Introduction

I’ve been lucky enough to have three roommates throughout the four years of my college career. And while I’ve loved every one of them, each relationship has been different. Some of my roommates and I have gotten along really well; others were just not compatible at all! The key is knowing what to expect as a roommate, how to deal with conflict when it comes up, and finding ways to stay happy even when things are tough. So here’s some advice on how you can work together with your new housemates:

1. Talk about your expectations.

• Talk about your expectations.
• Talk about what you expect from your roommate, and discuss their expectations of you, too. For example: If one person is a night owl who likes to sleep in late and another person prefers getting up early for work or school, this can lead to conflict if both people aren’t aware of how the other feels about waking up at a certain time. Discussing these differences ahead of time will help reduce the likelihood of conflict later on in the relationship.
• Talk about what you can do to help each other out. If one person has trouble with housework chores (such as vacuuming), ask if they would like some assistance in completing those tasks so that they don’t feel burdened by them alone and overwhelmed by all of their responsibilities! In addition, consider offering up any skills or talents that might appeal directly towards helping improve efficiency around shared living spaces – whether it be cooking meals together weekly, keeping specific areas tidy (such as bathrooms), etcetera! It may seem small but trust me – just knowing someone else has your back will make all kinds of difference when life gets tough!

2. Talk about responsibilities.

• Talk about responsibilities.
• Find out what your roommate is responsible for. This may be a good time to discuss who cleans the bathrooms, kitchen, and living room. Also ask if they want help with any chores so that you can both meet in the middle. If you’re unsure how much work your roommate wants from each of you, ask them what their expectations are before moving in together so that there are no surprises down the road when it comes to household duties!

3. Talk about how you’ll handle conflict.

To avoid conflict, you have to be sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to expectations. If you both agree that “cleaning up after yourself” means washing your dishes, putting them away in the cupboard and wiping down the counters, then nobody is going to get mad when they come home from work and their kitchen looks like a pigsty. If there’s no set standard for cleaning up after yourself (or doing any other expected roommate tasks), then people are going to get frustrated and upset more quickly.

The best way for me was just talking about it—we talked about it over dinner one night and discussed what was working for us as roommates so far; we also discussed what needs could still be improved upon moving forward (such as sharing chores).

4. Clean as you go.

• Clean as you go.
• Don’t leave messes for others to clean up.
• Don’t clean up after someone else’s mess.
• Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, don’t leave dirty clothes on the floor, etc., etc., etc…

5. Keep to a schedule that works for both of you.

• Keep to a schedule that works for both of you.

A schedule is a great way to make sure everyone feels like they are contributing and staying on top of the housework, even if it’s not their turn to wash the dishes or do laundry. Make sure the two of you agree on how often each person will be responsible for certain chores so that no one feels like they have more work than they can handle. You might decide that there should be a weekly or biweekly cleaning day where all tasks are divvied up accordingly, or maybe someone wants to take care of everything every weekend while her roommate is out at work, which would leave him free during weekday evenings. Whatever works best for your situation will help keep things running smoothly and stress-free!

6. Don’t assume your roommate will know what you want unless you tell them directly and explicitly.

• Don’t assume your roommate will know what you want unless you tell them directly and explicitly.

It’s important to be clear with your roommate about the things you expect, in order to avoid any unnecessary conflict or miscommunication. If you’re sick of doing the dishes every time, say so! Avoid assumptions like “my roommate should know that I’m not into cleaning,” or “it goes without saying that my roommate will clean up after themselves.” It can be helpful for both people involved if one person takes responsibility for keeping their side of the room clean and tidy by putting away dirty dishes immediately after using them (or handing them off immediately), instead of letting them pile up until there’s no room left in the sink anymore.*

7. Remind yourself that not everything is going to be perfect, and that’s okay!

• Remind yourself that not everything is going to be perfect, and that’s okay!

Life is full of surprises and unexpected events from time to time, and so are your relationships with other people. The best way to handle these situations is to remind yourself that you don’t need everything to go perfectly in order for it all to be worth it. If something does happen, just remember how much you love having this person in your life and take a deep breath before reacting (or not reacting).

If you have a roommate who’s always putting their feet on furniture or leaving dirty dishes around the house, try reminding yourself that they’re human too—they can’t always remember every single thing they need to do! Furthermore, reminding yourself that there are worse things than having one messy roommate will help keep perspective while still keeping expectations realistic; if they’re always making messes everywhere then maybe this isn’t the right living arrangement after all… but at least now both parties know what’s expected out of them moving forward?

8. Having a flexible plan can help the whole house stay clean without giving up the things you like to do!

Having a flexible plan can help the whole house stay clean without giving up the things you like to do!

If you have a plan, you can stick to it. If your roommate has a change of plans, it’s easy to adjust yours so you both get what needs doing done and feel good about how your home looks and feels.

9. One of the best parts of having a roommate can be making friends with other people in your apartment building!

One of the best parts of having a roommate can be making friends with other people in your apartment building. This can make the whole experience more enjoyable and it’s also great for networking! Get to know your neighbors, especially if they live on the same floor as you. You can help each other out with things like moving, or simply chat over coffee or wine. When you get together with your roommates and their friends, think about inviting them too! It will be nice to have everyone together as one big happy family.

10. Developing a good relationship with your roommates can also make it easier to find housing in the future!

Developing a good relationship with your roommates can also make it easier to find housing in the future! If you have a good relationship with your roommates, they may be more willing to rent an apartment with you again. However, if there is tension between the two of you because of bad experiences living together, this could make it harder for both parties to find housing together in the future. It’s important that all parties are on board with living together again before deciding on where to live next!

It’s possible to collaborate with your roommates in a way that makes everyone happy!

In order to learn how to collaborate with your roommate, it’ll be helpful to know the following:

• How to communicate with your roommate. Communication is key in any relationship, and this is no exception! At times, it may be difficult for roommates to communicate their needs without causing conflict. It’s important that you work together as a team in order that neither party feels like they’re being taken advantage of or bullied by another.
• How to clean up after yourself. Keeping a clean apartment can be difficult if all the residents are not on board with following rules about cleaning up after themselves (or each other). However, everyone should have respect for one another’s belongings and space; this means picking up after yourself and helping out when needed without being asked directly .
• How t share common space . Having multiple people living under one roof can lead into some disagreements over who takes up more common areas such as kitchen counters or bathroom counters—but these issues are easily resolved by talking things through rather than letting them fester until they reach an explosive level! Make sure everyone knows what’s okay when sharing these spaces together so there aren’t any misunderstandings down the road…

Conclusion

We hope these tips will help you develop a positive relationship with your roommate. Remember that not everything can be perfectly perfect all the time, but if you keep trying and stay flexible, it’s possible for everyone to have fun!