I lived with my first college roommate for a week.
When I moved into our dorm that summer, I was young, naïve and new to the world of alcohol-induced mania. My new roommate was not. Although she was a college freshman as well, she and Jim Beam went way back.
After the second day of living with her, I knew I was in for a treat when I woke up one morning and found her lying in bed sporting her birthday suit. Her clothes looked like they exploded all over the kitchen, and the bathroom definitely needed caution tape and biohazard signs guarding the door to prevent human entrance.
This went on every day that week.
Via: huffingtonpost
When she threatened to kick my ass after a small disagreement while completing our dorm’s “roommate contract,” my R.A. and I decided that she was nuts and I needed out.
I got moved into a new dorm with a brand new roommate–she was a future sorority girl who was sweet enough. I thought my days of roommate hell were over. That was the naïve freshman in me thinking, and naïve freshman me was always wrong.
My journey wasn’t over. I revisited roommate hell more than once, but I lived.
Now that it is my senior year, I have found amazing roommates, but I struggled to get here and I’m sure I’m not alone.
Dealing with college roommates can be a challenge, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
This is what I have learned, and how I’ve endured the untamable college roommate.
Via: pixshark
Apartment Livin’
Set ground rules
When you establish simple house rules from the start, it lets each roommate know their boundaries. If your roommate breaks the simple rules, this will let you know that they won’t mind breaking any of the bigger rules. Nip that shit in the bud. Early communication is key in any relationship, and sharing your living area with someone is a pretty serious relationship.
Be the bigger person
If the trash needs to be taken out, just do it. If the dishes are piling up and no one is getting around to it, clean them. Who cares if it’s not your turn? Be the bigger person. If you contributed to the mess, it’s at least half your crap anyway. Stop whining. It takes about five minutes to take out the trash and about 10 minutes to do the dishes.
You will face harder obstacles in life, I promise.
Know when to take a stand
Knowing when enough is enough is important when it comes to dealing with someone you live with. This isn’t just a person you see at work or in lab who you can brush off if they anger you. You have to go home to this person every day. You are basically married.
Don’t let the things that truly offend you slide. You need to be vocal about what upsets you when it comes to your man/woman cave. This is your place. Stand up for what is yours. Or half yours, anyway.
Respect alone-time
Even if you and your roommate have an unbreakable bond, you both need space every once in a while. Being with someone every day for a year, or more, can be taxing. All humans need alone time — some peace and quiet after a long day of the typically college hurdles we face. Take a walk, go to your room or hang out with other friends. Do something to get away from your roommate. This is for your health.
Buy a mini fridge
The easiest way to solve the “my roommate sneaks my food” dilemma is to purchase a mini fridge. It’s a personal vault filled with food, which, as far as I’m concerned, is as valuable as gold bricks, if not more so.
Don’t let your roommate’s significant other move in
This is never a good idea. I don’t quite understand who ever thought this would be a good idea. Never make this idea a reality. Trust me.
Via: rogerebert
Dorm Dwelling
Invest in ear plugs
The explanation behind this investment does not need to be given. We have all been there.
Set visitations rules
Dorms suck, we all know this. The worst part about living in a dorm is the lack of privacy and space. When you want to have a visitor over, you need to respect your roommate’s space and let him or her know. Get together with your roommate and set some rules regarding how often and at what times a visitor can be in the room. If you respect their space, you have a higher chance of them respecting yours. Just let them borrow some ear plugs.
Be clean
If you are a bit messy, like I am, this may be hard. You get busy with school, tired after a long day and lazy when Netflix is present, but you still share a room with someone. Don’t be that guy.
Grin and bear it
You won’t always like the person you live with. When you are in a dorm, sometimes you have no choice and nowhere to run — except maybe a friend’s place. In many cases, you have to grin through the shit and understand that it’s only a year and most of your time will be spent in Library West anyway.
Dorms are for freshman
I have lived in three different dorms around campus. Believe me when I say that you should let your freshman year be the only dorm experience you have. Check it off your bucket list and move on.
Good luck out there, my friends. It’s a battlefield.
Featured photo courtesy of: blogs.canoe
