Roommates: Love ’em, hate ’em, can’t live without ’em

Our college and young adult years are filled with thrilling adventures, finding jobs, taking on crippling debt and of course the joys of roommates.

Because it is always cheaper to live with a roommate or two, most college students or young adults opt to have one.

But at what cost?

Some days, it’s fun, other days… it can be a headache.

It’s very different living with a person that isn’t your family. Someone you aren’t expected to love regardless of how many fights you get in. So when you do get into a fight… it’s weird.

Fights with family, specifically siblings, usually end when supper comes around or one of you needs the other one to bring you a roll of toilet paper.

But fights with roommates… now those can last for a while and how do you know when they’re over? How long do you have to ignore each other in the kitchen? I’ve had a roomate for three years now and I still don’t have those answers.

The best way to try and prevent issues before they even happen is to have open communication.

Being able to talk to each other about cleaning, guests, late night noises, food etc. will make things easier in the long run.

Do your part in cleaning your shared space. You can’t just go home, crash, trash it and leave the next day for class and work. Nor can you lay around all day and do nothing.

Being roommates with someone who isn’t family takes extra work. Being curtious around your siblings may or may not be a thing but it needs to be a thing with roommates.

If your roommate was a friend, by the time you move out, they may not be anymore.

The biggest takeaway from having a few roommates is just because you’re friends with someone doesn’t mean you can live with them. So many interesting and potentially aggrevating qualities can come out of the woodwork.

There are a lot of things that should be discussed before living with someone. But not even those discussions can prevent future issues.

You know why? Because it is next to impossible to never get into an argument or a fight with someone you live with. It’s just not possible.

While these issues will arise, I encourage you to handle it as an adult.

You may never see this person again or they may be the maid of honor at your wedding. Regardless, it’s important to treat them as you would want to be treated.

If nothing else, remember, you live with them. They have access to your food. Treat each other with respect.