How To Make The Most Out Of Your Relationship With Your Roommate Freshman Year

By Victoria Robertson 

Living with a roommate is an experience, but the type of experience is entirely dependent upon you. Some of you may have chosen your roommate through social media, taken a compatibility quiz through your dorm or may even have gone the random roommate route.

Each method has its benefits and pitfalls, but one thing you’ll find in speaking with graduates on their college roommate experience is that they are all completely different. That being said, no matter the method of roommate selection, there are ways in which you can make the most out of your roommate relationship your freshman year of college.

1. Communicate 

You’ve heard the phrase: communication is key. When it comes to living with someone else, whether you think you know them well or not, this holds true. Living with a roommate requires a lot of communication, especially when something is bothering you.

Many individuals will let emotions pile up before exploding into an argument. To avoid this, be sure you are always communicating clearly and calmly with your roommate in order to let them know how you feel.

2. Be Patient

Patience is a virtue, and there are plenty of reasons why. When it comes to living with someone else, you will need to be very patient in order to get along. If you think about it, you are two different people who have become accustomed to different ways of living.

When these two ways of living collide and aren’t entirely compatible, this can cause serious problems in your relationship. For that reason, be sure that you are patient with one another and understanding of the other individual.

3. Spend Time Together 

One of the biggest problems with roommate relationships is that the individuals involved don’t spend enough time together outside of their living situation. Just because you share a room or apartment with someone doesn’t mean you spend enough quality time together.

Be sure to schedule events for you and your roommate to participate in throughout the semester, getting out of the room and sharing college experiences together. While you don’t need to spend all of your time together, a few scheduled events here and there that take place outside of the apartment are great circumstances for developing your relationship and bonding with one another even more.

4. Know When to Separate

That all being said, remember that there is a possibility that you spend far too much time with your roommates, which can result in conflict. While this may seem unrealistic, it’s something that most roommates experience at some point in their college experience.

Living with someone requires you to be around them rather often, which means you can easily get on one another’s nerves. To avoid this, be sure to take breaks from one another and pursue relationships outside of this. Get out of the room and visit with other friends, or take some quality time to yourself.

5. Work Together

For many roommates, the idea of working with one another on homework assignments or in a part-time job seems like a lot, but it can actually help strengthen your relationship. Trips to the library with one another allow you to be together, but you will both be studying on your own and therefore not overdoing your time together. This can also be a great motivational tool.

In addition, picking up part-time jobs together can be very convenient and help both of you to stay on track with your finances while in school. Either way, you can both help each other to stay motivated and on schedule throughout the semester.

6. Be Flexible 

Last, but definitely not least, it’s very important to be flexible when you are living with someone else. You may be used to living a certain way, but living with someone else is a totally different ball game.

Flexibility is key because it allows you to adapt to new situations and avoid feeling angry or negatively about your roommate relationship. The more flexible you can be, the better off your relationship will be, which goes hand in hand with communication. Be able to adapt and be willing to compromise and you will have a great relationship, without a doubt.

Selecting a roommate for your freshman year of college is daunting and overwhelming, especially given the close proximity you’ll be sharing over the next year. Still, there are plenty of methods of roommate selection out there to help you make the right choice, and there are even more ways to make the most of your roommate relationship.

Use these six tips moving forward, but don’t be afraid to explore other avenues more specific to the dynamic between you and your roommate.

No matter what, you’ll find that a good roommate relationship is the key to a lifelong friendship.