Roadmap to Roommates

Something that is inevitable for pretty much any college student is having roommates. They are both the best and worst thing about college. I have now had 4 roommates in total and I didn't know any of them before we lived together (yes, terrifying, I know). But I'm still alive! And I've never even had to contemplate a restraining order! However, living with roommates is like walking a tight rope, you never know if that moldy bread you threw out was actually their favorite casserole. So! In true Toto fashion, I have compiled a LIST. Here are my helpful tips to navigate the treacherous waters of roommates:

1. NEVER EAT FOOD THAT ISN'T YOURS! I cannot stress this enough. 99.9999% of confrontations that happen between roommates are about food (yes that's a researched, statistical fact). I have never quite understood why this is hard for some to understand. Yes, every house/apartment normally has a few communal items. At my house it's sour cream and cheese and chips to an extent (but I buy them all because I eat most of them, carbs make me happy). But apart from those decided items you should stick to only the food you have physically picked up at the store and paid for. This is doubly true for leftovers!

2. Don't half-way do chores. If you have begun a chore then you should finish it. Duh. There is nothing worse than seeing a room kind of swept or the dishes kind of done. You might as well not have started at all. I know that many people have chore checklists to keep people accountable and I have done those before but I don't necessarily know if they are effective.

3. Be considerate. Y'all. We are all humans. No one likes to be woken up before it's necessary to their roommate throwing things around or stomping back and forth. Honestly, if you have a roommate, headphones are your best friend and should always be used. Not everyone wants to listen to the Desperate Housewives of Atlanta scream at each other or that oh so cool metal band you just found, shocking I know.

4. Talk to each other. It is so much easier to live in harmony with someone if you communicate. Whether it's asking them about their day or just voicing concerns about the house, you should talk.

I'm not saying that you have to or even will be best friends with whoever you live with, but it'll be so much worse if you don't work together to make the living arrangement bearable. So go out right now and buy your roommate a chocolate bar or a coffee! I promise you're not a picnic to live with either.

Stay beautiful,
Toto