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So, you’ve finally left the nest! Congratulations. However, before you get into the big bad world, you should know that living with roommates is a whole other kettle of fish, and it’s a luck of the draw on whether that’ll work out well for you or not.
But to make it easier, we’ve got a list of ways to approach college roommates that should make things simpler. Read on for our guide to living in an apartment with college roommates.
Communicate
The key to any relationship is communication, but it’s a lot harder when you’re sharing as student roommates. Learn to put your point across in a friendly way but put your foot down when it’s needed. Don’t resort to petty or passive aggressive means, like notes, which just make you look conniving and cowardly. Speaking face to face will also mean that you are more likely to get the result you want with no hard feelings, because people are simply more responsive to your tone, which is harder to depict in texts.
Get renters’ insurance
Getting renters insurance as a college student is key. Things happen, and you’re putting the trust of your livelihood in other people’s hands here. Other people who are prone to getting a little silly when the weekend hits. If something were to happen that meant the building was damaged along with everything inside, the landlord would be reimbursed by his insurance, but without renters’ insurance, you would lose the lot with no compensation.
Establish boundaries
Boundaries doesn’t mean to not come in while you’re getting changed, although that should be a given, and if you have to lay that down as law, obviously do. But it can mean many different things. Think about what’s important to you and fair to everyone else. You can’t demand to not help with the housework, but you can say that you need certain things to happen if you were to become ill or need some time alone.
Boundaries are evolutionary in a college setting, however. No doubt your new roommates will surprise you with new ways to push you that you’ve never thought of, and you’ll have to assert a blockade.
Separate communal from personal
There are certain jobs around the house that need done because they have been contributed to by the entire household, like the dishes or the bins, and some that are purely your own responsibility. Separate out what is your own responsibility from the household, and from there you can split the tasks amongst the roommates.
The middle ground here is the shared bathroom. Do you adopt a leave the place as you found it mentality, or assign the task of cleaning it to someone once a week?
And it’s important that you set out these rules, otherwise there will inevitably be a roommate that just thinks that someone will get round to it eventually, even if it’s just the two of you, and never lift a finger.
Talk about a routine
Getting back to the idea of the bathroom, it’s a point of contention for families, so yes, that’s probably going to translate in college apartments.
Luckily, the entire household isn’t at a 9-5 schedule anymore. People have classes, jobs, social activities, etc. all at different times of the day, so there’s less chance of fighting for the hot water in the morning, but it’s worth getting into a routine with your roommates to avoid it. You might want to even write it all down, or get a shared calendar app.
Because it’s not just the bathroom worth keeping track of. You should know when your roommates are at work or classes, should something happen, and you need to get a hold of them. And you can set a routine for cleaning. The bins are Jenny’s job? We’ll see if she can do it when she gets back from work the night before the trash collection day.
Spend time together
And of course, don’t think that it has to be all doom and gloom. There’s bound to be less fights on who should be restocking the toilet paper if you all get to know each other. Consider personality-based games to break the ice, or Cards Against Humanity to swap notes on your sense of humor. Have themed nights, movie nights, gaming nights or dinner together on particular nights where everyone chips into bringing or cooking the food.
