With midterms in full swing, stress levels are at an all time high. When it comes to your living situation, this means toes can get stepped on and feelings can get hurt. Never fear, I have compiled the best tips and tricks for keeping the peace.

Keep Communication Open:

The best piece of advice to keep roommates happy is to keep communication open. Have a roommate group chat – have multiple even. My roommates and I have a group text to vent about any issues, inform everyone about upcoming maintenance, or anything else we need to let each other know about. We also have a chat dedicated exclusively to memes to give each other a laugh during tough times. 

If you’re bringing a friend or partner over, be sure to let your roommates know. The same goes for family. 

If an issue does arise, try to sit down in person and talk it out. If you live with multiple roommates, a roundtable discussion will help out dramatically. When talking out an issue, try to do it when the involved roommates are calm. This will ensure a civilized discussion doesn’t turn into a shouting match. 

Respect Boundaries:

Establishing and maintaining boundaries will help out dramatically. This involves shared items or spaces, groceries, cleaning supplies and more. Having everyone know what each other is comfortable with will alleviate so many problems from the get go.

For example, with my roommates, it’s understood that certain items, like spices, dish soap, paper towels and more are communal. If we have something we don’t want the others using for any reason, we make sure to let everyone know what is and isn’t up for grabs. 

When in doubt, refer back to your grade school teachings: treat others how you want to be treated.

Maintain a Routine:

Whether it’s taking out the trash, washing the dishes or sweeping the floor, everyone doing their best to make sure everything runs smoothly will do wonders for people’s sanity. 

How you approach this can differ depending on the personalities you’re working with. It could be keeping a chore chart on the fridge, or having a weekly checklist for everyone to mark off. Even having a Google Calendar with chores penciled in can work. 

If someone can’t fulfill a chore, this is where communication will come in handy. Informing your roommates you will be a little late on a certain chore will do wonders and you won’t see them getting angry over a dirty fork.

These tips will vary depending on how many people you live with, the personalities at play, whether you live in a dorm or apartment and more, but they are a good foundation to build upon. Enjoy each other’s company, all while keeping everyone happy. 

Categories: Life