Living with a roommate for the first time can feel overwhelming and a little bit scary.
It’s a big change for everyone and it can take time to make things work. But don’t worry! We've brought together a list of our top tips for making your stay with your new roommate as great as it can possibly be!
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Start A Conversation before moving in!
Start off on the right foot by opening up a conversation with your roommate! Roommate assignments are provided in late august, we encourage you to reach out and discuss what your living situation will look like!
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Communication is KEY!
The most important part of any relationship is communication, the same is true for roommates. When encountering an issue or concern, talk to them face to face, and keep the option to speak open. When you have something important to talk about, text-messages and notes can be misconstrued and lead to more problems later on
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Sharing is Caring
What are you going to share and what is off-limits? Anything that will live in a common area, like a toaster or kettle, that you would consider sharing should be discussed. Talk about what is an option to share and the expectations around sharing (when/where/how something should be used)
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Taking Out The Trash
A large source of tension can arise from roommates not seeing eye-to-eye on garbage disposal. Set up a schedule, or keep personal garbage in your own bedroom. Whatever the case, if you're having concerns, reach out to your roommate and have a conversation, don't test how long you can leave the garbage before they will take it.
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Guests
Talk about visitors, and how they are to act in your room. It is good to talk about things like privacy, how another person can affect that, and when can visitors stay, how often visitors can come over.
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Study Time
If you prefer to study from home, discuss that with your roommate. Set times where you and your roommate need quiet for study, and times where that wont be an option.
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Noise!
What is too loud, and what is okay? Set clear volume expectations with your roommate so no one is disturbed.
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Sleep
When do you need to turn in to feel rested, and when do you usually wake up? Will this change on the weekends? Discussing your sleep schedule with your roommate can help to alleviate morning stressors, and help you both get to sleep peacefully at night.
Still Struggling?
If you've tried all of these tips and things still aren't working out, your Residence Life Team can help you!
Reach out to us at info@canadoreresidence.ca to explore your options!