Summer Socializing Ideas for New Roommates

By Kaitlin Hurtado

When it comes to your college experience, you are more than likely going to be experiencing living with a roommate at some point. While some may be lucky enough to room with someone they know for the entirety of their college years, others experience living with several roommates that are pretty much strangers to them when they first move in together.

Many college students experience changes in their living arrangements during the summer months, whether they are moving to a new city for a summer internship or if they get new roommates as their old roommates move back home for the summer. Whatever the case may be, you can use the summer as the perfect time to socialize with your new roommates and get the most out of your time together.

Throw a housewarming get together
Depending on your situation, you may not know anything about your roommates or may have never interacted with each other before. Spending one-on-one time may not be your priority at first, but you can definitely join forces to plan a smaller housewarming get-together to connect your respective friend groups for a day or night.

Hosting a small get-together at your apartment could be a great way to get to know your new roommates and their friends. You are more than likely going to be seeing their friends throughout your time living together and getting acquainted with them from the beginning can help make everyone feel more comfortable with each other.

If you have just moved into the apartment, hosting a small gathering is also the perfect reason to get completely unpacked and start making the apartment your own when you are expecting company. You will not want unpacked boxes and unorganized chaos greeting your guests – it will also get you and your roommates on the same page about setting up common spaces early on in your time together.

Have a movie night/day in
While many want to spend their summer venturing out and about, it’s nice to unwind in the comfort of your own home. Spending some time at home can give you some much-needed rest from all your summer adventures and your budget a much-needed break as a movie night in can be as inexpensive as you want it to be. Not sure where to start?

Depending on how much time you are working with, you can choose a single TV series to start binge-watching. This can even kick start what can be a weekly or biweekly roommate binge-watching session when you all find yourselves home for a couple of hours at the same time. If you and your roommate can’t land on just one TV series to watch together, you can each pick a movie to watch. You can go about your selection randomly or you can go with a theme, such as your favorite Disney movie, favorite rom-com, or favorite scary movie.

Pair your movie night in with your favorite foods. You can either opt to cook a meal together as roommates or band together and choose your favorite take-out spots as your fuel for the night.

Explore your favorite local spots
If you or your roommate are new to the area as first years or moving for a summer internship, summer is a great time to explore the area. If your roommate is temporarily living in the area for the summer, take them around and show them all your favorite places. Your favorite cafe for studying, your favorite restaurant for some cheap, but delicious food, and your favorite things to do as a college student in the area.

Even if you and your roommates are not new to the area, you are new to their interests and preferences as they are to yours. Take turns showing each other your favorite spots around the area, and you may just end up finding your own new favorite spots to visit even after your time living together ends.

Go on a mini road trip
If you and your roommates have access to a car, take a classic summer road trip together. We’re not talking a cross-country road trip that will take days to complete, but a small-scale road trip can be a great way to kickstart your time together. Going on a road trip together can encourage conversation between you and your roommates as you are stuck together in an enclosed space and can’t simply hide away in your own bedrooms to avoid that uncomfortable, getting to know each other small talk that is common for new roommates.

Take turns being the car DJ, share your favorite car snacks, and choose a destination you all can agree on (a tourist hotspot, beach, amusement park, and so on).

Living with new roommates for the summer doesn’t have to make the next few months a bore. With the right planning, it can be the perfect way to introduce new people and memories in your life – have fun starting with these summer socializing ideas.