Carley’s Corner: Tips for living with roommates

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Carley Nail

Living with people can always be a struggle, especially when you don’t know them until you are both stuck staying in the same room.

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to lifestyle choices. Personally, I like to clean dishes as soon as possible after I dirty them. Others hold off doing the dishes for as long as possible, and that’s perfectly fine.

But sometimes these differences can be overwhelming. Learning to live with someone new can come with many hardships. As someone who has roomed with someone she had never met before and has also roomed with their best friend, I feel as though I’m qualified to give you some tips.

1) Have good communication

If your roommate does something that truly bothers you, tell them. You can try to hold it in, be nice and pretend it doesn’t get on your nerves. But eventually, you will break. Just be honest. If you hate that the sink is constantly full of dishes, just communicate that. It doesn’t have to be an argument or confrontation.

2) Set boundaries

Setting boundaries allows each person to have their own space. I don’t like it when people come into my room unannounced. That’s a boundary that I’ve set with my roommates. Make sure that you voice your own boundaries that you have, and respect the boundaries of those that you are living with.

3) Be respectful

You have to remember that each person has their own individual experiences. You might have a different outlook on a situation compared to your roommate. Even if you disagree, you have to remain respectful.  Be patient as you both are learning new things about each other.

If you have a topic or question that you would like to see in Carley’s Corner, email me at [email protected].