We like to make living with roommates as comfortable as we can here at The Sawyer. Residents of our Missoula student apartments enjoy private bed and bathrooms and individual leases, which already eliminates some of the common roommate troubles college students sometimes experience. Still, living with others isn’t always easy, and it’s important to be thoughtful, respectful, and communicative with your roommates in order to create a home that everyone enjoys living in. These five tips can help you develop excellent roommate relationships and a pleasant living environment.
When you’re done reading this post, why not start the conversation by sharing this with your roommates at our student apartments in Missoula? For now, sit back and take a quick read through our tips on how to be a good roommate!
Set Ground Rules and Stick To Them
Every group of roommates should have some kind of roommate agreement, whether it’s written down or just talked about in person. There are lots of logistics to living with others, and failing to explicitly set expectations, boundaries, and responsibilities are bound to result in some discomfort. Take some time when you first move in with someone to discuss how you’ll handle things like cleaning the apartment, cooking meals, running the dishwasher, inviting people over, stocking the fridge and pantry, and so on. Once you’ve set these ground rules, stick to them. If you find any of them no longer suits you, have an explicit conversation with your roommates about them to discuss changes before you abandon any rules you had initially agreed upon.
Respect Others’ Privacy
You may be living in the same apartment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain privacy! Make sure you don’t enter your roommate’s bedrooms or bathrooms unless invited. Be mindful of your roommate’s needs to sleep and spend time alone and make sure you’re not compromising their ability to do so. Even if you’re best friends with your roommates, we all need a little privacy in our lives and bear in mind that your roommates may need more privacy than you do, especially if they identify as an introvert.
Always Clean Up After Yourself
You should be explicit about how you and your roommates will handle cleaning, but in general, it’s always kinder to clean up after yourself. Put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher and never hoard them in your room or leave them in a place that your roommates will need to use like the living room or sink. Throw away trash promptly instead of leaving it around. Never leave clothes lying around outside of your bedroom, especially dirty ones. We’re not all neat freaks, and your private bedroom can be as messy as you like, but shared spaces should always be kept in a state where all can enjoy it.
Practice Good Communication
There will inevitably be times where you or your roommates clash, make mistakes or fail to live up to your responsibilities to each other. As long as you have the ability to communicate effectively with each other, these situations don’t have to create major conflict. Make sure, to be honest and respectful to each other. Share your feelings and ask nicely for behavior to change. If you’re the one at fault, be open to constructive criticism and apologize, then promise to do better and make good on that promise. Remember, you all want the same thing when it comes down to it: a good place to live. Create an environment where you and your roommates can continuously get better at meeting that goal.
Live and Let Live
You and your roommates all want to live life to the fullest at your student apartments in Missoula, and you all have an equal right to do so. So chase your bliss, but make sure doing so never impedes upon your roommate’s ability to do so as well. Don’t blast music loud enough for your whole apartment to hear (unless your roommates have told you they want to hear your music), don’t monopolize access to in-unit amenities like the TV or kitchen, and avoid interrupting your roommates when they’re hard at work or taking time to recharge.
That’s it for our roommate tips! We hope we’ve given you some great advice that will help you and your roommates live harmoniously together! If you enjoyed this post and you’d like to see more like it, go ahead and bookmark our blog page for easy access to future tips, recommendations, and features! And don’t forget that we have an Instagram! Follow us there to keep up-to-date with all things The Sawyer.