Caity Healy | Lifestyle editor
For those living in a dorm, you know that the atmosphere and the living situation feels entirely different than if you were living somewhere else. You now live with a roommate that you may or may not know, your space has been condensed into a cramped room, and for many, you have to learn how to share this small space with someone you’d never experienced living with before.
While ultimately this can lead to conflict, some unavoidable, there are ways to best navigate the issues or minimize the amount that will arise.
When it comes to living with a roommate, the most important thing to maintain is respect. “Respect is really the baseline for a healthy roommate relationship,” commented sophomore education major Kaiana Bradley, who is an RA at Western, “treat them and their things how you would want to be treated.”
As for the biggest ways for keeping the relationship between you and your roommate civil, she noted that it really comes down to two points: compromise and communication. “People are raised differently and live differently,” said Bradley, “but talking about differences and issues and finding compromise is the best way to avoid conflict.”
Finding compromise with your roommate can come in many forms. Set guidelines between each other that you need to follow. There are many important questions that you should be asking your new roommate to get a sense of how they’d prefer things to go, and so that they can hear your perspective as well. How do you feel about guests coming over? When do you want it to be quiet? Are there any foods that you just can’t stand the smell of and would rather me not microwave in here? How do you feel about people spending the night? Things like this, while the answers might not always be in sync, will still allow you to both have a voice in how the rest of the year will go.
If conflict does arise, though, it’s best to tackle it early on. You can try to work it out with your roommate, but if that’s proving to be ineffective, take it to your RA.
“If the resident feels uncomfortable addressing their concern directly to their roommate, they can let their RA know what is happening and the RA can help them through the process from there.” Bradley added.
Lastly, realize that dorm room etiquette means more than just within the bedroom; it also includes the shared bathroom. This single bathroom is shared between you and everyone in the dorm, so keep a few things in mind. There are limited showers, so try to cut down your time as there could likely be people waiting. Also, make the janitor’s job easier and pick up after yourself. “Remove hair from the shower after you get out, remove soaps from the shower … and pick up your trash,” noted Bradley.
Contact the author at chealy16@mail.wou.edu
Photo by: Paul F. Davis
