Roommates 101: Deal with dorm life

College is full of new and exciting experiences-attending football games, making friends and exploring your newfound independence!

One of the most important aspects of college is living with a roommate. Whether you are living with your best friend or rooming with a complete stranger, it is a unique experience.

Living with someone is quite different from seeing them at school everyday or meeting them for a few minutes during FASET. Here are some tips to help make this into a positive experience for all:

Move in. Moving in can be stressful since you will be in a completely new environment and taking care of many different things at once-getting your keys, unloading, setting up your room and meeting your roommate. In order to minimize stress levels, make sure you have all your things packed in boxes and ready to transfer to your room.

When you get on campus, cooperate with campus officials as they direct traffic and wait patiently as you fill out forms to get your keys. Unload quickly and efficiently (so you don't block others) and focus on getting your things into your room, not on organizing each box as it gets there!

Tip: If possible, speak with your roommate before moving in and discuss common room items such as a microwave, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator or fan. This will help minimize extra clutter in your room and help make the moving-in process easier for both of you.

Set boundaries. It is important to set ground rules and discuss what is allowed and not allowed, particularly when rooming with a stranger. Ambiguous agreements between friends, however, may also cause conflict later in the year. Clearly state your basic preferences and listen carefully as your roommate shares his/her ideas.

"It's highly beneficial to lay down a basic framework of rules during the first week because it helps avoid unnecessary problems in the future," said Shruti Senapati, a third-year Biomedical Engineering student.

Tip: If you prefer to form written agreements, you can set rules and agreements within the contract provided by your Peer Leader during the first housing inspection.

Share responsibilities. Just as you perform chores at home, it is even more critical for you to share responsibilities with your roommate since no one else will be there to pick up after you when you slack off!

Divide common responsibilities, including taking out the trash, vacuuming and cleaning out the fridge-so that there is no room for conflict in the future.

Respect each others' privacy. With respect to your roommate's personality and lifestyle, learn to adapt to his/her preferences. If he/she wants to invite his/her significant other over, be considerate and give them the space they need.

On the other hand, if your roommate has told you that he/she has a huge midterm coming up next week, do not pressure your roommate to give up the room that weekend so that you can spend time there with your significant other-make other arrangements.

Compromise. Finding a common solution to problems is ideal, but not always easy. Therefore, it is essential that you learn to compromise and figure out a solution that works for both of you. For example, if you go to sleep early yet your roommate prefers to study at night, wear a sleep mask to bed or ask your roommate if they can adjust their study schedule and/or location.

Address problems as they occur. Do not wait until the problems have built up to the point of frustration until you begin addressing them.

"If you have any issues, it's better to talk about them rather than wait until things get worse," said Sheliza Bhanjee, a third-year Earth and Atmospheric Sciences major.

Talk to your roommate when the problem occurs, but this does not mean that you should nail them as soon as they slip up. Step back, breathe, and give them a chance to rectify their mistake.

If your roommate's responsibility is to take out the trash every Sunday and they missed it one weekend, give them a chance to notice their mistake and take out the trash on Monday or Tuesday. Gentle reminders may help, but don't be too overbearing!

Find a common interest. Living with a stranger may be difficult at times but sharing common interests may help. Joining the same campus organization, taking the same course or attending football games together may transform your relationship.

Additionally, friends living together may discover new interests in college that they may hope to share. However, do not worry too much if your roommate and you cannot share common interests-you may still have a great roommate; he/she just may not be your best friend.

Roommate exchange. Sometimes certain personalities are simply incompatible. If problems build up to the point of unbearable frustration, contact your Peer Leader and allow them to help mediate the conflict. If you and your roommate are still unable to resolve your differences, contact Housing and ask about the room exchange procedure.

Tip: Room exchanges should be used as a last resort since it can be an extremely difficult and tedious procedure. It should not be used to address minor concerns.