Preventing roommate hell
Living with parents or family members is one thing, but living with friends or a total stranger is a completely different story.
The living style in which you grew up in has paved the way for your future living patterns, and you have Mommy and Daddy to thank for that. From there you have developed your own method of living and are quite happy with the outcome.
Now moving out on your own you take with you those habits, good and bad, and hope your cleanliness or lack there of will mesh well with the habits of those new roommates. You expect that these individuals to live up to your standards, especially after you spent your precious time filling out that roommate matching questionnaire in hopes that they will enjoy your favourite Dance Mix CD or appreciate the some-what frightening relationship you have with your cat.
Surprise, this fairy-tale relationship is very short-lived for most students who are living with four or five perfect strangers.
Living with strangers, or even friends, is its' own life lesson. You learn very quickly to adjust and deal with the things that cause your life unnecessary stress in order to make the time you are there as bearable as humanly possible.
Here are some dos and don'ts as you develop your first home away from home experience.
DON'T: Just assume everyone knows what is expected and go on your marry way just to have World War III break-out in your living room two months later when someone is doing something YOU think they “should” have known in the beginning.
DO: Address the expectations and rules of the house right up front. This will prevent future excuses such as, “Well, it was fine two weeks ago” or “You never said anything to begin with.” Having all roommates recognize what one another expects through out their time together will force everyone to keep each other in mind while they are living in the residence.
DON'T: Leave your dishes for someone else to do. This includes dishes you ate out of, pots and pans you used to make dinner or even the clean dishes in the dishwasher unless you have a set schedule for putting those clean dishes away. No one wants to watch that old food grow mould as it sits in the living room or in the middle of the hall.
DO: Agree on chores around the house. Even if none of you wish to vacuum or wash the floor every week it may be important to at least agree on picking up after yourself. Whether you have a routine dishwashing schedule or agree to take charge when things get messy, it will force the not-so-clean people to acknowledge their own mess and clean up after themselves and prevent the clean-freaks from feeling they double as a housemaid.
DON'T: Invite the whole neighborhood over for the weekend so that they take up all of the sitting areas, devour the refrigerator full of groceries, which were just bought, and use all of the toilet paper in the house.
DO: Discuss visitation rights. Visitors can cause stress and animosity towards roommates if they are taking advantage of the living space. If visitors and guests are a non-issue it should be clear to the person who is inviting them over what you expect from their actions. This includes where they will crash, the food they will eat and their conduct in respect to the other housemates and their belongings.
DON'T: Figure you can eat whatever you want out of the fridge or cupboards unless told otherwise. The next time you go to grab that slice of pizza you were craving it will be gone and you're not allowed to bitch about it.
DO: Clearly identify food rules. Groceries can make or break a living arrangement now that you are buying your own food. Splitting up cupboard space and refrigerator shelves is a great way to acknowledge what you have bought and what you haven't as well as community purchases.
DON'T: Leave a surprise in or on the toilet. It very well could come back to haunt you. Don't leave any kind of hair behind for someone else to clean up or look at, it's just gross!
DO: Respect bathroom etiquette. The bathroom is the main source for bacteria, as well as a high traffic area. If chores are not your method of choice it should be clear and evident that all roommates clean up their own mess. By keeping their toiletries neat and tidy, cleaning the toothpaste off the side of the sink and wiping the toilet seat down if you aim and miss are all things that should be done out of respect for others.
DON'T: Allow roommates to turn your place into Animal House. Being obnoxiously loud, destroying property and leaving that sticky floor and fly covered beer collection for someone else to clean up isn't exactly the way to get on a roommate's good side, but it will get their attention.
DO: Agree on party rules. Weekends are a great time to party, but it is almost guaranteed you will live with one if not more students who will take advantage of a late class schedule and party during the week, which means additional people to the house, noise and the morning after mess. For those roommates who are not participating it should be clear what time it is acceptable for excessive noise and what time to call it quits and allow others to sleep or study.
On weekends the cut off for noise may depend on who is joining in on the fun and will vary among housemates. The morning after mess should be cleaned up upon awakening and include all of those who contributed.
DON'T: Fight like a girl (sorry ladies). Screaming, yelling and throwing clothes on the lawn are not the right approach to telling someone to pick up after him or herself or let them know you have a problem. These actions result in a defensive roommate who will lash back and come up with a way to get you back tenfold.
DO: Voice your dissatisfaction. Disagreements and fighting among roommates comes with the territory, no one should expect to live in a place where there will never be a heated discussion. Disagreeing with your housemates will only improve your quality of living and should be done in a mature and calm manner.
Living with other people is not easy, but there are ways in order to make the most of your first experience where you will either find housemates you will have long-term or learn that you are much better off living by yourself. Take the year in stride and learn, as this will be one of the most important life lessons, supplying many new college students with a much-needed wake-up call.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
The living style in which you grew up in has paved the way for your future living patterns, and you have Mommy and Daddy to thank for that. From there you have developed your own method of living and are quite happy with the outcome.
Now moving out on your own you take with you those habits, good and bad, and hope your cleanliness or lack there of will mesh well with the habits of those new roommates. You expect that these individuals to live up to your standards, especially after you spent your precious time filling out that roommate matching questionnaire in hopes that they will enjoy your favourite Dance Mix CD or appreciate the some-what frightening relationship you have with your cat.
Surprise, this fairy-tale relationship is very short-lived for most students who are living with four or five perfect strangers.
Living with strangers, or even friends, is its' own life lesson. You learn very quickly to adjust and deal with the things that cause your life unnecessary stress in order to make the time you are there as bearable as humanly possible.
Here are some dos and don'ts as you develop your first home away from home experience.
DON'T: Just assume everyone knows what is expected and go on your marry way just to have World War III break-out in your living room two months later when someone is doing something YOU think they “should” have known in the beginning.
DO: Address the expectations and rules of the house right up front. This will prevent future excuses such as, “Well, it was fine two weeks ago” or “You never said anything to begin with.” Having all roommates recognize what one another expects through out their time together will force everyone to keep each other in mind while they are living in the residence.
DON'T: Leave your dishes for someone else to do. This includes dishes you ate out of, pots and pans you used to make dinner or even the clean dishes in the dishwasher unless you have a set schedule for putting those clean dishes away. No one wants to watch that old food grow mould as it sits in the living room or in the middle of the hall.
DO: Agree on chores around the house. Even if none of you wish to vacuum or wash the floor every week it may be important to at least agree on picking up after yourself. Whether you have a routine dishwashing schedule or agree to take charge when things get messy, it will force the not-so-clean people to acknowledge their own mess and clean up after themselves and prevent the clean-freaks from feeling they double as a housemaid.
DON'T: Invite the whole neighborhood over for the weekend so that they take up all of the sitting areas, devour the refrigerator full of groceries, which were just bought, and use all of the toilet paper in the house.
DO: Discuss visitation rights. Visitors can cause stress and animosity towards roommates if they are taking advantage of the living space. If visitors and guests are a non-issue it should be clear to the person who is inviting them over what you expect from their actions. This includes where they will crash, the food they will eat and their conduct in respect to the other housemates and their belongings.
DON'T: Figure you can eat whatever you want out of the fridge or cupboards unless told otherwise. The next time you go to grab that slice of pizza you were craving it will be gone and you're not allowed to bitch about it.
DO: Clearly identify food rules. Groceries can make or break a living arrangement now that you are buying your own food. Splitting up cupboard space and refrigerator shelves is a great way to acknowledge what you have bought and what you haven't as well as community purchases.
DON'T: Leave a surprise in or on the toilet. It very well could come back to haunt you. Don't leave any kind of hair behind for someone else to clean up or look at, it's just gross!
DO: Respect bathroom etiquette. The bathroom is the main source for bacteria, as well as a high traffic area. If chores are not your method of choice it should be clear and evident that all roommates clean up their own mess. By keeping their toiletries neat and tidy, cleaning the toothpaste off the side of the sink and wiping the toilet seat down if you aim and miss are all things that should be done out of respect for others.
DON'T: Allow roommates to turn your place into Animal House. Being obnoxiously loud, destroying property and leaving that sticky floor and fly covered beer collection for someone else to clean up isn't exactly the way to get on a roommate's good side, but it will get their attention.
DO: Agree on party rules. Weekends are a great time to party, but it is almost guaranteed you will live with one if not more students who will take advantage of a late class schedule and party during the week, which means additional people to the house, noise and the morning after mess. For those roommates who are not participating it should be clear what time it is acceptable for excessive noise and what time to call it quits and allow others to sleep or study.
On weekends the cut off for noise may depend on who is joining in on the fun and will vary among housemates. The morning after mess should be cleaned up upon awakening and include all of those who contributed.
DON'T: Fight like a girl (sorry ladies). Screaming, yelling and throwing clothes on the lawn are not the right approach to telling someone to pick up after him or herself or let them know you have a problem. These actions result in a defensive roommate who will lash back and come up with a way to get you back tenfold.
DO: Voice your dissatisfaction. Disagreements and fighting among roommates comes with the territory, no one should expect to live in a place where there will never be a heated discussion. Disagreeing with your housemates will only improve your quality of living and should be done in a mature and calm manner.
Living with other people is not easy, but there are ways in order to make the most of your first experience where you will either find housemates you will have long-term or learn that you are much better off living by yourself. Take the year in stride and learn, as this will be one of the most important life lessons, supplying many new college students with a much-needed wake-up call.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
