Come into the situation with an open mind. If you do not choose your roommate and sometimes even if you do, you may find your roommate is not like you very much. You may differ in religious beliefs, political opinion, music taste, or many other characteristics. This does not mean you will not get along. Often a roommate who is very different from yourself will introduce you to new and exciting things, and offer completely different points of view to your conversations. Do not write off your roommate just because you seem to have nothing in common at first.
Be honest and clear about any problems you have with your roommate. The worst roommate situation may be when one roommate slowly grows angry at another roommate but the other roommate does not realize anything is wrong because the first roommate doesn't say anything. At the same time you should be careful not to be nit-picky about every little thing someone does. Living with someone is one of the most difficult, yet potentially, one of the the most rewarding of interpersonal relationships. Compromise should be the key tool in working out roommate problems.
Set clear rules. There are many ground rules which should be established early in your roommate relationship. From establishing your visiting policy to establishing a rotation for who should take out the garbage, many details need to be worked out, but because you make the rules together, you should be open to changing the rules if necessary later.
Treat each other with respect. Everyone often runs on a different schedule. If you come in late one night and your roommate is sleeping, come in quietly, try to manage without the lights on. Sometimes waking up your slumbering roommate is not the best thing to do!
At other times, one roommate may want to sleep or study while the other may want to watch TV or listen to music. Try to work out the best situation. Someone may have to go to a study lounge, or someone may have to try and watch their TV show in a friends room. Do what you can, within reasonable means, to be thoughtful and courteous towards your roommate.
Be willing to compromise.
For example, in the area of music: one roommate wants to listen to rap, the other to country. Learn to give a little. listen to each others music for a little while and if no one wants to compromise, then you don't listen to anything or you use earphones.
Learn to be laid back.
If there is one thing you can't do in college, it's being anal with a roommate. You HAVE to learn to let some things roll off of your back. Be able to stand you ground with them, but try not stepping on their ground too much! If your roommate leaves their area of the room messy for a few days and you're a neat freak, don't let it get to you. Even though the temptation to throw their stuff out of the window may be overwhelming, constrain yourself. If you learn to let others deal with their own messes you'll be better off in the end.
Don't use their things without asking.
Unless you formally agree to it, don't take their stuff without asking. Even if it's something little ALWAYS make sure you ask, at least when you first meet them. After you get the chance to know them better, you'll find out what goes and what doesn't.
If you do borrow something, return it as soon as you're done. After the first few months, you tend to forget what belongs to who. Use separate shelves for CD's and movies, or consider labels.
Stay enigmatic. Tell only what you won't mind being ridiculed about. When a boyfriend or girlfriend is visiting, don't do anything in front of your roommate that you wouldn't do if your parents were in the room. Your roommate would probably prefer if you simply request some privacy, but keep the time that you lock them out of the room to a minimum.
Establish an alarm clock rule. No one likes to hear the alarm go off every 8 minutes for an hour, especially if you don't have to wake up for another hour or two. Though you may have been asleep at 1, keep in mind that your roomie may have been studying (or partying) until 3 or 4.
Keep your mess to half of the room or less. Some people like to be able to see the floor. If the room doesn't come with 2 desks, invest in one. If you have a spare 10 minutes, clean up a bit (or just creatively hide things) when your roommate is expecting guests.
Respect your roommate's privacy. If you come back and there's a note on the door that says "take a walk", stay out (yes, for more than 10 minutes). Take advantage of the time to visit other friends or to make new friends on your floor. Any work can be done at the library. Also remember that you and your roommate are not joined at the hip. It may seem fun at first, but I found that you will eventually tire of one another. Remember that he/she will be there when you go to sleep and when you wake up. Do not try to be in every facet of your roommate's life.
Agree on decorations before hanging them up. Some people don't want to wake up to see a life-size poster of Brad Pitt or a picture of your pitbull drooling. If your roomie has strict moral standards, the poster about the ingredients found in different mixed drinks probably won't be appreciated.
Discuss furniture before moving in. It's terrible to drag a bunch of heavy things to the top floor just to find out they don't all fit in the room. You may also find that 2 televisions are unnecessary. The school will tell you the dimensions of your room and what furniture comes with it if you ask.
When bringing "illegal items", discuss where to hide them. A microwave with a blanket on top passes as storage space. Place the hot pot and sandwich maker in a Victoria's Secret bag under a pair of underwear and no questions will be asked.
To Get Drunk Thursday is to Flunk Friday.
Upon entering college one of the first things learned is that Thursday is college ID night in the flats. Many a student will go to the bars and dance clubs in search of alcohol to drink. As many people on my floor have learned the hangover the following day can be destructive towards any tests the next day.
You Have Rights.
Whenever dealing with your roommate remember that you have rights too. Compromise is a good thing, but never forget that this means meeting in the middle. Always giving in can lead to future problems.
Disorganization Can Hurt.
When you are given your roommate questionnaire do not figure that you will be more organized once you reach college. I have seen roommates split up because one was extremely messy and one was meticulously clean. If you are put in such a situation, it doesn't hurt to clean up every once in a while.
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