The roommate struggle is real
Coming to college presents a lot of new, exciting and terrifying opportunities for everyone.
For many, college is the first time that they experience the responsibility of managing money, cooking their own meals and living with people who aren’t family. Having roommates presents some of the best experiences students ever have at college, but it may also bring the worst.
Sophomore, Destiny Mantei lives at Old Farm with her four roommates. She thinks it is important for roommates to understand each other in order to keep the peace.
“Realize that they all have different backgrounds. Be patient and understanding with the customs that they have and how they communicate or don’t communicate,” she said. “Also, I think it’s important to serve them. I always try to do my roommates’ dishes or make them brownies once in awhile and it lets them know that we are good and there’s no need to fight.”
Mantei has had the opportunity to live with a friend from back home, and has had new roommates whom she had never met. But for her, it does not matter how well she knows them, as long as they are willing to communicate with her.
“Communication is key. If you take time out of your day to actually talk to your roommates so they know that you care even though you’re busy, it helps a lot. I think you can have really good experiences with your roommates if you just take the time to care about them and make sure they are okay,” she said.
Kaitlyn Daniels is another Utah State University student who has been living with roommates for a couple of years. Her tip for being a good roommate is just simply being respectful of the other people you live with.
“Respecting other people’s space. For me, cleanliness is a big deal. I don’t care if your room is dirty but the kitchen and living room is everybody’s space. People should just respect that.
Also, being considerate and not being rude,” she said.
Daniels lives at Twin Pines with two other roommates. They have lived together since May 2016 and have had to adjust to each other’s ways of thinking.
“Everybody learns to do stuff a certain way. Some people have priorities like they do the dishes right after they eat and some let them sit there for a while,” she said. “Being tolerant and getting used to how other people do things is really important.”
Daniels has one piece of advice that has helped her greatly in enjoying her experiences with roommates.
“You’re roommates but you don’t have to be best friends with them like most people think,” she said.
Crystal Canada also believes communication is one of the most important things to have in roommate relationships. She has had multiple experiences with her roommates where they didn’t communicate in the best possible way.
“Last year was pretty bad with one instant. My one other roommate and I were the only ones who did the dishes and so we didn’t want to buy trash bags. Somebody actually moved out because they didn’t want to pay for it either,” she said. “They weren’t communicating with anybody and everyone was just talking about each other behind their backs.”
Canada admits communication is an area that she struggles with as well, but it’s something she is trying to work on this semester at her apartment.
Canada also has a couple of simple tips for what people shouldn’t be doing, if they want to be a good roommate.
“Don’t be afraid of conflict and don’t put passive aggressive notes on the refrigerator,” she said.
Roommates can be the best part of a college experience, or in some cases they may be the worst. Horror stories of roommates exist for nearly everyone, but with a little respect and communication, most of these can be resolved. Although the dishes may be piled high, there is some good in every apartment, if students are willing to find it.
— shelbstoor11@aggiemail.usu.edu
@shelbstoor11