Student Life

Coping with a Bad Roommate

Elizabeth Hoyt

August 31, 2017

Coping with a Bad Roommate
When your roommate is a nightmare, you can choose to deal with it in different ways. Choose wisely!
You’ve got the roommate everyone dreads – they’re dirty, they use your stuff and they’re up all hours of the night doing who-knows-what with so-and-so. If they won’t leave your stuff alone, eat your food and borrow things without permission you’ve got different options (some of which are not recommended) of how to deal with the situation. You can deal with the situation in positive or negative ways. Choose wisely!
Hide your stuff Aside from being impractical, it seems a little silly since it resolves nothing and causes you to become a hoarder by default. Confront the situation
We’re not suggesting some sort of blowout in a back alley – just a conversation to let your roommate know what’s bugging you and, if he or she doesn’t work on it, a reminder every once in a while.
Chances are, your roommate isn’t aware of the issue and once you make them aware, they will likely work on it.
Remember, they probably want to be in a comfortable living situation with you, too! Pick Your Battles When you live with someone, it’s almost a guarantee that they will drive you bananas at some point or another. While some things need to be addressed, others you might be able to deal with. However, there are ways to help you when things are annoying, but easy enough to deal with. Are you a super light sleeper? It’s unrealistic to expect someone to walk on eggshells at all times. Why not utilize the invention of earplugs or a sleep mask. Both work wonders for the sleep-deprived. If it’s four in the morning and they’re blasting music – that’s one thing. If you can’t sleep through them turning book pages at ten at night, then maybe it’s something you need to resolve on your own. Set Ground Rules If you set ground rules, then it’s a lot easier to know what to expect from the other person. For example, if you’re worried that your roomie isn't doing their share of chores, make a chart to set guidelines and responsibilities together. Keyword: together. Otherwise, you’ll just end up feeling and acting like a mother and nobody wants another mom as a roommate.

Have you ever dealt with a bad roommate? How did you cope?

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