Rule
13:
Coping
With
Roommates
By:
Matthew
Pixlee
Finding
the
perfect
roommate
is
impossible.
Should
it
be
your
best
friend,
someone
you
met
in
one
of
your
classes,
or
a
stranger
who
is
looking
for
someone
to
split
the
rent?
It
has
been
my
experience
that
surviving
roommates
“24/7”
can
be
difficult
at
best
irrespective
of
how
you
select
them.
Nevertheless,
there
are
steps
you
can
take
to
make
it
easier.
From
the
beginning
you
and
your
roommate
should
make
clear
what
you
expect
from
each
other
to
prevent
incidents
that
may
lead
to
future
disagreements.
Set
rules
and
boundaries
on
everything
from
chores
and
storage
areas
to
your
personal
space
and
possessions.
Past
experience
has
taught
me
that
if
I
follow
the
general
recommendations
below
surviving
a
college
roommate
(or
roommates)
is
not
impossible.
Cooking
and
Cleaning
Tips
for
Getting
Along
•
•
•
•
•
Create
a
list
of
“household”
chores
including
how
often
each
one
should
be
done.
Alternate
assigned
chores
to
prevent
anyone
from
feeling
like
they
got
the
short
end
of
the
stick.
Clean
up
after
yourself
and
your
friends
(don’t
expect
your
roommate
to
do
it
for
you).
When
cooking
clean
up
your
mess,
put
things
away,
and
do
your
dishes
promptly.
Every
now
and
then
surprise
your
roommate
with
a
clean
apartment
or
a
home
cooked
meal,
they
will
appreciate
your
efforts
and
most
likel