Getting Prepared: Roommates

One of the biggest challenges all college students face is roommates.  When put in plainer terms the idea of paying to live with someone know nothing about is less than ideal.  Fear not!  Here are a few tips today to help you get to know your new roomie and hopefully start the relationship off on the right foot.

Get in Contact
Call, Facebook, email, text, or meet up with your new roommate BEFORE school gets back.  Most schools will provide some sort of contact information about your new roommates.  Get in touch in order to get to know them better and simply break the awkward ice that lies between two unfamiliar people.  If you are not sure what to say to them simply say:
"Hey!  I believe you and I are going to be roommates this upcoming fall; I am very excited to meet you and just wanted to introduce myself before we move in.  I hope you are having a great summer and if you ever want to talk or meet up just text me at 333-333-3333."
Once the chill of unfamiliarity has defrosted you guys may find you are going to get along just fine or you may have an early warning that this person may not be the best roommate for you.  This will give you more time to change rooms or possibly learn to live around their quirks.  Another plus of getting in touch early is getting to plan who will bring what to school (because when everyone brings a whole set of dishes and a broom the dorm fills up quickly with unneeded items--been there, done that).

Be Straightforward
When you meet your new roommate be yourself!  It is tempting to try and get along with them from the get-go but this can end up hurting your relationship later.  Be straightforward and true to who you are and expect the same of them.  Now, I am not saying to lay out all your beliefs and expectations on the table from day 1 but do not follow in my footsteps:
When I first met my freshman suite-mate she was excited about going on a shopping trip to decorate the dorm with all the roommates.  Now as you guys may know I am a tight-wad who will try to save a buck any way I can.  I didn't let my suite-mate know this and acted like spending a bunch of money on stuff we really didn't need was not just OK, but a good idea.  All four of us ended up splitting the total so we each forked out $50 on things like candy dishes and curtains.  I regretted this decision as soon as we reached the register and realized they thought that I was OK spending money like that.  This ended up hurting me later on when my roommate would constantly nag at me to go out to dinner even though I couldn't afford it.
So do not make this same mistake and let your roommates think something about you that is, in actuality, not like you at all.  Just be yourself and things will either work out or they won't but at least you will be yourself all the way through

Try Something New
Your roommates will probably come from a very different world then you.  Be open to trying new things with them (within legal and safe bounds).  Try new activities with them and learn about the things that they like.  In turn, invite them to learn and do things that you enjoy.  This sharing will help you guys understand each other better and create a better bond as well as give you guys something to do.

I hope these tips will help you and your new house mate get along better and have a friendship that lasts.  Do not fear all the horror stories you hear; yes, they are real but that doesn't mean they will happen to you and if they do you will survive just like those who have told them to you.  The biggest thing to remember is to have fun and enjoy your college experience!!!