aggressive notes —Leaving
notes for your roommate to pick up their trash or clean
something never comes across right. If you have an issue, tell
them face-to-face, don’t hide behind your post-it.
20. Give them a heads up —if you are having a tough time
or are on the brink of a breakdown (it’s college, it happens
to all of us), give them a heads up. You don’t want to snap at
them or burst into tears at the smallest thing because they
didn’t know you were having a bad day and said something
that tipped you over the edge.
www.potentialmagazine.com
Spring 2020 |
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