Whether you're living in a residence hall room, an on-campus apartment, or an off-campus house, you will probably have to live with one or more roommates during your time at Syracuse University. Sharing a living space with someone you do not know can sometimes cause excitement, anxiety or stress. Cleaning schedules, noise levels, moodiness, and bills can quickly transform a friendly relationship into a stressful one. For additional information, please click on the links above.

Here are some tips for living with your roommate:

Establish Rules

Talk about one another's preferences immediately. Are you an earlier riser? Does he or she like to listen to music really loud? Do either of you need complete silence when working on assignments? Discussing these preferences can help you establish certain rules. Make sure that the rules are clear. If they're clear, then both of you may be able to avoid minor disputes and make living together smoother. If you are living in one of our residence halls, your Resident Advisor (RA) will work with you to complete a required Living Agreement form that will help facilitate this coversations. To view this form, click on the "Living Agreements" link above.

Compromise

Compromising is important whenever people are living together. Living together involves blending two (or more) lives and lifestyles. You may be very similar or very different. Both of you may feel different about certain things. For instance, your roommate may not start working on homework until 10 o'clock at night and likes to have all the lights on while you like to have your homework done before 10 o'clock so you can get plenty of sleep. In this case, you will need to find a compromise. A compromise doesn't mean one person is surrendering to another person., it means that two or more people are working together towards a solution that everyone can live with.

Communicate

If you're frustrated about something, tell your roommate. You're roommate can't read your mind or vice versa. You will need to communicate in order to have a good relationship and to be able to live together. It's understandable that you may annoy each other, but both you may want to try hard not to annoy each other as much as possible. Communicating doesn't mean being critical or nit picking, it means being honest with someone. Choose your battles carefully. Complaining about everything could be annoying as well. As often as you critique your roommate, you should try to praise him or her as well.

Before You Arrive at SU

• Contact your new roommate to discuss who will be bringing items for the room (TV, Stereo, Microwave, etc.)
  
• Pay attention to your own habits. Are you clean; are you messy? Do you go to bed early or do you tend to stay up late?
  
• What do you expect from your relationship with your roommate? Do you expect that you will be best friends? What if that does not happen? Remember, it's okay if you do not become best friends, as long as you can live together in the same room.
• Think about what you can compromise on and what you absolutely cannot. For example, if your roomatate wants to have a friend over, are you willing to study in the lounge or the library rather than your room?
• Be aware that first impressions may not always be accurate. While thefacebook.com and MySpace.com are great fun, they do not often give a clear idea of who a person truly is.

At Syracuse

• Hang out with your roommate a bit; go to orientation events, events in your residence hall, and meet people on your floor together. Bond over positive experiences.
• Take your living agreement seriously. This is your chance to set ground rules for your room (hopefully you've thought about what you can compromise on!) and talk about issues that may come up.
• Remember that communication is the key to a successful roommate relationship. If you are having troubles with your roommate, address specific behaviours that are bothersome. If you try and do not make any progress, talk with your RA.

A Final Thought

Hopefully, these tips can help make living with your roommate tolerable, if not pleasant. Staying open-minded and being respectful may also make life easier for you both. For more tips living with your College Roommate click on the links above or contact the Robin Berkowitz-Smith, associate director of Residence Life at 315-443-3637.