How to be the perfect roommate
It’s easier than you think
Meeting your roommate is stressful. Sometimes the person you get paired with is just luck, but most of the time we’re given a neutral situation we can either turn positive or negative. I’ve considered myself pretty lucky to have these lovely ladies in my life, but securing a strong roomie-roomie bond can be hard.
Here are some ways to make your roommate your best friend.
Leave chocolate on their pillows
It’s such an easy way to let your roommate know you love an appreciate them. It’s such a nice surprise to come home after a stressful day and not just have wonderful chocolate to eat, but to know someone cares about you.
It all started with the chocolate
Leave inspirational notes everywhere
If it’s Halloween, wish them happy Halloween. If they have an exam, wish them luck.
This is a little way to let your roommates know that you’re appreciative of them and love them.
We’re inspirationally malfunctioning
Be honest
Everyone has boundaries, so make them clear. It’s easy to get on each other’s nerves and get into fights when you don’t lay out the ground rules and the little quirks that bother you.
A good way to do this is to write a roommate agreement.
Roommate agreement
Be respectful of their sleep schedule
Some people go to bed early, some go to bed late. Some are early risers and some sleep until noon. Whoever you are. DO NOT SET A MILLION ALARMS. Your roommate will hate you if you don’t wake up at the same time. Get a friend to wake you up. Keep your phone under your pillow so you have to hear it. Make sure you can get up without waking your roommate up 10 times consecutively in a morning.
Do not come into the room and turn the light on and start singing when your roommate is asleep. Keep all your late night activities constrained to the other side of the door. If you do all these things, you and your roommate won’t hate each other, even if you don’t love each other.
Because we both have five 8ams a week
Have a running list of inside jokes
This one is a bit harder. Not everyone is best friends with their roommates, but recording all the funny quotes you guys accidentally say or having a game that makes you look like an idiot to other people is always a good place to start.
Still kicking three years later
Find a common interest
It can be a favorite TV show you share (Gilmore Girls), a favorite book series (Harry Potter) or music that you both love (Hamilton), but it’ll always give you something to talk about or do together.
If you’re lucky, you can force one of your obsessions onto you roommate.
I know, we’re cute
Have adorable nicknames
Never call your roommate by their real name. Some great alternatives that are gender neutral and friend neutral are “earthling” and “human”.
You can also all choose a reference to your common interest. Shoutout to Jess, Lorelai and Lane.
Jess + Paris + Lorelai + Lane = soulmates
Be #roomiegoals
This one can’t be taught. You just are.
#roomiegoals
There you have it. A recipe for success. If you’re both considerate and follow this guide, you and your roommate will be best friends and everyone else will hate you for it.