7 Tips for a Great First Roommate Experience

Getting your first roommate may seem like one of the scariest parts of freshman year.  They are a complete stranger to you, yet you are going to end up living with them for the next eight months.  In my freshman year, I lived in supplemental housing, so I had six roommates, all of whom were very different.  The point of this blog is to help you to be a better roommate and to find ways to get along with yours.

1. You don’t have to be best friends

When you first get to Penn State, you are going to be doing a lot with your roommate(s) such as floor events, exploring campus, and probably going with them to the dining commons for meals.  Don’t be offended if a few weeks in, this doesn’t happen as often.  Your roommate is a great first friend, but you will be meeting so many people in your first few weeks at Penn State.  If your roommate doesn’t end up being your best friend, it’s not the end of the world.

2. What if you don’t get along? 

Living with someone can be very difficult, even if you are the best of friends.  The main thing to remember is that you both have to respect each other’s space and privacy.  If you aren’t close friends, you can still get along fine as roommates.  If you are having a lot of issues where living in your room is becoming difficult, you can always talk to your RA (residents assistant) about the issues you are having, and they can help you to work through them.  There is also the option to switch roommates with someone else, either on your floor or online.

3. Find a place to be alone

One of my biggest issues my freshman year was that with six other roommates, someone was always in the room and I was never completely alone.  One of the best ways I was able to handle this was by finding a place that I could go to be alone and study.  A few places that I found were a study room in my dorm and some empty classrooms in Hammond (one of the engineering buildings).  There are plenty of other places you can go, so find out what works for you!

4. Be NEAT!

If you haven’t shared a room with anyone before, you probably aren’t used to anyone but your mom nagging you to clean up.  When you share a room though, making a mess affects two people.  Discuss with your roommate the expectations on the cleanliness of the room, so that you can make sure that both people are comfortable.  Also make sure that you wash dishes, do laundry and take out the trash regularly to prevent any strange odors.

5. Don’t have unrealistic expectations

On the same topic of being neat, you can’t expect the room to look perfect at all times.  During finals and busy weeks, cleaning isn’t usually the priority.  If the room is starting to get messy, be understanding and ask your roommate in a kind way if they could clean up when they have time.

6. Communication is key

One of the easiest ways to avoid conflict is just by talking.  If there are clear expectations set in the very beginning then there will be less surprises.  Some of the best things to discuss when first meeting your roommate are:

• Feelings towards overnight visitors (whether it be siblings or significant others or friends)

• Whether or not you want to share anything and if so, what.  My roommates and I would share some food and milk but would ask if we wanted to borrow any clothes or shoes.  Any shared food was on the “community food table” but otherwise we kept our own food in separate areas.

• What time you want to have the lights shut off by and quiet hours.

If something bothers you, speak up.  Your roommate will never know that what they are doing is making you mad unless you tell them!

7. Try to talk to your roommate before you arrive at school

Getting to know your roommate before you get to school can be very helpful!  With Facebook, cell phones and other social media it is really easy to connect with your future roommate before meeting face to face!  This will make meeting each other for the first time even more comfortable!  You can also talk to each other about who is bringing what so you don’t end up with two of everything!  You can find your roommate’s contact information on eLion!  Try emailing them first and then getting their number and other information from there!

Kaitlyn Heinzmann is a senior majoring in Computer Science, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!