It’s only natural to be excited when you graduate from high school. You’re through with that typical firing squad interview that you thought wouldn’t get you into college, but surprisingly, you’ve received the acceptance letter for your college and have already started packing your bags. Those thousands who are going to live in a hostel for their college life, feel all the more impatient for the commencement of college.
But wait, before you rush into your decisions and simply choose your high school best friend as your roommate, or meet someone really nice and instantly decide to become roommates with them, (and start building castles in air about your amazing future) here are five things you should surely know about your roommate before you shift in with them.
Remember those times when your mom and dad would fight endlessly over the fan speed and you would sit in the corner, frustrated, wondering what the hype was all about? Let me tell you, fan speed is a very important factor while choosing a roommate, because as trivial as it might seem right now, you’ll find yourselves fighting almost every day if you do not come to an agreement. If your future roommate needs the fan at a very high speed, while you’re prone to cold and tend to usually keep the fan off, do not become roommates, even if the person is your high school friend.
I’m pretty sure you’ve you’ve heard the saying, “With freedom comes responsibility”. Accordingly, with having your room comes the responsibility of keeping it clean and organized and if your definition of cleanliness differs from that of your roommate, you’re in for an endless headache.
If you’re a person who is very particular about cleanliness, you’ll end up doing all the chores yourself, because your roommate wouldn’t mind the mess.
It is said that, “Givers need to set limits because takers rarely do”.
Well, this is very true in cases where your roommate believes in sharing everything from clothes to earphones, whereas even sharing your food is enough to dampen your mood.
As Gilda Radner says, “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next", you cannot plan everything.
No matter how many cautions you might take, if fate desires, you might still end up with the not-so-good-roommate. In such cases, try and adjust as much as you can, be patient, let fate work its magic and everything will soon fall into place.
Written by Aneri Doshi
What makes my heart race? Books, Coffee and Rain
#1. Fan Speed
#2. Having Company Over
It is very important to set some ground rules about having company over, before you settle in. Your roommate might be a very social person and you might be a complete introvert or vice versa. In that case, one would tend to bring back friends to your room (and then gossip with them), while the mere noise would be enough to send the other over the edge. In this kind of situation, it is advisable to make a rule (applicable to everyone) that you’re not supposed to bring your friends to your room, unless it is for an important cause.#3. Chores
If you’re a person who is very particular about cleanliness, you’ll end up doing all the chores yourself, because your roommate wouldn’t mind the mess.
#4. Sharing
It is said that, “Givers need to set limits because takers rarely do”.
Well, this is very true in cases where your roommate believes in sharing everything from clothes to earphones, whereas even sharing your food is enough to dampen your mood.
#5. Privacy
The intrusion of privacy is something I wouldn’t even wish for my enemies. It makes you feel insecure when your roommate keeps snooping into your business and always crosses the boundaries of personal space (both physical and figurative). It is all the more annoying when your roommate takes apart your talks with your parents word by word with her friends, eventually leading to you being a victim of a lot of humiliation. So make sure you let your roommate know where his/ her boundaries lie.As Gilda Radner says, “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next", you cannot plan everything.
No matter how many cautions you might take, if fate desires, you might still end up with the not-so-good-roommate. In such cases, try and adjust as much as you can, be patient, let fate work its magic and everything will soon fall into place.
Written by Aneri Doshi
What makes my heart race? Books, Coffee and Rain