You've moved away from home and moved in with another person — your college roommate. You might be used to sharing a room back home. It may be something completely new to you. Either way, the relationship you develop with your roommate can be transformative and have a major impact on your college experience.
Whether it results in a lifelong friendship or a civil parting of ways, you're bound to face a few bumps along the way. The good news is that different people can become great roommates. Actors Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve roomed together at Julliard in New York City and were friends for life. Just imagine that combination!
With tact, respect, care and an open mind, you can establish a solid roommate relationship. It's all part of the college experience and, done right, it can be one of the best parts.
Residence Hall Safety
Sharing a room also means sharing responsibility. You and your roommate may have different takes on what that means. Therefore, discuss the following items and come to an agreement about how you'll keep the room, your belongings, and one another safe.
- Carrying keys and ID cards: What happens if someone loses their keys?
- Locking the room: Will it be locked when you're in the bathroom or study lounge? How about when you're out of the building? Sharing passwords and phone codes: How does this impact the other roommate?
- Following policies: If one roommate is doing something illegal in the room, how will this affect the other?
- Hosting guests overnight: What boundaries will you establish?
- Allowing people to enter our room when no one else is there: How does this decision by one roommate impact the other?
To maintain optimum safety, we strongly recommend that doors remain locked, passwords and codes not be shared, and keys/ID cards remain with their owners.