How to be a roommate

When it comes to college, sharing spaces becomes the norm.

At some point, we’ve had loud neighbors, noisy roommates and unpleasant living conditions caused by people other than you. Or, perhaps, you may have been the source of the trouble in your past living situations.

Regardless of your experiences, college provides you with the opportunity to adapt to your environment, be it a residence hall, a house or an apartment. Living with others provides a whole new set of challenges.

National statistics suggest that 95 percent of first-year college students have never shared a bedroom. The new experience of living with someone can help students build new relationships and friendships, but it can also have devastating effects when things turn sour.

Roommate situations can play a role in influencing your GPA and the likelihood of participation in potentially risky behavior. Additionally, conflicts with roommates are ranked to be one of the top five reasons why students drop out of college, according to Campus News.

With this in mind, whether you share a space with your best friend or an acquaintance, there are several unspoken guidelines to maintaining the peace, your sanity and your grades.

At the most basic level, roommate situations go smoother when all parties clarify the housekeeping responsibilities and needs when it comes to personal spaces. While you may be sharing a living space, it’s still your individual responsibility to consider all household members.

The dishes in the sink may be yours, but they lie in a community space. Likewise, you may be blasting music in your own room, but it might be at an hour where others are sleeping.

While you may be considerate, addressing others’ transgressions is a whole new hurdle. If you have a problem with your roommate, confronting the issue may seem challenging. While you may want to address an issue, you may fear creating conflict or tension.

It only takes a simple exchange of words to clearly communicate your concerns.

Your roommate may not be aware of the issue, and addressing it may relieve tension and prevent further discomfort to you or other members in the household. A simple sit-down conversation to talk about compromises and negotiations may just be the prescription to better living conditions.

Living with others gives you the chance to deepen your relationships and to explore a more communal lifestyle. If you find you live better on your own, there’s always the chance for that in the upcoming year.

If college is about experience, living with a roommate is just one more notch on the belt.