Tips
Things to talk about with your roommate BEFORE moving in:
- What time do you go to bed/wake up? (ex: early riser, late owl, sleep until the last minute, etc)
- What are your sleep patterns? (ex: like to have music on, must have complete darkness, etc)
- How do you want to arrange the room? (keep in mind the rooms already have furniture in them, and are limited spaces)
- When will you be arriving on move-in day? (the first person to arrive has more chance to move things around and make placements of items)
- How do you feel about guests coming over and overnight guests? (ex: I am ok with guests 10am-10pm daily, but no overnight guests, etc)
- What are your study habits? (ex: study with music on, study with TV on, study in the lounge, etc)
- What items do you own that you are willing to share? (ex: you can use my pots and pans but don't touch my clothes)
- Who is bringing what? (no need to have two of everything--share!)
If things don't go so smooth, what should I do?
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DON'T PANIC--you don't need an immediate room change!
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Openly and honestly communicate with your roommate.
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Discuss what is bothering or concerning you with them directly.
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Don't forget to listen!
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Try to compromise and meet halfway
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Keep issues between you and your roommate (don't gossip to friends, post on facebook, talk loudly in the hallway about it, etc)
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Respect their point of view.
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Contact your Resident Assistant (RA) to help problem solve with you. Your RA will revisit the Roommate Discussion Guide you did at the beginning of the semester.
