Blog #4

Living with a roommate is completely different than living with a sibling or by yourself at home. It is crucial, in my mind, to try to pick your roommate beforehand. Doing this will allow you to at least have a few things in common and be less bothered by the completely different habits they have. In the article, “The Stresses of Dorm Life” the author  Marisa Kay Langlois tries to inform the reader about the many struggles that lie within the dorms. One of the most important things to know is that:

“It can help to remember that this housing situation is temporary and that it can be an excellent learning experience. Most students come away from their dorm experience with strong, lasting friendships and better communication and conflict resolution skills.”

In the long run, you can always switch your roommate if they are really not getting along with you. However, to make it easier when choosing them to factor these few things:

1. Cleanliness (they will always say they are cleaner than they are)
2. Hobbies (are they active, do they hike, swim, go outside)
3. Social (are they outgoing, do they have similar social goals as you)
4. Drinking Habits (how many days a week are they planning going out? How much do they drink? Are they a heavyweight/lightweight when it comes to alcohol?
5. Do they smoke weed? (if so do you? And would u want that smell in your small room)
6. Aggressive or Passive? (Do they seem to be aggressive towards problems or do they compromise and are easy going?)
7. Sex life (Talk about your past activities, if you are open to sharing, and see if they line up or you are ok with theirs. A more active roommate can lead to discomfort due to them locking you out or having to leave because they want some time to themselves.)
8. Fraternity/sororities (are they thinking about rushing, if you both are on the same page then it will help. If one does and one doesn’t the other roommate will be left alone and be left out of a lot of activities. It’s not crucial to join Greek life but it helps to make lifelong friends.)
9. Money (it sucks to say but if they are less wealthy/more then the ability to go out and eat outside the dining hall will be limited)

This list is not comprehensive but these questions act as a good starting place. College is all about making new relationships that are different than ones in high school, new perspectives, people, and ideas. You do not have to be lined up in every category but having some similarities with your roommate will alleviate stress within the dorm room, as well as stopping problems before they will happen.