College Dorm Life Tips for Future Freshmen
Be Proactive With Potential Problems of Living With Room Mates
Sep 19, 2009
To have a successful freshman year of college, newly graduated high school seniors need to be prepared.
The books are purchased, the comforters are coordinated, but is the room mate really how he or she appears? A huge conflict that many freshmen have is one with their dorm room mate.
Sharing a Dorm Room for the First Time
The old adage that "one never really knows another person until one lives with that person" applies to every incoming freshman. Of course, when room assignments are sent in the mail, a future college student can find the potential room mate on Facebook or Myspace. Those sites will give some basic information like interests, hobbies and pictures about the new room mate. However, many people do not show their "true selves" on those sites. Try to email or call the person to get to know the person better.
Spend Some Time with Room Mate
A really great way to see if things will work out in the future is to spend some time alone with the future room mate. Go to lunch or to dinner and talk about living together. A great tip is to spend the night at the other person's home to see how he or she really lives.
Set Basic Ground Rules
Many high school students do not or have not had to share a bedroom. So, it is best if some basic rules are set before the laptops and comforters even leave the back of the family car on move in day. To establish some basic rules, use email to communicate. Ask the future room mate the following questions:
- Is complete quiet needed when studying? If solitude is needed, what accommodations can be made?
- Will a boyfriend/girlfriend be spending a lot of time in the room? How will this work?
- How clean should the room be? Who will do what cleaning?
- Will food be shared? If not, how will it be stored?
- Will additional furniture or appliances be needed? If so, who will bring what?
- How loud will the music be kept? Can music be listened to through head phones?
- When any friends visit, what are the expectations of the other room mate?
Making the Rules Work
Once a discussion of the questions has occurred, make sure to make a solid agreement about the rules. If the rules are broken, have a plan for this as well. Problem solving is key. If the conflict becomes too heated, a third party, such as a Room Adviser, can help mediate. If all else fails, students usually can change room assignments after the first couple weeks of college.
There are so many unforeseen conflicts and issues that a college freshman will have to deal with in the first month of school. If ground rules are set with the room mate, then those conflicts can be minimized and the students can focus on studying and enjoying college life.
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