Students blog

(This is the second post in our Roommate Rules series. Be sure to check out the first and third posts, too, for more great advice on building a successful roommate relationship!)

Throughout college, a majority of students live with one or more roommates. You might be getting ready to live with someone for the first time, or just with someone new. While they may be a complete stranger, or friend, or the complete stranger that becomes a friend, there are a lot of different types of roommates to be aware of and different ways to deal with them. Here are the 5 types of roommates in college that you are bound to come across.

The Slob

If you are somewhat of a neat person like me, this person will drive you crazy. They are the ones who leave piles of their clothes, clean or dirty, on every surface of the room. They rarely do the dishes or clean up after themselves. It’s rough. If you each have your own room and just share the living room and kitchen, it may not be as bad. But if you have to share the same room it can get pretty frustrating. If the messiness gets out of hand, be assertive and just tell them! Hopefully it will help them be more aware of what they are doing. You may have to compromise on a level of cleanliness you both can live with.

The Ghost

For some reason, this type of roommate is never in the room or apartment. Whether they are going back home, hanging out with other people, or who knows where, you will never hear from them or see them ever. It can be odd, but to get to know them you have to catch them when you see them. It can be hard, but so worth it, so keep trying. 

The Socialite

This person is the social butterfly; the one who is always hanging out with their friends. You don’t always know what they are doing, but sometimes this can be a good thing. Or their friends become yours and it’s great. Problems can arise if they continuously bring people over without asking. If you love it, great. If not, it’s best just to tell them. Maybe they can find an alternate hangout spot to give you some space when needed. 

The Passive Aggressive

Living with this type of roommate is hard. For some reason they don’t like you and you may never really know why. If you do something that bothers them in the slightest, they will passive aggressively address it, or make smug remarks that never stop. And if you do confront them, they will say that everything is fine when it really isn’t. This person is a tricky one to deal with. You can try and confront them in an assertive (not aggressive) way, or just stick it out till the end and try to be civil roommates. Test out the waters and see what works best.

The Neat Freak

The opposite of the slob. This person makes you feel like the slob, even when you aren’t. They are super picky about where everything is, need things to be a certain way, and if it’s not up to their standards, they will freak. This can be a difficult way to live. Discuss with them if you can’t keep up with their demands and explain how you are feeling. 

These are just a few types of roommates you might come across. Sometimes they can be a pain, but sometimes they can be a blessing. Whoever it is, this person might be your best friend in the making. Even if your new roommate seems like someone you’ll get along with, odds are it won’t be perfect right from the start. You’ll need to use good communication skills to build a positive relationship. Keep in mind their point of view and try to talk things through without getting angry. You’ll develop problem-solving skills plus you’ll end up with a living space that you both can enjoy. 

Check out the other two posts in our Roommate Rules series:

Roommate Rules: Communication paves the way for a positive roommate experience

Roommate Rules: Tips for a Better Roommate Experience

College is a lot. This is the first time you are out in the world all by yourself. You create your own schedule, you create your own rules, you create your own life. All of high school has built up for you to experience what people say will be the “best four years of your life.” Although this is the start of an amazing four-year experience, there are things I encountered during my freshman year I wasn’t expecting to experience. These are 6 things I didn’t expect in college.

7 a.m. is not the same

You always hear people say, “never take a 7 a.m. class in college”, but it never made sense because in high school we were so used to waking up way before that, right? Wrong. It’s true, waking up early in college is way harder. You are staying up later, getting involved in more, and encountering more stress. It is hard to imagine if you haven’t experienced it, but take my word for it and get a little extra sleep. 

You will have doubts

Coming into college I thought I would have it all figured out. That I would instantly love college and everything about it. But that wasn’t the case. It took me a long time to adjust to everything and I doubted a lot. It’s totally normal and know that even though it may seem like it, you are not alone. It is good to talk it through with your friends and advisers so they know what is going on and they can help.

You will miss home

It’s bound to happen. Whether it is your home state, your family, your friends, your mom’s home cooked meals – you will miss home. In college, you are making a new home, which is scary at first. You hit a point where all you want to do is be in a familiar place. That’s the thing about being independent. Eventually you learn to be on your own and appreciate home even more when you get the chance to go back. 

Friends change

This was a tough pill to swallow but it’s true. Even if you are in the same state, you will probably meet new friends and drift from those from your past. For me, leaving my friends back home was one of the hardest things I had to do. I had to learn to make new ones. My fellow freshmen were learning to make new friends, too, so we immediately shared something in common. I met some incredible people during my freshman year and am so excited for what new memories I’ll make with them. 

Failure happens

In high school I was a straight A student, never failed, and always cringed at the thought of anything below perfect. Although they are still important in college, grades aren’t everything. You will probably fail multiple times. Maybe it will be a quiz, a test, or even a class. But that’s OK! You have to learn to move past it and not allow it to affect your next assignment. If you find you are really struggling, look for the free tutoring and services your college offers. They want to see you succeed.

It goes by fast

I thought high school went by fast, but college is a whole different story. I’m already seeing my years in college fly by and I just started. Your life is going at a quicker pace now and you’re always headed to do something else. Try to enjoy every moment before it’s done, but just know it goes by very fast!

These are some things I’ve learned to understand in college that I never expected to encounter. It really is a journey, but you will learn a lot about yourself and in time, you will have an amazing college experience.