While having a roommate may or may not be a new experience for you, for most students it is the first step to meeting a whole group of new people who will be friends, peers, and colleagues throughout their lives. In today's global society, the skills of living with people from different backgrounds is now an essential part of education.

The key to a good relationship with your roommate begins with communication. As roommates, you will be sharing a room for about 10 months. For things to work smoothly, it is important to discuss some issues about living together right away. In any situation where you spend a lot of time with someone, conflicts arise. If you decide beforehand how to talk about problems, they will be much easier to work out.

First--be fair. Make sure that you and your roommate are allowed the same amount of space for personal belongings. Next, talk about your expectations.

One of the hardest adjustments in sharing a room is noise - especially if you are used to your own space. Talk about it!

As much as you are entitled to have your friends visit, each roommate deserves privacy. So, arrange to have guests over in advance. Make sure that your roommate is comfortable having other people spend the night in the room. Don't expect him or her to live with your boyfriend/girlfriend; or move down to the study lounge every time your significant other visits. And if your roommate is studying or sleeping, don't invite your friends to hang out, play cards, or watch the game. (Go to someone else's room!)

Keeping the room clean is always an issue; and for those students living in suites, there's an extra room to clean. It's important that you talk with your roommate and suitemates and come to some agreements on cleaning.

The policies regarding smoking, drinking, and drugs are clearly stated in the Residence Hall Handbook. Therefore, the decisions related to policies should be made together by the roommates. The established smoke-free and alcohol-free rooms need to be respected by everyone living in the room and their guests.

Be prepared to accept the unique aspects of your roommate. Everyone has an individual style and personality, and the differences between us are usually more interesting than troublesome. Practice the art of compromise and consideration. Communicate honestly by talking about how you feel or what you value and then listen with an open mind to your roommate’s perspective. You don't have to be best friends to be good roommates. Sometimes it is actually easier to live with someone when you spend a lot of your time with other people. That is one reason to consider not rooming with a close friend from home. You might find your living situation better if you can speak freely about your individual concerns and habits with someone other than a good friend.

Experience has shown that discussing the following will help prevent misunderstandings:

• Use of personal space
• Cleanliness/tidiness of room
• Time for socializing
• Food in the room
• Study time in the room
• Different sleeping schedules
• Visitation and guests
• Use of stereo/TV/Phone/Computer

If you find things can't seem to be worked out, seek assistance from your Resident Assistant.