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Roommate
Difficulties?
Many of us have encountered problems with our
roommates by now, I’m sure of it.
Whether he or she keeps the light on at night, is too loud, keeps the
window open and allows rain to get into the room, or constantly has their
boyfriend or girlfriend over. Numerous
things can get you frustrated and that is why I will offer you some advice that
have allowed my roommate and I to live together for so long and live contently
with one another.
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First and foremost, it’s not too late to be open with one another. If something is bothering you, tell your
roommate you want to talk to her or him.
BELIEVE ME…you’ll feel so much
better after you talk about it! J
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Don’t be afraid to be honest!
It’s better to talk about it and get it over with than to let something
trouble you to the point where you want to move out and find a new roommate…the
pattern will just continue. (I’m a
prime example!)…I was too “Nice” and
would never say what bothered me…
o
o I lived with two girls who constantly went out and partied during the
week and came back into the room and were extremely loud (I had to wake up
early in the morning for work). One
girl constantly had her boyfriend sleep over which was a definite problem for
me. Instead of confronting them with
the issues I was having, I left the room a lot and became quite upset with my
whole situation and decided to move out.
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Now I speak up for myself and my roommate and I are very open to
discussion when either of us has any concerns.
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When to talk to your roommate? You could talk things over dinner, a video
game, or a nice talk in your dorm room.
Everyone has dilemmas and no one is perfect!
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Any specific questions? E-mail
Chrystal: Galek@oswego.edu
Roommate “stuff”
-Some formal ways to discuss roommate issues
include going over the following questions individually:
1.
I like keeping my side organized (always, most of the time, rarely)
2.
I like my music (loud, soft, moderate)
3.
I stay up late (every night, sometimes, never)
4.
I can sleep with the light on (always, most of the time, never)
5.
I think of my actions affecting my roommate (always, sometimes, never)
6.
I like to get up early (always, sometimes, never)
7.
I don’t mind sharing my things (always, sometimes, never)
8.
I am on the phone (all the time, now and then, hardly)
9.
I like things quiet (all the time, sometimes, when I do work)
10.
I like to talk (often, sometimes, rarely)
Don’t
let your roommate get in the way of your studies:
After you go through and answer these questions,
you can talk them over together, finding similarities and differences. From here, you can try to compromise on
these situations. It’s never too late
to try J
