Tips for College Students Living with Roommates
Along with class schedules and degree requirements, students who will be attending a college away from home also need to deal with the subject of student housing, whether it be on campus or off campus. This brings an important issue to mind: living with a roommate.
If you will be living on campus in a dorm, you probably won’t have a choice as to who your roommate will be. As a college student, your idea of attending an institution of higher learning may differ quite a bit from your assigned roommate’s idea of college life. While you may be focused on learning, studying, and achieving your degree goals in the most efficient manner, your dormitory roommate may be more excited about keg parties, dating, and marathon video game sessions. Or, it could be the other way around. With college dorm living, your accommodations are small, and you won’t be able to simply ignore a roommate if he or she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who shares your values and views on proper college living. Welcome to the real world.
Living with a dorm roommate can teach you a valuable lesson in learning how to get along in the world outside of your home and family. When you meet your roommate, jump right up, shake his or her hand, help him or her get settled if need be, and then tell your roommate that you both should sit down and discuss some rules. Chances are your roommate will be just as anxious to get everything out in the open as you are. Together, lay down some rules that are based on mutual respect for each other’s privacy, lifestyle, and study habits. Though these rules will most likely be challenged often, by you and by your roommate, at least you’ll have a foundation on which to base future “discussions”.
If you will be looking for and living in accommodations for college students off campus, you’ll have a bit more control over your roommate situation. If you’ve already found the housing that you’ll be living in, then you’ll need to place some ads for a roommate - and then screen the applicants. This can be done before you ever head off for college by using the college’s web site, where most likely there will be a section for student classified ads. Or, you can place an ad in the local paper of the city or town in which you’ll be attending college. Don’t be afraid to ask applicants some hard questions - you may be living with the person that you choose, for quite a long time.
If you are the one answering ads by students for a college roommate, the same principles should apply. Ask questions, and don’t be afraid to listen to your intuition and say “no thanks” if you have any doubts at all.
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