If you are planning on going away to college, there is a pretty good chance that you will live in a dorm on campus. Before I went off to school, I was nervous about moving on campus—not because of all the homework I would have to do or hard professors I would have to deal with, but because I felt like I wouldn't have a good experience with my roommate. In my head, I just knew that my roommate would be some crazy girl who was loud, dirty and just horrible to live with. Thankfully, my roommate was nothing like what I expected, and we have continued to get along great. In fact, I am very close with all the people who live in my suite, and I have a few tips you can use to avoid unnecessary drama with your roommates.
1. Be nice.
It's a basic and obvious tip, but being nice can actually get you a long way. I'm not saying you have to be best friends, but you should at least be cordial with your suitemates since you will be living with them (and they know where you sleep). A simple "Good morning" or "How are you?" is always a good start. You never know when you're going to need them so it is very important that you treat them well.
2. Cleaning is the key to success.
I don't know about you, but I cannot live in filth. Chances are your suitemates will feel the same way. You don't want to be the only one who doesn't pitch in when it's time to clean up because that might turn into a big problem. I recommend that you and your roommates create a schedule for who cleans what in the bathroom and common area so there is no confusion. A schedule helps to avoid the same people cleaning the same thing all the time. Happy cleaning!
3. Don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you.
This is another common sense tip, but I felt the need to point it out because there are people that seem to forget that stealing is not acceptable. Using someone one else's stuff without asking is also a big problem. If you follow my first tip, you should have a good enough relationship with your roommates that you could ask for whatever it is that you want or need from them. Also, remember that just because they let you use something once doesn't mean that you never have to ask to use their stuff again; ask every time you want to borrow something. You don't want to be known for having sticky fingers because it will not end well for you.
4. Do not gossip.
Gossiping is always messy, but it's even worse when you're talking about someone who lives two doors down from you. Whether your suitemate overhears you or the person you were talking to, the gossiping begins. If you have a problem with someone in your suite, you should address the person directly, not with everyone else in the suite. Also, you can contact your RA or floor supervisor and set a formal meeting. Adding more people into the situation just causes more drama so having a one-on-one with the person you're having issues with is the best way to go.
