Sharing Spaces (Tips for Being a Good Roommate)

I'm a nurse, but sometimes I... am required to share a room with someone else.

One of the most exciting parts of moving away for college is finding out which dorm you will live in, as well as who will share your room. It can be scary, though, and many people decide to room with someone they already know if that is an option. I chose to have a random roommate, and like I've mentioned before, we are still very good friends. I know that not everyone will have the fairytale roommate situation like I did (trust me, my sister had a terrible experience), but I do know some things that can help two people share a small space more effectively. Here are five of my tips for being a respectful roommate:

1. Set up the room (if possible) to be more like two separate bedrooms. It's hard to figure out a floor plan at first, but if you just take some time to figure out what works best, you'll be happier in the long run. I've been in tiny rooms with my roommate, and we still managed to have unbunked beds that felt private. Climbing on someones bed to get to your bed on top would probably cause some problems, and it's nice not to feel on top of (literally) each other all of the time.

2. Try to find a common bond. This can be difficult, because sometimes in random-roommate situations you may be completely different from the other person. My roommate and I discussed a lot of likes/dislikes the first night, and we found that although we had a lot of differences, we were both into fashion and makeup, and so we talked a lot about that. This allowed us to find more common ground.

3. Invite your roommate to do things. If you have other friends at school, it's important to invite your roommate to go places with you. He/she can meet all of your friends, and hopefully if they connect, you will be able to do more things together. This leads to a close friendship in the future.

4.Be mindful/ respectful of your roommate. This means trying to respect their privacy, and the way they like to live. In my experience, because our room was kind of split up, we kept our own things on our own sides. My roommate was very messy, and I'm very neat, but I had to respect how she wanted to live. She respected me as well, and was only messy on her side.

5. Communicate. Communication between people is probably the most important thing. If something is bothering you, mention it nicely. Don't let it get to the point where you want to blow up at them. If you don't mind sharing your food, that's great! If you do, be clear about that early. Good communication helps to stop any future resentment or anger.

Try to do things with your new roommate! It can be one of the closest relationships you have, and if you find a good one and learn how to live well together, you won't have to worry about getting a new one throughout college. I'm lucky to call my freshman year roommate a best friend, and I think it's because we were respectful of each others lifestyles. Hope you all have a great weekend, I'll see you on Monday!