#RoommateProblems has become a regular complaint of college students everywhere, yet actually dealing with roommate-related problems can be challenging and distracting. If your roommate problems go deeper than a disagreement about loud music or whose turn it is to vacuum, you may have to actually deal with things like real adults.
In any relationship, roomies included, communication is key.
The first step in working on your shared issues is talking about them. Each roommate should communicate their grievances and suggest ways in which the other can make the living situation more comfortable.
This can be awkward or difficult, but it’s important to remember that not everyone is going to be best friends with his or her roommate. Though living together often creates a close bond between people, it can also complicate relationships.
If talking does nothing to fix the living situation, it’s best to keep out of each other’s way, continue respecting each other’s property and privacy, and carry on with your own life. Sometimes keeping your distance can allow for more honest communication, in that it is often easier to tell someone to clean up her mess or pay you back for something if a friendship is not on the line.
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If your roommate problems create too hostile a living environment for you, pack up and move out.
Sacrificing your mental health to work on a relationship that is clearly not working may seem like taking the high road, but you have to do what is best for you. Attempting to work on a healthy relationship with someone who is clearly not putting in as much effort as you and who does not care about your needs is a waste of energy.
Perhaps you and your roommate can cultivate a relationship outside of living together. If you began rooming as friends, there is no reason to feel guilty about moving out or finding a new roommate. If your roommate is truly your friend, he or she will understand that the living environment that the two of you created was detrimental to your mental state and distracting to you.
Living with other people can be uncomfortable, but it should not be unbearable. Never be afraid to speak up for yourself and take charge of your home here on campus.
Hannah can be reached at [email protected].
