Intro to Roommate Boundaries

One of the biggest challenges that you'll face during your time in the dorms will be simply living in close proximity to someone else. Not long after you first start living together, you will probably begin to find out what your roommates personal boundaries are, they can range greatly from being a bit of a pig to being a complete neat freak. Depending on your own personal boundaries there might not be any issues. However, sometimes your roommates boundaries may cause you to feel uncomfortable, so its important that you talk to them so that you can make the living situation a comfortable one for both of you.

Now obviously I know not everyone is able to confront a roommate on issues, but there are ways to get help. One of the best ways I have found is to talk to a friend about it, they could have some insight on how to deal with the issues or perhaps they can help you approach your roommate and be a intermediate. Although this is a nice way to resolve any issues yourself (which I always advise you should first try to do) it does rely on your friend knowing the roommate in question reasonably well otherwise it could just make matters worse. If you can't come to a resolution yourself then the next step is to talk to someone who has some control in your dorm. The first person you should see is your RA (resident assistant) they live on your floor and will get to know everyone very well. They are the most valuable tool when having a dispute with a roommate and are given training on how to help you when your living in the dorms.

A comfortable living environment is key to a successful and enjoyable college experience, if at any stage you feel like you have to simply put up with an unsatisfactory dorm room experience then you need to take action.

Next week I will continue to cover roommate boundaries and ways to deal with issues. It will feature an audio interview with a student who after dealing with a difficult roommate saw no other option but to move out so that they could have a stable housing environment.