One of the many, inevitable learning experiences that students encounter in college involve dealing with people who aren’t exactly easy to confront. On one hand, having public decency when faced with challenging people can be tough, but it is manageable. Whereas, encountering and coming into close contact with an individual of negative temperament on a routine basis can create an impossible situation. Speaking of close contact, the people you live with, and see in just about every state of mind, are more than likely going to have the most intimate relationship with you than any outside individuals in your life.
Remember how we used to get so annoyed with our parents during our rebellious teenage years? A similar kind of irritation is bound to occur, at least to a certain extent, with your college roommates. Unfortunately, it seems that no matter how healthy and strong of a relationship we begin with, you are likely to encounter a quarrel or two. It’s all about finding that happy medium. In the past, my roommates and I have found it effective to create a schedule where we alternate between house chores so that it seems like we each contribute a fair share to keeping our shared living area tidy and presentable.
“Show respect even to people who don’t deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours.”
No matter whether you’re dealing with difficult people at home, in the workplace, or at the grocery store, there’s a key list that I like to keep in mind:
Count to 10 before acting impulsively on your emotions, take a few deep breaths and consider if what you’re about to say to the person will benefit your relationship collectively down the road, or if it will merely allow you to get rid of some temporary frustrations.Seek out the simplest solution to whatever situation might be at hand. You want to sure to keep friction at the lowest possible level. More times than not, what you think is upsetting in the heat of the moment isn’t worth it, in the long run, to create an argument over. Try to maintain peace of mind. Less stress is best.Stop complaining. Just think about all the time you’ll waste by negatively reacting to the situation. Why not be proactive instead? Take all of the negative feelings and put them into problem solving, creating positive and useful energy.Communicate effectively. Try to understand the person before addressing the issue. There are always two sides to every story, and each person has their own justification as to why they are right. So, listen before assuming, reacting, and judging. You’ll thank yourself.Don’t be a 'yes'-man. Stand up for yourself or you’ll get walked all over. Make sure you voice your opinion so that you’re happy with how things are run around the living area. Strive for a compromise at all costs if you and your roommates can’t agree exactly on one decision.Let it go. Close your eyes, close your heart and let it go. No matter how the other people are around you, keep an open mind. Don’t get bitter, get better.
