Though I must say that it's hard living with others, there are ways to avoid fights with your roommate! No one is perfect, and everyone has some weird quirks or habits that aren't apparent until living with someone else. Be sensitive, and learn how to accept and respect your roommate’s habits. Take a look at some specific ways to avoid fights with your roommate.
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Keep Your Own Things Neat
Being neat is one of the best ways to avoid fights with your roommate. If your stuff is all over the place and especially in her own personal area, your roommate will likely be annoyed. Make an effort to clean your space when it gets too messy in order to avoid any issues.
Ask before Inviting a Large Group of Friends over
A large group of friends can be very loud. Although it's your place too, and you should be allowed to invite friends over whenever you want, you should consult with your roommate beforehand. Your roommate may be trying to study, or may have a splitting headache, and you don’t want to be inconsiderate. Respect her by asking before hosting a mini party at your place.
Frequently asked questions
Use Headphones
It is hard for me to read or relax with background noise, especially with music or a movie playing. Be mindful of your roommate and use headphones when listening to or watching something on your computer.
Respect Boundaries
Sometimes people just need space. For example, while it's nice to converse with and even befriend your roommate, you don’t want to constantly bombard her with questions about her whereabouts. This can be annoying, and quite frankly, it is none of your business. In addition, respect other boundaries that your roommate may have, such as refraining from smoking if she cannot handle the smell of cigarettes. By trying as much as you can to respect your roommate’s boundaries, you will avoid many conflicts.
Take Turns Doing Chores
Chores seem small, but are in fact a big deal. People are busy, and days can go by without the floor being swept or the garbage taken out. Usually, it becomes the same person who cannot handle the mess who ends up doing all of the chores. This is unfair. A solution is to take turns doing chores, and perhaps even making a chart to organize who does what chore and when.
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Knock before Entering
Your room is a private space where you can do whatever you want as you please. Therefore, you can understand how impolite it would be to barge into your roommate’s bedroom without knocking beforehand.
Express Any Concerns in a Calm and Timely Manner
Anything extreme that your roommate does that bothers you should be brought to her attention as soon as possible. You want to set your boundaries immediately, and make sure that your roommate knows what ticks you off. On the other hand, anything minuscule that your roommate does that bothers you, you should try to ignore. Everyone has small irritating habits. I’m sure that there are small things that you do that bother your roommate! So unless these annoying little things turn into something bigger and more significant, I suggest you leave them alone.
At the end of the day, living with someone is all about respect and compromise. Do your part, and hopefully your roommate will do the same. Have you had any bad experiences with roommates? How did you cope? Do you have any other ways to avoid fights with your roommate?
