Surprise! Most Students Like Their Roommates
Everyone has heard at least one "roommate from hell" story, but most students have little trouble living with their roommates if they are willing to follow eight very simple, time tested suggestions.
1. If your college sends you a roommate questionnaire, answer the questions on it honestly, even if it's hard. If you're a neat freak, come clean about it.
2. Get in touch with your roommate as soon as possible. Calls and emails are fine, but if geography allows, try to spend a few hours together to get to know each other.
3. Even if the college you'll be attending does not require it, a roommate contract is generally a great idea. You and your roommate should discuss what issues are important to you (neatness, noise, guests, smoking in your room, borrowing each others things, etc.) and put together a written agreement.
4. Remember that your tastes and your ways of doing things may be very different than your roommate's. Be as open and tolerant as possible.
5. As in all relationships, do all you can to encourage and maintain open communication, especially in times of disagreement. People willing to talk and listen seldom have ongoing problems living together.
6. Pledge that you will not complain about your roommate to your friends or family for a minimum of 3-4 weeks. Give him or her a fair chance.
7. If things are so bad that you feel you have to complain to anyone about your roommate, instead complain to him or her, as politely and tactfully as possible. If your complaint is reasonable, that may be the end of the problem. If not, it will at least begin a discussion.
8. Be willing to compromise and accept criticism.
There are lots of stories about roommates who don't own a bar of soap or stagger into the room at 3:00 AM on Monday (the night before your Chemistry exam) and turn on all the lights. But, those folks are few and far between, so unless you are very unlucky, you have little to worry about if you follow the aforementioned guidelines.
Daniel Z. Kane is a dean at a medium sized southern university. He has created educational websites on subjects which include scholarships, financial aid,
online colleges, and degrees online.
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