Roommate Issues? It Happens

While being away at school, we’re practically spending all day in apartments or dorms with our roommates. From being with each other for the majority of the semester, built up annoyance happens. One roommate may not always take out the trash. Another roommate may let his or her dishes sit in the sink. Whatever the case may be, I totally understand if small things have been getting on your nerves.

Addressing the issue is key! I know it’s easier said than done. An article from The New York Times mentioned that no one is perfect at expressing feelings, but when issues arise, we can be better at communicating! The longer you wait, the more annoyance bottles up inside of you. There are multiple ways to be proactive in handling disagreements: face the problem together, give yourself some alone time, and ranting to a friend or family member.

When I say face the problem together, I mean to say something sooner rather than later. How? Instead of letting your anger take over, try bringing up the topic carefully. You can’t assume your roommates know what you’re thinking. Be sure to address it in a way that isn’t offensive to your roommate. If you need help with trash or need a pot that your roommate hasn’t washed yet, say something! If you find yourselves in-sync with laundry days, mention arranging which days work best for each roommate. For example, try “Saturdays work best for me to do laundry. Could we figure out a day that works best for everyone so that we don’t collide?”

Giving yourself some alone time is a must. I always shut my door to indicate that I’m either working or I simply just need to be alone. If I’m doing chores, I usually put in headphones. Headphones create another form of personal space.

Ranting to a friend, older sibling, or parent is also relieving. Sometimes I reach out to friends from home to see what their coping strategies are. I even ask my brothers for some insight, too. In many instances, I reach out to my parents. Considering I may sound hectic when ranting to them: They tend to be levelheaded and good at calming me down. The person you trust enough to rant to may help you come up with something careful to say to your roommates.

I understand that roommates have different schedules and like doing things at their convenience. But setting some ground rules and communicating is important for relieving tension! I know our lives are still out of sorts, and it’s completely normal to have some ups and downs. We will get through this!

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