What’s the best way to prepare to have a roommate?
At home I have my own room and it is my safe haven. I’m an introvert. I love spending time with other people, but I need the time to recharge and take a break every day in order to keep myself going. In college I will have at least one roommate if not two or three. I’m doing my best to find a roommate I will get along with, but even if this is a person I like, I still have a hard time spending too much time with people. Living with someone will be a huge adjustment for me, and I’m hoping for some advice on how to learn to do it. #roommate
2 answers
Arielle’s Answer
Hi Hannah. Going from having your own space to sharing space with a stranger can seem daunting at first, but it can end up working out well. I'm an introvert as well, and really enjoy living in my own space. When I started college at Indiana University, I was assigned a random roommate and learned a few lessons along the way. I'm going to share an article (https://www.forbes.com/sites/noodleeducation/2016/08/22/10-tips-for-living-with-a-college-roommate/3ff500683bce) that I think can be helpful and a few tips I learned from my personal experiences. My first suggestion is to manage your expectations. Relationships take time, so I would suggest not expecting to be best friends right away. Focus on having a healthy and good relationship. If are any issues that arise while living with your roommate, avoid allowing them to fester and grow your frustration. Instead, have a respectful and candid conversation with your roommate. For instance, if your roommate has friends over often and you'd like quiet time in the room, try asking her to if there's an evening during the week where you all don't have guests. It might also help to have an initial conversation with your roommates about "rules" for guests, food, sleep, etc.
Arielle recommends the following next steps:
Kaley’s Answer
Hi Hannah,
Great question. If you are not use to having a roommate, it will definately be an adjustment when going to college, but it doesn't have to be a bad one! When choosing a roommate, I suggest looking for a random roommate that you can talk to before you have to make the decision. There are several groups on social media websites like Facebook, where you can join groups of people that are looking for roommates. There you can message members and talk about hobbies, interests, etc. I would suggest talking about what you can and cannot tolerate with any prospects. It's important to set ground rules before you move in, that way each of you have expectations. My college roomie is still one of my best friends to this day!
Good Luck!
Kaley