Almost every freshman starting their first venture to college will have to deal with a roommate (there are probably a few exceptions to every rule – like those that are living at home). Some new students have never had to deal with sharing living space with anyone (at least not for any length of time). A college roommate can be an learning experience for our beginning student. They can learn about diversity, sharing, getting along, communicating – important life skills. I have found some great places on the web that cover most of the ground of living with a roommate. My biggest advice to new roommates is that this is not forever (you can get a “divorce” at the end of the year), if you try and communicate you could discover a new friend and you also might learn something new about yourself!

Pink and Black has a great article on “How to Be A Great Roommate“. The main point I like from their article is to respect the person you are rooming with.

College Parent Central has an article written for the parents on “How to Help Your College Student Prepare for Living with a Roommate“.  This article talks about having the students discuss non-negotiable limits – sleeping with the window open, roommate borrowing things, overnight guests, etc – before the problems come up.

The New York Times wrote two articles on Roommates: “Sharing Spaces: The Science of Roommates” and “Sharing Spaces: Failure to Communicate“. The Science of Roommate article showed the positive and negative side effects roommates have on each other.  Everything from weight gain, mental health, grades, and drinking can be affected by the roommate. In the article – Failure to Communicate. The author talks about how today’s students are not effectively communicating with each other when a problem comes up.

Have you talked to your new college student about their roommate? New College Student: Have you talked to your new roommate?

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