Tag Archives: college roommates

college housing, dorm life

Off to college? Tips for getting along with roommates

 

college roommatesWe’ve all seen movies about the college experience, ripe with parties, drinking and new experiences. The reality of it is, living with roommates isn’t always one big love-fest. How you get along with your roommates impacts your entire college experience, so follow these tips designed to help you coexist peacefully.

Create a System

When more than one person shares a small space, it tends to become a matter of who left the thermostat up, why there’s a pile of dishes in the sink, and whose turn it is to clean the bathroom. Head off trouble by creating a chore list that clearly outlines who has each duty on any given day. Work together to come up with a fair list, so no one carries an unfair load.

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college housing, college planning

Off-Campus Housing 101

I recently did a guest post for WilliamPaid.com, a website dedicated to helping renters establish credit, pay off their student loans early, and manage their debt. The post was titled, “Your college student wants to move off campus–now what?” Take some time and head over to WilliamPaid’s site and read it. You might not need it now, but there will come a day that you will use the tips.

That post has spurred some additional thoughts that I felt would be helpful to parents of college-bound teens. Here are some things you might need to consider and/or know about off-campus housing.

Most colleges encourage freshmen to live on campus. It helps your teen bond with other students and get involved in campus life. Living off campus during freshman year can cause the student to feel out of touch with the goings on on campus and contribute to instability during an already emotion packed change.

Some colleges (due to size and location) can’t house all the students. If this is the case, get your housing form in ASAP. It’s first come, first serve and if you don’t act quickly, your child could lose a spot in the dorms. If you’re too late, try and connect with other incoming freshmen and find an apartment or house off  campus to share. Check with the campus housing office for information regarding off-campus housing and contact information. Being around other students from the same college will help with adjustment issues.

If you have more than one child headed to the same college, consider buying a house as an investment and let them live there (with other students). This happens often at Texas A&M and University of Texas. Once they have graduated, you can sell the house or keep it and make a hefty profit on rent each year. These rentals are in demand by college students and their families. (Here’s a new site I discovered that will help your search CampusHomesOnline.com)

If your child chooses to live at home during college, encourage them to get involved in campus activities. My daughter had a close friend that lived with family during her first semester at the University of Texas. She was a smart girl that worked hard to get accepted. But living off campus with family caused her to struggle in such a huge campus environment. She never felt involved or accepted among the students. She ended up dropping out after just one semester.

Upperclassmen are often encouraged to move off campus to make room for incoming freshmen. Know the policies and campus housing guidelines of the colleges your teen applies to. If this situation is not acceptable to them, don’t apply to a college that can’t provide housing all four years. Don’t get caught by surprise and have to scramble for senior housing (along with thousands of other college students).

Part of being a parent college coach is being prepared for all scenarios, including off-campus housing. If you’re prepared, you won’t have to panic when/if the day arrives that your college student approaches you with the “best plan ever” for living off campus.

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college guidance, college planning

College Roommates MUST Communicate!

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With so many college-bound teens headed to college in the fall, it’s important to know that roommates can cause some grief. The key to having a positive roommate experience is COMMUNICATION. That starts BEFORE you head off to college by making contact with your future roommate and setting up some mutually agreeable ground rules.

Today’s post from The Real College Guide is from their Expert Q&A section and answered by Liz Cruger.

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Q: I HATE my roommate! Is there any way I can move?

A: I’ve seen a ton of roommate conflicts turn totally out of control just because the roomies refuse to talk to each other. If this is your situation, be rational and calm, not accusatory, and tell your roommate what drives you nuts. Clothes on the floor, loud music, keeping the door open? Any of these issues can be negotiated. If you need help, your R.A. and professional Residence Life staff are trained to help you work out differences.

If you absolutely cannot stand your roommate, most schools will allow room changes after a certain trial period. If you’re just two weeks into the semester, you’ll probably have to stick it out for a while. If it’s been a month or so, you might be in luck.

The best person to ask is your R.A., who will know the details of your school’s housing policy. Many colleges have a room change period in which you can apply to move to another empty spot on campus. These periods usually fall within each semester or trimester, so if you come back from break and can’t take it anymore, there’s a good chance you aren’t stuck. On the other hand, if your roommate leaves, you probably won’t have a single for very long — housing will fill the vacancy with someone else. And there’s no guarantee a replacement will be any easier to live with. So before you write off your roommate for good, give it your best effort to smooth things over.

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