For most of us, second semester or the next quarter has rolled around. That means that some of us are back to living in the dorms with our roommates, or that some of us are closer to approaching our freshmen year in college. So with that being said, here’s the second volume of the unspoken rules to being a good roommate.
I said this first point in the last volume, but I will reiterate it once again (because Lord have mercy on my soul, this one is important. VERY IMPORTANT).
ALARMS, MY FRIEND.
Set your alarms according to when you KNOW you are going to wake up. If you have a class at 11 in the morning, for example, which means that you have to be up by 10 in order to leave by 10:30, don’t set your alarm for 9:20 if you know you’re not going to get up at that time. That’s an unnecessary alarm that both you and your roommate has to suffer through. Unless you know for a FACT that you will wake up earlier than the “appropriate” time, don’t set that alarm.
Secondly, SET YOUR ALARM AT AN APPROPRIATE SOUND.
If every time your alarm goes off and it sounds like the coming of the annual Purge.... No. Just no. Either put your alarm closer to your head or MAKE SURE that you wake up when your alarm goes off.
If you’re a heavy sleeper and it takes you 30 seconds before you wake up to your alarm, chances are, you’ve annoyed your roommate to the greatest extent, especially if they have a later class than you and want to sleep in. There are a few things that college students value, and sleep is one of the top priorities.
Okay. Next point. The sink. Depending on the dorm you live in, you and your roommate may have access to a personal sink instead of a communal bathroom. If you don’t live in a dorm but instead live in an apartment, this next point still applies.
If you have to share sink space with your roommate(s), make sure you keep your side clean at all times. That, for the most part, is self-explanatory. No one likes having a dirty roommate and no one likes seeing the gunk build up on the sink walls.
Also, if you make food or you have any sort of dishes that need to be washed, save yourself the trouble and wash the plates/utensils/etc. as soon as you’re finished with them. By delaying this process, you’re only creating a bigger problem for yourself, especially when it’s been three days since you’ve done dishes and the leftover remnants of your hot pocket has stained the plate and takes a half hour to scrub off completely. Not only that but by leaving YOUR plates and YOUR stuff on the sink table, you’re making your roommate annoyed with their lack of ability to maneuver around your stuff.
The last time I talked about being quiet while your roommate was asleep, I noted that this was particularly important if you have an earlier class than them. However, this applies to another scenario too.
Naps are an essential part of my day. The amount of times I take naps throughout the week equals the amount of bags of hot Cheetos I eat in a week… which is a lot.
Anyway. If you live with a roommate, you always have to be mindful of what he or she is doing. Obviously, I’m not saying that you have to STALK your roommate and know what they’re doing at all times (because if you do, that’s creepy. Stop it.), but I’m saying that you have to be conscientious of what they’re doing when you’re in a room together.
Glance over every now and then to see what they’re up to. And no, not in an intrusive way because you’re trying to get up in their business, but because you want to see if they’re studying, sleeping, etc.
If you can clearly see that they are studying or doing homework, be mindful of the noise you make and try to keep it at a low level. If you can see that they’re taking an online quiz or exam, be EXTRA mindful of your noise level.
And finally, if you glance over and see that they are sleeping and taking a nap, YOU BETTER RESPECT THAT TIME. Naps are for rejuvenating, and there’s nothing rejuvenating about hearing you scream to your friends on the phone about how ridiculous your professor was at that day’s lecture.
All in all, as I’ve stated before, being considerate is the most important thing when you live with a roommate, whether it’s one person or multiple.
