Regarding Roommates…
What We Expect
First-time students often come to college with the expectation of finding the perfect apartment or house and the perfect roommate. They envision finding a best friend, someone of like mind who will do everything with them.
However, this is not always the case. Many students find themselves in conflict with their new roommates over the delegation of common duties, paying the rent, and respecting each other's personal space in general. Such conflicts can quickly make your new home away from home a grueling experience. Here, we'll go over some points that you might consider when dealing with your roommates.
- Discuss how utilities will be paid (if applicable)
- Many living spaces will have basic utilities paid for, such as water and trash collection. You will need to discuss with your roommate(s) how electricity & gas usage will be divided as well as other expenses such as television & Internet service.
- Talk about all sorts of lifestyle issues.
- What are you respective schedules? When do you go to sleep and when does he/she get up in the mornings? How neat is your new roommate and how loudly do you like to play your music? Do either of you date or invite guests to stay overnight? Are there any pets involved? These are just some of the questions you should be asking your roommate. These form the basis for the next roommate tip…
- Set some house rules.
- Depending upon how you each answered the previous questions, you'll want to set some house rules to minimize friction. It might be helpful to put said rules in writing, but not necessary.