Basic rules for living OK with roommates

Living with a person that is not from your own family can be a stressful time, especially in those moments when things are lost or privacy is required either to talk to a sweetheart or to “spill the beans” with your family or friends. Yet you certainly will not be the only person that wants for some privacy or even to act as if you were still living at home.

The following are guidelines that will allow you to lay down the rules at your own particular case, since each person comes from a different family, which perceives moral values in a different way, some adapting might be in order, but do not loose the general focus.

• Respect

Respecting their properties as well as their privacy is the founding stone of any healthy rooming. Avoid sniffing their things unless they specifically ask you to (that is, they might call you on the cell phone and ask if they left the term paper on the bed). Avoid subjecting them to obnoxious pranks and other forms of “funny” invasion to their privacy (opening the cold-water faucet when taking a hot shower is definitely not fun), in addition, a thing must be said: be smart.

• Learn to yield

There are two kinds of discussions: Those who are made upon serious issues and those who happen about trivialities. Consider if the thing that you are discussing about is a triviality for you or not. If it is and you are discussing about it, then it probably is not a triviality for the other person, learn to yield on their favor so that when it is a serious issue for you, they will yield on your favor too.

• Create your own “code”

This is a time when you start to fly solo; sometimes you will want to entertain a special date or even spend some time meditating or just sitting down in the dark pondering without anyone else. Create a unique code that will allow everyone to understand everyone else’s wishes without having to interrupt.

• Talk, Talk and then Talk

There are things that will happen that no one can foresee and, as a result, you will not be prepared so far in advance to react to, in such occasions, the only adequate solution is to talk them out. If something bothers you, wait until you are calmed and the situation is not that much hot to discuss it; do not be aggressive but be firm. If a situations doesn’t “feel good” it probably is not, turn to authorities, teachers, counselors for guidance and help.