So, You are Going to Live with Someone New
Many incoming freshmen at vet tech college campuses are matched with roommates their first year. You have no idea what your new roommate will be like. But, upon meeting this person, you really are not quite sure what to do. However, all the school-supplied literature tells you to give it a “probationary” period before voicing any real concern. Therefore, you unpack, make a little chit-chat and get set for a great experience.
Hell Week Went Slowly
It’s 10 p.m. Thursday of your first week with your roomie. You finished reading assignments for Friday, clean your desk up a bit, got ready for bed, turn off the lights, jumped in and were soon soundly asleep. All of a sudden, you jump out of bed to the sound of lots of noise and bright lights flashing. It is not your alarm clock going off. That would be too much to ask for sister turns out it’s your party hearty roommate arriving home from a fourth night in a row and just now sits down to do the work. You sit on the edge of the bed shaking your head in amazement watching your roommate power up the computer all the while gyrating to the sound of the music booming out of, well, a boombox. Your roommate casually looks over and sees you sitting there bleary-eyed and says, “What’s up?” you decide to nosedived back into the bed pulling up older and screaming inside your brain that very all-important question of, “Will I survive this first year?”
This does happen
Believe it or not scenes like this play themselves out every year throughout hundreds, if not thousands, of dorm rooms across the country. Even if your in the bookish type, always staying on task and acting quite academically responsible while you’re roommate is a party animal from hell whose hours of operation never match yours, sharing the same living space is not going to be easy. However, it doesn’t mean that the two of you can find a way to get along.
Finding the right way
One of the great aspects about moving out of your home going away to college is you will learn quite a few lessons outside of the classroom. Learning how to live with somebody else involves learning how to respect differences, building the skills for sharing, learning how to be courteous all excepting other people for what they are. People who learn how to share space learn how to build character. Although many freshmen miss the knowing comfort from living at home, there is a great deal of excitement and possibility when faced with the opportunity to share experiences with another person who was going through some of the same issues such as handling a difficult class, loneliness from being away from home and trying to find that precious balance between devoting enough time to school while maintaining some kind of semblance of a decent social life to keep one sane. Although there are many school sponsored resolution sources available to roommates that do not get along, for the most part, this is an opportunity for two young adults to act in an adult manner talking it out.
Do a preemptive strike
Communication is always going to be the key and essential component to any kind of relationship. It is a great idea that you contact your roommate will be for you take the drive to your new campus dorm. There are few things that you need to discuss with your new roommate including:
Important needs that require established rules
Some people cannot handle any distractions when it comes to study time. Establish a need to maintain quite hours that you can both agree upon. Discuss items such as when (and possibly how many) friends can visit. Other items like having a lot on when another is trying to study need also be discussed. Make some house rules that both of you can agree upon – and keep. Remember, this is not a dictatorship, so compromise is part of sharing any living space. Keep in mind that successful relationships have at its basis mutual respect that covers issues like music playing, clothes borrowing or any other issue that sharing living quarters would present.
Perhaps that first roommate that bugged you might turn out to be a lifelong friend if you communicate both your needs at the very beginning of your relationship.