5 Roles Your College Roommate Plays in Your Life

By Brittany Hawes on January 27, 2018

Living with a college roommate…. Where do I begin?

Your college roommate will come to play many roles in your life while you’re living together during these shared school years. They are the person who is bound to become a central part of your life, like it or not, because you will be sharing nearly everything with one another, which includes your space, your time, your belongings, and much more. In a sense, your roommate is going to become like your family for the next couple of years. They are your home away from home, some of the first people you’ll meet in college, and a potential best friend.

Although you may prefer to simply deal with your roommate to the very bare minimum and go do your own thing, it is inevitable that your roommate is still going to play a large role in your life. And they’re meant to! Living with a roommate is a learning experience and one that could very well become one of the fondest memories you make during your time in college.

I’ve compiled a list of five roles your college roommate plays in your life that I’m sure many readers might match to their roommates.

College Roommates

Image via Pixabay.com

1. The Overzealous Mother/Father Figure

When you live with another person, the best thing to do is to discuss both of your cleaning habits before the school year gets underway. That way you both have the chance to tell one another what to expect of the other’s cleaning habits, studying habits, as well as make any rules that will help you both be able to live in harmony. You do this together and no one person makes all of the rules. However, some roommates will take it the extreme to make sure that you follow these rules. He or she will constantly remind you (either through a text or a sticky note) to remind you to wash the dishes, or fold the clothes, or keep things clean. If you leave one thing out, you can expect a sticky note.

This college roommate role will teach you patience and how to speak up for yourself. If you’re tired of seeing sticky notes or having someone breathe down your neck about dishes when you’ve been holding up your end of cleaning duties, don’t feel bad about letting your roommate know that the sticky notes need to stop.

 2. The Indoor Lover

This roommate loves the indoors. He loves the indoors so much that when he’s not in class, he will camp out in front of the television in the shared area and watch through as many Netflix. There’s rarely a time when this roommate isn’t home and in the shared area. If you want to watch something, you’ll either have to let him know that you’d like to watch something in advance or wait until he falls asleep.

This roommate role will teach you how to communicate with your roommate. If you want to enjoy a night in, let your roommate know that you’re planning on watching a movie on a certain day at a certain time, and since he’s usually hogging the area, you’d like to have this night to watch what you want.

3. A Supporter

Your roommate can play the role of a supporter in your life. If you have something big coming up in your life (say you landed a great internship or you won a scholarship), your supportive roommate is going to be happy with you and celebrate with you. They genuinely care about the good things that happen in your life and are there for you if you take a misstep or you’re going through a tough time. They make time for you and listen to what you have to say.

If you have a roommate like this, you’re lucky! Make sure you treat them the same and take him or her to their favorite lunch sometime to show your appreciation!

4. A Tutor

Is your roommate majoring in a subject that has forever eluded your understanding? If they’re willing, your roommate could play the role of a tutor in your life. You both could get together over coffee and help each other with any homework that’s been giving you trouble lately. You might be surprised at how knowledgeable your roommate is!

5. Your Best Friend

Of course, the best role your roommate can play in your life is to become your very best friend.

What role or roles does your roommate play in your life? Leave a comment in the comment section below to share!

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