Sharing your space with someone else comes with its ups and downs, and setting some rules beforehand can help you avoid conflict. Here are five important policies that you should discuss with your dormmate to keep your relationship as peaceful as possible.
Cleaning
No one wants to deal with a messy dorm, so it’s a good idea to set a cleaning schedule and stick to it to avoid negative energy.
Studying
Studying is the reason why you’re in college, but what if you and your dormmate have different habits? It’s a good idea to set “study hours” and “quiet hours” in case one of you has a habit of pulling all-nighters before an important exam.
Noise
Speaking of “quiet hours”, having a noisy roommate can be quite disturbing even if you’re not trying to study, so try to set some rules concerning noise and respect each other’s request for silence.
Borrowing
Borrowing is pretty common between roommates, but there are some things you’ll probably want to keep to yourself. This is something you should openly discuss and let your roommate know what they can borrow and what’s off-limits.
Guests
You and your roommates will most likely have friends and boyfriends/girlfriends come to your dorm every once in a while, so it’s important to set the ground rules regarding guests—especially if they’re staying the night.
