The Joys of Roommates
The concept of living with a roommate and having to practice conflict management is something that takes a lot of adjusting for most students. Whether you become best friends with your roommate or you become sworn enemies, you will have to alter certain aspects of the lifestyle that you used to live. I think that sleeping habits, cleanliness, privacy, and personal space/belongings seem to be common themes of conflict to expect. Luckily the first few weeks are usually when the issues arise, and it is best to nip them in the butt when they first occur so you have the rules set for the future. Some schools give roommates agreement sheets that ask them to right out the standards and rules of the room. I know a lot of people that do not take this seriously, but it is really in your best interest to put some real thought into the agreement because who knows what will happen down the road. Are you willing to share the milk that you just bought at the store? Do you want your roommate bringing guests to the room while you are trying to sleep at 2 am? Is it ok if your roommate goes through your closet to borrow a purse or shirt while you are out? Think about this for more than just a second and imagine your roommate actually wearing your clothes or bringing over a guest while you’re sleeping and don’t be afraid to stop it before it becomes a reality.
I know that for me it is extremely hard to deal with confrontation, but I can look back at freshman year and think of several times when I wish I had confronted the issue from the start so I wouldn’t have to deal with it for the rest of the year. My freshman roommate was one of those people who would set her alarm for an hour before she actually had to wake up and she would end up hitting the snooze button around 25 times each morning. Since I never confronted her about it, I had to deal with waking up 25 times each morning to a lovely, yet infuriating, Taylor Swift ringtone alarm. I am still scarred every time I hear that song on the radio: “our song is the sound of screen doors…” Don’t let this happen to you! Speak up and set your ground rules or prepare to be scarred!
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