Roomie Love!

Roomates! They're awesome. They give you someone to chat with when avoiding homework, they share in your miseries over the end of this week's Glee, and they make you feel like you're not alone. No matter what, you always have your roomie to go home to at the end of the day.


I have been fortunate enough to have some awesome roommates. Last year Student Life did an awesome job of pairing me up with my first-year roommate, Lhanzi. We got along super well and had a lot of great discussions. I love her & we're still friends this year. This year I'm rooming with my friend Cait who is a great roommate. Besides some initial tension when we couldn't agree on how to set up our room, Cait & I have gotten along very well!

Cait & I!

Fun Fact: I'm 4'11" & Cait's about 6'1". Craziness!

This is (hopefully!) how most of you are feeling about your roommate. Uh...unless you have some major roomie troubles. Sadly, yes, roommate problems come up sometimes. But they should be easy to solve! Here's some tips about how I've gotten along so well with my roommates!


- We're pretty similar. So if you're a first-year, you couldn't really control this (beyond filling out the roommate survey this summer). But, if you're a sophomore, junior, or senior, just be sure that you pick a roommate that has similar sleep/study patterns as you do. I decided to room with Cait because we're friends, but turns out Cait likes to go to bed about 2 hours before I do. Lucky for us, she wears a sleep mask to bed so as long as I'm quiet, I can study after she's asleep!

- We're respectful. This should be a no-brainer, but it's actually kind of a hard rule to follow, especially if you've never shared a room before. Just be sure you keep your side of the room fairly neat and to be quiet if you roommate is studying or sleeping.

-We talk. Again, doesn't sound very hard, but it can be, especially if you're friends with your roommate. If something's bothering you, talk about it! Especially if you need to study or sleep and your roommate's being noisy. Be sure you two have clear rules about cleaning dishes right away, whether you need the lights off to sleep, if you like music when you study, etc.

-We're nice! In order to really bond with your roommate, set time aside to hang out together. Last year my roomie and I watched Christmas movies together and exchanged presents before the end of first semester. I like to bring home little treats for my roommates sometimes, like a mini Ben & Jerry's from the bookstore or some candy. Also, if you go to the store or run some errands, ask your roommate if they need anything! Just be courteous & friendly.

- If all else fails, switch! If you and your roommate really don't get along, feel free to switch rooms! There's no point in having a miserable semester all because you dread going back to your room!