Female students smiling in front of their dorm rooms

8 Tips on Living with a Roommate

College is often the first time many students experience sharing a room with someone other than family. While there can be concerns about this, roommates can actually make the transition into campus life easier. Set yourself up for a successful year with these tips on living with a roommate.
Post Date: 
Monday, February 21, 2022

Whether you’re being paired randomly, or already know the person, living in the same room as someone else is a new experience that takes some adjusting to. One of the biggest concerns college students face when moving into a dorm is how to get along with a roommate. Well we’ve put together a guide full of college roommate tips to make this transition into dorm living easier.  

8 Tips on living with a roommate

Living with a college roommate can be anxiety provoking whether you’re a first year student or in your final semester. While learning to live with someone completely new can be a challenge at first, your roommate can turn into your lifelong best friend. To make the transition from living at home to living with roommates in a dorm or apartment, check out these helpful pieces of college roommate advice:

1) Be honest about your expectations right from the start

To get off on the right foot, it’s important to be open and honest about your expectations right from the beginning. Most dorms have Resident Advisors (RAs) who will require that you and your roommate sit down to discuss living in a shared space. However, there are other things you may want to talk about that aren’t on the assigned worksheet, don’t be afraid to bring them up. 

Consider discussing topics such as general noise level during the day and evening, when guests are allowed to come over, sharing items, and neatness. Make sure to be honest about your feelings in each situation — don’t agree with everything your roommate says just to avoid conflict. Setting expectations right from the start helps set the foundation for living together. 

2) Be willing to compromise

Although you may find that you and your roommate have similar interests and living habits, chances are you won’t prefer exactly the same things. Instead of turning a small problem such as room temperature or how late guests can stay into a full blown war, try to meet them in the middle by compromising. Keep an open mind and think of realistic solutions so both parties can agree. 

If your roommate likes going to sleep early but you want to stay up and study, a compromise would be for you to study in a common lounge. Maybe you like things quiet but your roommate enjoys having company over — a compromise for this dilemma could be designating certain hours of the day to be “guest free”. Every challenge has a solution as long as each of you are flexible and willing to meet them halfway. 

3) Communicate, communicate, communicate

Communication is key when it comes to getting along with your roommate! College is stressful and you may find yourself becoming overwhelmed and frustrated. Letting your roommate know why you are stressed can help them better understand and be respectful of your situation. 

Communicate with them when there is a family emergency, health issue, trouble in class, or even when you have a huge exam the next day. Empathy and understanding are more achievable when you allow them to know what’s going on instead of keeping them in the dark. 

 

4) Get familiar with your schedules 

Once you’ve moved in and had time to just relax, take some time to look at each other’s schedules. While this might seem unnecessary, it can actually be a game changer for easing the transition in living with another person. It’s a good idea to print out a copy of both your schedules and keep them in the room. This way, you’ll have a better idea on when the room will be empty and quiet for an ideal study setting, or when you two have some time to grab lunch together. 

Being familiar with each other’s schedules can also come in handy if you choose to participate in any clubs or athletics. Having a practice schedule that requires you to wake up early or get home very late is already rough — having a schedule visible lets you or your roommate be prepared for these mornings and evenings, and avoid being startled when the alarm goes off or the door opens. 

5) Address issues immediately

You can do everything right from the very beginning by setting clear expectations, creating a cleaning schedule, and setting boundaries. Even still, conflicts are bound to occur. When they do, be proactive and address the frustration immediately. Talking about issues in a calm manner instead of letting them fester can help you avoid a massive argument. When problems go left unaddressed, you’re more likely to act passive aggressively toward one another. 

6) Keep your space clean 

Having a messy room can easily be a cause of frustration. Of course, things happen and you may get busier during midterms and finals. The room, in turn, might suffer a bit. However, if your room is cluttered all the time with the trash overflowing, dirty clothes on the floor, and books everywhere, things can get a little tense. Keeping your “side” of the room neat and clean can actually encourage your roommate to also tidy up. 

Create a cleaning schedule including who takes out the trash and when, disinfects shared counter space, and vacuums. If you notice that your roommate is beginning to leave dirty clothes lying around, talk to them respectfully. The longer it takes you to bring the issue up, the harder it is to resolve the conflict. 

7) Find a favorite place to study outside the dorm room

Everyone needs some alone time once in a while, especially when studying or working on a huge assignment. Trying to get everything done in the same room as another person can be difficult. For some, just having another person around makes them more productive. For others, this can cause a distraction. Allow both you and your roommate some alone time by finding a place to study outside the dorm. 

Look for quiet areas such as a library, study lounges, or even underneath a tree — weather permitting of course. This also makes it easier to continue doing work if you have to stay up later than when your roommate wants to go to sleep. 

8) Get to know each other and have fun

Not everything has to be studying and working all the time. Try to genuinely get to know each other. Go to the dining hall together for meals, hang out on the weekends, attend college sporting events, and watch movies at night. While you don’t want to spend every single second of your free time with your roommate, you should make an effort to just chill and have fun. After all, college is an exciting part of your life! 

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