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For many, moving away to college and living in a dorm is the first time they’re living away from family for an extended period of time. It takes adjusting and patience with yourself as you begin to understand your living habits from a lens of independence.
Perhaps you’re a bit more cluttered than you thought, especially during periods of stress. Maybe you’re not the best at communicating when you’re upset about guests staying too late while you’re trying to sleep. Sometimes it’s just plain difficult to not have a space where you can be alone and decompress fully.
And once you move out of the dorms, navigating off-campus living is a whole new ballpark: navigating rent payments, dividing up chores, and continuing to communicate expectations.
There’s no exact science to figuring out how to live with other people, but there are some steps you can take to ensure you have healthy communication & clear expectations with you roommates. Which, if you enjoy their company, can create the foundation for long-lasting friendships!
Below are some tips, tricks, and guides to organizing your dorm life & documenting your year!
The sun’s shining, the roads are full of family vans stocked with mini fridges and [campus forbidden] rice cookers, and you’re about to embark on the journey of a lifetime! You’re quickly realizing how real this all feels as you begin to unpack your belongings and cart them into the dorm, your home for the next year. Through the craziness of the school, this room is supposed to be a safe space for you; a place to retreat, relax, and recharge.
Even more than moving in your belongings, today’s the first day you’re meeting your roommate! But, as excited as you are, you’re also a bit nervous — what does living with someone you barely know look like? Will we be friends? How do you peacefully co-exist with someone who may have different living habits as you?
<aside> 🏫 Pre Move-in Checklist! (Often Forgotten Edition)
When you’re living with new people, consider focusing on being good roommates before being close friends. There’s nothing wrong with being friendly, but focusing on making sure you understand each other & peacefully coexisting should be the #1 priority, before adding other components of friendship into the mix.
All of this isn't to say that you shouldn’t be friends with your roommates! And this doesn’t have to be explicitly discussed between you and your roommate(s)! Sometimes all it takes is a mental shift on your part to ease pressure you may be placing on the relationship.
Conversely, sometimes people you’re compatible with in a friendly way won’t be the best roommate for you — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! There are people in your life for different seasons and different reasons, and they don’t always overlap!
Have a conversation with your roommates and/or suite-mates about:
Know that some of your living habits may have to adjust! Living with other people isn’t only about finding people you’re compatible with, but also about learning from each other.
After having a convo about chores, it can be super helpful to have a tracker to keep everyone accountable! Below are two different ways to track chores, depending on what’s easiest for your apartment/suite! Can be shared to your roommates so everyone can mark when they’ve finished their responsibilities.
It’s super important to make sure your rental payments are going through in a timely fashion, to make sure you don’t get a late fee! Using this tracker can help serve as a reminder that rent is due + break down other monthly expenses that may fluctuate, such as utilities, WiFi, maintenance help, etc.).
Living with new people can be a bit nerve-wracking, but also extremely fun! And what better way to commemorate that fun than by having a place to treasure it & look back upon! Here’s a simple dashboard that can be used to capture memorable quotes & moments throughout the year!