How to Get Along With a College Roommate in an Apartment

Making the transition from dorm to apartment in college is an important step towards autonomy and adulthood. You have new responsibilities and a new way of life from that of the dorm. Knowing how to get along with your roommate will be an important factor in making this transition a smooth one.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Establish prior to moving in who will bring what, especially furniture and appliances.
2. Decide mutually who will get which bedroom and bathroom (assuming there is more than one) and how you will arrange the furniture within the apartment. Trade off bedrooms or bathrooms after a while if one room is larger than the other.
3. Get to know your roommate. Do not make unfair or snap judgments, but take the time to actually talk to your roommate and get to know him or her.
4. Recognize that the apartment is just as much your roommate's as it is yours. Give your roommate privacy when needed and don't impose your things onto his or her space.
5. Express your personal preferences and habits and respect those of your roommate.
6. Compromise with your roommate when personal preferences or agendas clash.
7. Create a routine for doing chores that is sensitive to your roommate's class and work schedule as well as your own.
8. Communicate openly with your roommate about things that bother you. Expressing your feelings now will help avoid resentment later.
9. Respect your roommate's opinions, needs and wants, even if you don't agree with them.
10. Give your roommate fair warning when you want to have guests over. Make sure that they are OK with it.
11. Resolve conflicts quickly when they arise. Do not let problems fester, since this will only lead to further complications, hurt feelings and possibly one of you moving out.
12. Be flexible. Being overly rigid about noise, bedtime or cleaning issues will only serve to create a rift between you and your roommate. You are individual people, with distinct tastes and living styles; you can't expect your roommate to automatically conform to the way you like to live.

Tips & Warnings

• Set boundaries with your roommate about using each other's items. Decide which items are for community use and which ones you need permission to use.
• Talk to your roommate honestly and directly if there is a problem. Give that person a chance to rectify any wrongs before rushing off to find a new roommate.
• Remember to show your roommate all the same courtesies that you would like to be shown. This is good practice for living with a spouse or partner when you get older.