The do’s and don’ts of roommating

By Sharon Cleere in College living, Entertainment, Front Page on Sep 15, 2012 11:28 / comments

After a long day at work, I returned to my dorm room only to find my roommate sprawled out on the couch, wearing a bathrobe (my bathrobe to be exact) and munching on some Spicy Hot Cheetos, most of which missed her mouth and ended up on the floor, while she watched “Paranormal Activity” on her laptop and “Mean Girls” on our television simultaneously. I didn’t know whether to be impressed at her ability to watch two movies at a time or disgusted by the fact that she was naked in MY bathrobe and creating a mess that swarmed around her like Pig-Pen from “Charlie Brown.”

Despite my roommate’s strange obsession with my bathrobe, excessive snacking and messy tendencies, I still love her dearly for her bubbly personality. Because of that, we found ways to work around each other’s habits. Dorms are an interesting concept; take two to four people, most of whom are fresh out of high school, stick them in a room the size of a closet and expect them to co-exist peacefully for the school year. It’s a tall order, if you ask me, but needless to say, it can be done.

Music radiates from freshmrn undecided major Preston Evans and Charlie Steere’s room. The two roommates bonded while playing guitar. (CU Independent)

Freshmen Preston Evans and Charlie Steere have only been roommates for about two weeks, yet they already complete one another’s sentences.

“We both have beards, we both play guitar and rock climb,” started Steere, as Evens added, “Oh and we like sweet pickles.” Evans has even held the trash can up to Steere’s head at night when he was sick.

They are both aware of the other’s personal space but most of all, they try to keep each other entertained. They explained that this is the key to keeping a fun and functioning roommate relationship.

Unlike Evans and Steere, who are very close, 18-year-old freshman engineering major Will Bible and his roommate seem to be at odds.

“It’s really more of a personality thing,” Bible said. “He has a group of three people that are always over even when I’m trying to sleep. I wish he would do a little less of this and try a little harder to meet people.”

When asked about common roommate problems she hears from residents in her hall, 21-year-old senior and Resident Adviser Jessica Walker, an environmental studies and psychology double major, cited “roommates taking their stuff, leaving the light on when they are trying to sleep and … having people over without asking” as some of the main complaints.

Christian Young, a 21-year-old RA and aerospace engineering major, explained a common problem he hears about is having a roommate that smells bad or, perhaps even worse, a roommate who will have sex on the other person’s bed. Young chuckled at the thought of such an inconsiderate act and continued to say, “If I had a roommate, I would respect their space.”

RAs are faced with roommate discrepancies frequently, and it’s their job to help residents deal with them. They are a resourceful tool if ever you’re faced with a roommate conflict that seems to have no solution.

So how does one become a good roommate and what makes a bad one? People have different habits and come from different backgrounds with different likes and dislikes — mixing the lives of several people into one home can be a big adjustment. As long as you practice good communication and are considerate and respectful of the other person’s space and needs, it’s possible to have a relationship like Evans and Steere.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sharon Cleere at Sharon.cleere@colorado.edu.