Press "Enter" to skip to content

Residing with a roommate

Whether you’re a first year student or a graduate student, having a roommate is something that everybody will  go through at various times in their lives. Here at TWU,  although many students are nontraditional, there is a large number of traditional first-year and sophomore students who call the TWU dorms their home. Even if students don’t live in the dorms, there is  a high chance that they have to share a room, house or apartment with at least one another individual; some student living apartments even house four people per suite. 

Living with a roommate, or roommates, can sometimes be hard and overwhelming, but having the ability to cohabitate with others is a necessary skill  in the current times. It’s important to remember that living with somebody is not the same thing as being friends with them, and thus being a roommate requires a different approach to the roommate relationship.

When first moving in with somebody, even if it’s a friend or individuals outside of your immediate family, it’s important to know what you want and to establish clear communication with your roommate as early as possible.

Student Manager, and former Resident Assistant, Deanna Douglass suggests that individuals“manage [their] expectations and communicate them clearly.” Be open with new roommates and talk about what is expected of each other early on.“Most disagreements are caused by one person expecting things to be one way, while the other one has no idea,” added Douglass. 

It’s also important  to remember that even the best roommates will have disagreements and issues: that is normal. However, it’s crucial that these issues get addressed in a civil and timely manner. Edgar Cruz, a Senior Kinesiology student who lives in the dorms, said “it is important to communicate the negatives just like the positives…if something is bothering you speak up, and everybody will be better for it.” At the end of the day it’s all about communication. 

  

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *