Every student who does not live with parents faced the dilemma of a good or bad, funny or weird roommate. Nobody is perfect. That’s why your “normal” is definitely someone’s “weird”. Do you know for sure what type of roommate you are? Let us figure it out!
Realizing the fact that you are a bad roommate is much more important than dealing with bad roommates of yours. Try to be honest with yourself. Determine your positive and negative traits of character. Do you agree you are a bad one? If at least one of the following statements is true for you, please make every effort on the way to being a good roommate.
You are passive-aggressive and condescending.
You pretend that things do not irritate you, but acutely comment such annoying situations every time they occur. Talk to your roommate face-to-face in order to focus on and solve such emerging problems.
Who oppresses and dominates the other person in your room? There is no correct answer. You have equal rights there. And a lot of irritating situations are insignificant and not worth ruining your relationship. Put up with it in order not to confront in the future.
You refrain from doing your daily chores.
Be ready to do your part. Dirtiness is inherent in every individual, because everyone is prone to make a little mess. Cleaning is necessary in the maintenance of cleaning order in your room.
Are you a messy person by your very nature? If yes and you fully realize it, you are on the right way to so-called roommate rehabilitation. Pick up your stuff by yourself. Do not make your roommate to do it instead of you. At least, you are not a pig!
Or…
You are obsessive about the cleanliness.
I don’t know what is worse out of two last statements.
Even though it is good for you, nevertheless, stop being such a pain in the neck to your roommate whoever he/she is. This person doesn’t have to follow your perfectionistic standards. Put up with the little messes of everyday life. Moreover, there is definitely nothing to complain about if your roommate tries to clean up after himself/herself.
You like to share things unless they are yours.
That is pretty acceptable you have stuff in your room you don’t want to share with anybody. At the same time, realize that your roommate can have the same rules for some things. Just discuss a clear division of communal and personal staff.
If something mentioned above applied to you, learn the following rules of becoming a good roommate through rehabilitation:
- treat your roommate with kindness and respect;
- consider his/her feelings in both good and bad situations arisen;
- communicate when you have a potential or obvious conflict of interest.
If there is something wrong, do not be quiet, speak up! But also be ready to listen and to hear your roommate in case he/she voices concerns as well. Follow the road of self-improvement as a good roommate.