Picking a roommate can be hard. Here’s how to assure you’ll get it right

We’re nearing the end of the first semester, which means it’s time to start thinking about housing for next year. No, it’s never too early, especially if you’re planning on living off-campus. Not only do you have to pounce on a good lease as soon as possible, but you have to choose the most important aspect of your future living experience: your roommate.

Obviously, you want to be in a situation where anyone you end up rooming with next year is a good fit for your way of life. If you don’t manage to get along with a roommate in an off-campus residence, you don’t have an RA or RD available to sort things out. If the problems start to truly escalate, you could be in real trouble.

The question is, how do you make sure you’ll get along with your roommate? Is there any way to guarantee that next year will go smoothly? Well, not exactly.

No one can accurately predict exactly how your next living situation will pan out. There are simply too many complexities that go into a roommate relationship to know how it will end up. Fortunately, there are a few steps to take when choosing a potential roommate that can help guide you through the process.

Self-reflect

Before you can even begin to think about who would be a suitable choice for a roommate, it’s important that you examine the way you live your life. Remember, your behavior will directly affect your roommate and vice versa.

Being honest with yourself and analyzing your habits (such as your level of cleanliness and your ratio of study time to party time) will go a long way toward figuring out who will be comfortable sharing a space with you.

Don’t be afraid to tell people no

It’s possible someone you don’t see yourself living with will ask you to be their roommate. If this happens, do not hesitate to tell them you aren’t interested. Keep it polite, but remain firm as well.

You might hurt some feelings, but that’s much easier to fix than reoccurring issues within your living space. Being able to refuse a situation you don’t see working out will be a skill used frequently in adult life.

Be careful of asking friends or significant others that you don’t currently live with

Now it’s logical to think that those with which you spend the most time and get along the easiest would be the best choice to live with. These people are most likely the first that come to mind when you consider who would be a quality roommate.

This isn’t meant to scare you away from asking friends or romantic partners, because it can certainly work out just fine. But please, DO NOT assume that everything will go perfectly simply because you already know them well.

Proximity to another person, especially this close to each other, can greatly affect a relationship in unforeseen ways. Your friend could potentially have a nasty habit of not cleaning dishes that you never knew about, and that’s just one rather tame example. Just make sure both of you are aware that simply being close doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing.

Don’t screw around

Keep in mind that you aren’t the only one looking for a place to live next year. If you’re planning on being off-campus, you don’t have much time to waste. Start talking to people now, and be sure to nip any leasing or landlord issues in the bud before it’s too late.

It might seem early, but next year will arrive before you know it, and you don’t want to be left out in the cold.