With the Autumn 2023 semester right around the corner, some newcomers may be afraid of the idea of a roommate. It can be very scary rooming with someone you’ve never met before, especially if you’re naturally introverted. Here are five tips on how to make the roommate situation less intimidating.

  • Don’t be loud and blast music when it’s 1:00 am and people are trying to sleep

This tip is pretty simple, but for some reason, a lot of students at OSU are not familiar with this concept. Simply put it, don’t make a rumpus during sleeping hours, or you’ll probably just be known as the resident annoying person on your floor.

  • Be neat and tidy

In other words, practice basic hygiene and do not leave filth lying around your room for no reason. This tip is very important, because if you do act like a lazy slob, your roommate will get sick of you and rant about how disgusting you are behind your back in GroupMe chats.

  • Respect your roommate’s privacy

This may sound like a basic rule of thumb, but there are other ways to respect your roommate’s personal space bubble that you might not know about. For example, don’t upload photos of your roommate onto social media without their permission; that’s weird and sometimes illegal!

  • Display basic human decency

Sometimes, all you have to do is just be a nice person, and having a roommate will be much easier! In short, don’t get dead drunk and vomit all over the place because of your inability to take care of yourself, don’t steal or raid through your roommate’s belongings, and don’t act like a horny bastard who bullies others whenever you have a minor inconvenience. If you can follow these basic rules, you shouldn’t have much to worry about.

  • Have fun!

Last, but certainly not least; just remember to have fun! Rooming with someone you just met may sound scary, but it can also leave you with an exciting story to tell.

Written by Adrian Mann