Chances are you’ve lived with someone else before. If things go well between you and your roommates, then good for you. What if life is not a fairytale and your horrible roommates take every single opportunity to drive you nuts? After nine roommates and still counting, I developed specific strategies in order to deal with three common roommate problems. These techniques are nowhere near perfect, and you are welcome to suggest your own in the comment sections.
A roommate who steals your food.
You come home and find out your roommate Sarah ate the last piece of cheesecake you’ve been saving in the fridge. “But I wrote my name on it!” you screamed from the top of your lungs.
I know you really want to give her a slap, but the damage is done. This is the moment that you just have to be the bigger person. Give her a big hug and tell her that it’s OK, you love her anyway. Next time, let your cheesecake sit out for a few days and put it back in the fridge. Make sure Sarah could see it immediately when she opens the fridge's door. Remember to shed some tears when she tells you about her diarrhea the morning after.
A roommate who is never around.
You are very excited to move in with your new roommate Bob who is a very clean person and seems to be really chill. You can’t wait to post a selfie of you and Bob getting wasted together with the caption, “Roommates for life,” on every single social media channels possible, and the thought of hanging out with Bob all day makes you want to blow a hole on the wall so that you can watch while he sleeps.
Sadly, he is rarely home and the only thing you two ever talk about is the weather. I know that loneliness could eat you alive, but stay strong and keep it together. The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Make some pasta with tomato sauce (hey, at least you tried) and text Bob to come hang out and have dinner. Now that I think about it, this should probably be the first thing you should do. But what’s the fun in that, right? While having dinner, if you want to be a little bit more dramatic, then put on the ‘Friends’ theme song and relive the first day you two met. At this point, if he still wonders what the heck you are trying to prove, then Bob is a heartless jerk and you shouldn't bother trying anymore.
A roommate who stinks.
I recalled back when I was in freshman year living with three other dudes, we had this list of agreements at the beginning of the semester. One of the agreements was taking showers at least four times a week.
Now imagine if you live with three other roommates Jennifer, Tiffany and Rose, and would literally throw up anytime sitting downhill of Rose. Well maybe it’s not that bad, but you still want to set an example for the rest of the house, right? How do you make a strong statement without hurting her feelings? Gag vigorously every time she is around. Make a lot of noise. When she comes over to check upon you and the odor gets stronger, puke a little bit in front of you to prevent further aggression. She needs to understand that her smell's presence negatively affect your well-being. This is actually as polite and discreet as it can get. Hopefully she could pick up the hint.
Alternatively, you can try to monitor her subconsciousness. Print out a bunch of Lifebuoy or Colgate posters and hang them up around the common areas. Hanging some directly in front of the person’s door also reportedly see quick results.
Final thoughts.
Seriously though, before applying any of my tips mentioned above, ask yourself if your roommates really deserve it. By no means I am a perfect roommate, and I have to admit that sometimes it is my fault. In every situation, effective communication and understanding is the key. Living with other people for is hard for everyone so try to put yourself into others’ shoes before judging. Remember that a little kindness does go a long way.
However, never lose your ground when it comes to cheesecake.
