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College Dorm Life — Sharing a Room
Preparing to share your space and your stuff for the first time
For many of you, having a roommate in the college dorm may be the first time in your entire life that you've had to share a room. Often, adjusting to college dorm life can be an overwhelming situation if you are not prepared.
The summer before you move in, contact your new roommate(s) to get to know him or her better. This will also help to understand what's important to this new person.
Making the environment you live in comfortable is a must for both you and your roommate(s). It's always a good idea to talk with your roommate as soon as you move in to decide if you are a night owl or if you go to bed early. This will help you and your roommate to better complement each other's personal needs. Moreover, it's always a good idea to decide the tolerance of noise in the room. This can help stop awkward situations when you barely know your roommate.
Also, many colleges and universities have visitation policies. Discuss with your roommate when you are allowed to have members of the opposite sex in your room, as well as overnight guests.
If you are having difficulties with your new roommate, remember that you can always talk to your resident assistant and help build a Roommate Bill of Rights. This is an easy way for you and your roommate to sit down and make rules for the room.
Megan O'Leary-Buda holds a master's degree in higher education administration from The University of Akron. She works at Quinnipiac University as a residence hall director for off-campus properties, a position that allows her to create new programs for first-year transfer students, sophomores, and juniors. She also supervises resident assistants living in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus.
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