12 Fun Things to Do With Your Roommate Before the End of the Semester

By Kailey Walters

It may seem as if the semester just started, but -- believe it or not -- you’re at least halfway through the semester at this point, and the end is fast approaching.

There are probably a lot of things that you’ve realized you need to do to finish off the semester successfully: catch up on all your homework assignments, study for upcoming exams (including finals!), or go to the gym more often, just to name a few. But another thing you might not have thought of is spending more time with your roommate. You’ve most likely been living with this person for almost a whole academic year (or longer possibly) -- and if you enjoy their company, it’s time to start brainstorming and putting into action the fun things you can do with them before the semester ends.

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1. Create a fun Spotify playlist together and listen to it for the rest of the semester (and even after the semester is over).

If you and your roommate have similar tastes in music -- and even if you don’t -- creating a Spotify playlist together is a great way to have fun and laugh a lot. During my junior year, my roommate and I made a “throwback” Spotify playlist full of songs from the early 2000s up to 2014. It led to several hours of laughter and good memories, and I still listen to that playlist to this day.

It can be loads of fun to come up with songs and throw all your suggestions together into one giant playlist -- the product of your hard work! Plus, if you and your roommate like different kinds of music, this can still be a valuable experience. Maybe you can each learn something new about each other and try listening to different music for once.

2. Clean your dorm/apartment together.

Alright, this might not sound like the most fun activity to participate in, but it can honestly turn out to be a lot more fun than you think (especially if both you and your roommate love to clean). Identify what areas need to be cleaned or organized -- bathroom, kitchen, bedrooms, common area space, etc. -- whether they need a deep cleaning or just a light fixing up, and who will clean what. Then blast some music (aka the Spotify playlist you just created) and get to work. It’s a great way to have some fun with your roommate while also being productive, and you can do it as often or as little as you like -- once a week, once a month, just once for the remainder of the semester … the choice is yours.

3. Exchange gifts with each other for no reason in particular.

At this point in the semester, the major gift-giving holidays have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still exchange gifts with your roommate. Come up with your own special occasion, or just give each other gifts to show how much you appreciate one another. Of course, these gifts don’t have to be super fancy or expensive -- you’re living on a college student budget, after all.

The good news is that there are plenty of affordable, creative gift options that you can turn to. One cute idea is a coupon book, which you can fill with little “coupons” that your roommate can trade in to get something from you -- perhaps “one dinner date” with you or “one week of taking out the garbage” when you promise to take out the garbage for your roommate. They’re small gestures, but your roommate is sure to appreciate them. You can also pick out a small personal gift that you think they would enjoy, something simple like a trinket you saw in Target or some of their favorite snacks. Giving a little gift to your roommate shows that you were thinking about them and appreciate them!

4. Have a movie night.

This is a really simple, low-cost, super fun thing to do with your roommate. The two of you might already have regular movie nights, which is awesome, but if you don’t, now might be a good time to start! Clear some time on your calendars, perhaps on Friday or Saturday nights, and pick a movie you both want to see. Make some popcorn and settle in for a night of entertainment. It’s sure to be a good time.

5. Have a spa day.

After a long day or week of classes, sometimes all you want to do is go back to your room and decompress. And maybe a spa day won’t solve all your problems, but it at least will give you the chance to relax and unwind with your roommate. You can choose to go out for a professional spa day (think massages, mani-pedis, facials, the works) or opt for a cozy, personal spa day at home. If you go with the latter, choose a time that works for both of you and break out all the spa essentials -- face masks, lotion, body scrub, towels, facial products, you name it. You’ll get the chance to pamper yourself physically and spend some time unwinding with your roomie.

6. Take a weekend trip.

If you want to make some awesome, unforgettable memories with your roommate before the semester ends, you should consider taking a weekend getaway trip. At first glance, this might seem like a difficult thing to pull off, what with school- and work-related responsibilities as well as the extra expense of taking the trip. However, a weekend trip is totally feasible if you plan it out right. If either you or your roommate has a car, that makes getting around much easier because you won’t have to rely on public transportation.

You’ll also need to do your research on where you want to go and what you want to do. Since it’s just a weekend trip, plan to travel somewhere close by, ideally a nearby town or city within a few hours drive from your college campus or wherever you’re living. Scout out some attractions you can visit or upcoming events that you might be interested in attending. You can also spend some time in nature and/or getting to know the town you’re visiting -- go for a hike or a leisurely stroll and acquaint yourself with the surroundings. Try out some new restaurants and local coffee shops or bakeries. While it’s only for a weekend, it’s the perfect amount of time to give yourself a little breathing room from school and other responsibilities. Take advantage of the time to relax and have some fun with your roommate.

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7. Go to the gym together.

This might be fun for some people more than others, but no need to worry -- there might be something at the gym that anyone can enjoy, whether they’re already a gym rat or it’s their first time stepping foot inside the gym. If you and your roommate both love the gym, great! You’ll feel right at home and you’ll each have a buddy to work out with. If the two of you (or maybe just one of you) isn’t such an experienced gym-goer, there are still some fun things worth trying out. Perhaps you could sign up for a group fitness class together; your university is sure to offer some free classes that interest you and that you can easily sign up for, from Brazilian jiu jitsu to boxing to yoga.

8. Have a baking night.

To reward yourselves for getting in a good workout at the gym, you and your roommate can whip up some baked goods. I know I always appreciated making brownies and cookies (and experimenting with other desserts) with my roommate. Baking is simple, fun, and easy, and you end up with a batch of sweet treats that you two can choose to keep all to yourselves or share with other friends.

9. Go out to eat.

Maybe you and your roommate already make a habit out of this, but if you don’t, it might be time to go out for a meal and spend some time over food together. After all, sharing a meal is a great way to get in some bonding time. If the two of you don’t go out to eat very often, there are most likely a variety of restaurants, cafes, brunch spots, etc. nearby that you can pick from. And if you already do go out to eat together regularly, maybe it’s time to diversify your meal options by picking a restaurant you’ve never been to with cuisine that you’ve never tried. Or you could even go fancier and splurge a little bit, if you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone that way. When it comes to food, there are so many possibilities for you and your roommate to try out, so take advantage of the options out there!

10. Cook together.

On the flip side, if the two of you go out to eat perhaps a bit too often and want to save money, staying in and cooking together is a great alternative. Especially if cooking is not something you two do together all that often, it can be a fun way for both of you to try something new. Figure out what kind of food you want to cook and eat (of course, something that both of you will presumably enjoy) and find a recipe for it; there are tons and tons of recipes that you can easily locate online. You may then need to take a trip to the grocery store, which is part of the fun. Once you have everything you need, you can start cooking. Whether or not the food turns out great is not the point -- the point is to have a lot of fun in the process of trying something new with your roommate. If the food happens to be amazing, well, that’s just bonus points for you two.

11. Host a party (or some kind of get-together).

After you and your roommate have (or have not) mastered the art of home cooking, you might want to put your skills to the test by hosting a small party or gathering at your place. That could potentially sound a bit daunting, but if either of you enjoys being the host or inviting lots of people over, that could very well be a great idea. Of course, you don’t want your get-together to become rowdy or out of hand; simply invite a few close friends over, break out some snacks (cheese and crackers, anyone?), and settle in for a calm night with friends. If both you and your roommate host together, that will also help to keep the party under control and give you both a sense of working together to pull something off. To make this thing successful, you’ll probably want to plan out when and where it’s going to take place, who you’re inviting, what kind of food and drinks you’ll be serving, and how much time you may need to spend cleaning things up in your apartment or dorm room.

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12. Go furniture and/or decoration shopping together.

You two live in the same place -- why not furnish and decorate the space together, too? Understandably, you two may have very different styles of decorating, and that’s perfectly fine. However, it is important that you and your roommate respect each other’s styles, which is why it might be a good idea to pick something out together -- whether it be a chair, a table, a lamp, a painting, or what have you. On the other hand, if the two of you share similar decorating tastes, the process of furniture and decoration shopping together becomes much more appealing. In that case, the two of you can shop for as much furniture and decorations as you want. This is an awesome way to spend some time together and create a living space that both of you can enjoy and be proud of.

There are really so many things you can do with your roommate before the semester ends, so don’t hesitate. Take advantage of these next few months to soak up all the time you can with your precious roomie; you won’t regret it.