Choosing the Right Roommates

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One of the most stressful parts of college life is not the tests, quizzes, practical, or classes, but the never ending pressure one faces when they have to decide on their next semester’s rooming situations. Questions such as “Who should I room with? [or] Where should we room,” haunt each student throughout the year. It is a difficult thing to cover, and occasionally feelings get hurt, but it is your right to pick with who you want to live with. It is also a decision you will have to live with for the rest of the year. Some of the ways we can avoid that stress and be more at peace with who we are rooming with is starting early, being honest with yourself and your current roommate or friends, and taking into consideration the majors and personalities that may occupy your living quarters.

Giving yourself enough time during the year to figure rooming out, is a big part of the stress. You will want to start early, because you need to have that cushion and a backup plan if yours fall through. For example, if you are having to tell a roommate or friend that you will not be rooming with them next semester, the considerate thing to do is give the other person enough time to find other living arrangements. By giving the other person enough time to find other living arrangements, you providing a cushion for yourself, and your friend will take the news easier (Miller, 2006). It “Softens the blow” (Miller, 2006). Telling someone they can’t room with you when they are expecting to can be a difficult task to handle, and sometimes it is easier to let it slide until the last minute, because you don’t want to deal with the drama. Putting off telling your friend/roommate that they can’t live with you may seem like a brilliant idea at the time, ...

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...roommate have similar likes and dislikes, have about the same sleeping or studying habits, and roommates get a long best if they are both not aggressive than if they are both aggressive and outspoken people. Also, two dominant and controlling personalities can lead to trouble. If these suggestions are followed, then you will be able avoid all kinds of conflict that may have occurred later.

Works Cited

Miller, R. H. (2006). College housing decisions: choosing new roommates. In College housing decisions: choosing new roommates . Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/college-housing-decisions-roommate/

2. (2010). The Journal of college and university student housing, 36(2). Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acuho/ journal_vol36no2/index.php?startid=17

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