Jarrod Dorsey
Staff Writer
College is a place where the transition from a teenager into a young adult begins. It is also a place where lifelong friends can be made but if you are not careful, lifelong enemies can also be made.
To coexist with anyone, boundaries must be set, especially when it comes to personal property. Developing a healthy understanding with your roommate is the initial step to establishing an agreement on what will and will not be tolerated. The agreement allows the dorm mates to inform each other on the things that would cause discomfort while coexisting in each other’s space.
“When living in McAllister, I found it difficult to coexist with my roommate because she felt as if it was okay for her to just wear my clothes without asking me first,” said Shanequa Wilkerson, a sophomore psychology major from Flora, Miss.
Lyndon Hart, however, has had a better experience with his roommate, stating that boundaries were set from the beginning.
“I personally don’t have a problem with my suitemates because we all know that we are not allowed to touch each other things without asking each other first,” said Hart, a sophomore biology major from Stone Mountain, Ga.
Young adult author Traci Bold gives these simple rules to follow that establish boundaries and promote good coexistence between roommates:
•Establish what belongings of each person are off limits to roommates
•Establish if boyfriends/girlfriends/friends/family are allowed to spend the night
•Label all own groceries with your initials so roommates know those groceries are yours only. Do not eat or drink roommate’s food or drinks.
•Clean up after yourself in shared spaces. You made food, dirtied dishes, then wash them, dry them and put them away and wipe down counters
•Pick up after yourself
•Designate one day of the week where you both or all get together and do shared cleaning
•Respect each other’s privacy and establish guidelines for quiet hours
•Tell your roommate where you are going and when to expect you back or leave a note. This is just courteous and also safe
•Make sure you exchange phone numbers and emergency with your roommate
The final keys to a healthy and pleasant roommate experience are to be honest and respectful.
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