How to become lifelong friends with your college roommate, or just learn to tolerate each other.

Tips and tricks for roommates.

All month, UP is releasing articles and videos to help the Class of 2020 hit the ground running when they move in. Check out our past blog posts here.

Today, UP senior Adele Kennedy ’17 offers some tips and insights into getting along with your roommate(s).

One of the toughest transitions into college life is embracing the dorm lifestyle. On one hand it can be great: late night study sessions, junk food potlucks, and escalating prank wars.

The flip side is learning to deal with someone else’s crusty socks right next to you, or sharing a bathroom with a bunch of troglodytes that have never even heard of cleaning.

At University of Portland we believe our campus community is a diverse, respectful, and an overall rad group of students. But no matter how great a person might be, being a roommate with them can still offer challenges.

Here are some tips that will hopefully make your roommate situation a happy and healthy one.

The topics include defining expectations, general cleanliness, and how to resolve conflict without resorting to passive aggressive sticky notes.

Get to know each other

Back to basics: asking questions to get to know each other is a great start. Head out and grab lunch on campus or hit Fred Meyer or New Seasons (the closest grocery stores to campus) for a quick shopping trip. Don’t forget our favorite places in NoPo list when you set up a roommate date! Setting up expectations you both have for a situation is a great way to avoid conflict later on.

Set up a Roommate Contract

This article is a great resource for some questions to start off with, as well as some conflict resolution tips.

Starting with the basics establishes where your limits are. If one of you is intensely private and the other is a social butterfly, this can help you come to some common ground for guests and visitors.

If you realize you have some major incompatibility issues from the get go that can’t be talked out, it may be time to visit your RA and see if someone can help mediate or set up a better communication channel for you.

Remember to compromise and communicate

Communication is key with your roommate(s). These five tips can help with conflict-free communication styles. Talking about issues ranging from temperature control to waking hours can make a more comfortable (and happy) environment.

If you realize that maybe you might be the problem (naturally messy, a night-owl, maybe some only child syndrome thrown in there), try to be more conscious of your bad habits. Make it a point for the first couple of weeks to put away everything right after you use it — soon enough it’ll become a habit and save you a ton of grief in the future.

Respect each other

This Buzzfeed article details how the author learned to change her habits to better live with her two roommates in their converted triple.

Try to bond with each other — seriously nothing can be more of a lifelong friendship maker than the first year of college. Your first year can be challenging at times Having someone to support you makes it a little easier.

Chat about the “boring-but-essential logistical stuff”

Rookie Magazine has a great, no nonsense take on how to live with each other in harmony, and even fall in roomie love by the end of the first semester. Talk about the “boring-but-essential logistical stuff” right away — even before you move to The Bluff!

Talk to your RA

Finally, your RA is ALWAYS a great resource. Seriously they’re trained to deal with this stuff, and most likely, they’ve been there before. Never forget that your Residence Life Hall Staff is there to help you through rough moments. It’s not easy, but hopefully some of these tips can help make the transition to dorm life a little easier.