What do college students worry about the most when they first move to campus? Will it be the workload? Or homesickness? The answer may vary. To some people, roommate is one of the biggest concerns to college students.
A lot of things can happen between roommates. They can get along well and be close friends for the rest of their time in college, or they can end up disliking each other so much that they will never communicate or even move out of the dorm.
“Conflict is natural between human beings, that can’t be avoided. What can be avoided is dealing with the conflict in an unhealthy way,” Dryw Dworsky, a clinical professor in the Department of Psychology, stated.
As mentioned above, conflict between human is absolutely natural, as well as problems occurring between roommates. As a freshman in the university, students have to live with one or more people that they have no connection with. If they are lucky, they can room with their friends, but most of them are not. They would have to learn how to address the problem with their pals if any issue happens.
“Problems typically occur when problems go unaddressed, when people are unwilling to be flexible, or when one person is not being respectful of the other person,” Dr. Dworsky said.
However, a lot of students do not know how they can solve the issue with their roommates. The answer is easy: communication.
“Much like any partnership, open communication is key. It’s important for roommates to address issues and concerns quickly, rather than letting them fester. Each person should attempt to communicate their wants and needs and each should try to listen with an open mind to their roommate,” Dr. Dworsky elaborated on the topic.
Communication is a fundamental factor for every relationship. If roommates are willing to negotiate and be flexible, a middle ground can be found
“I will just be honest and straightforward, but with a polite language,” Chi Le, a sophomore in Psychology, answered when being asked about how to resolve an argument happening between roommates.
While communication is the solution to any problems, what else can students do if there is a big argument between them? Communication would still be included, but students have to make sure each person has an opportunity to be heard without interruption and discuss solutions.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have roommates sharing common hobbies with them, showing interest in talking to them, or caring about them in general.
“We communicate through sticky notes if there is something important we need to tell each other, but other than that she does not really speak to me,” Laura Miles, a freshman in Architecture and Environmental Design, replied to the question on communication with roommates.
Befriending the roommates can be stressful, but here is a simple solution for students to follow.
“Be kind and respectful and show interest in the things they care about. Look for opportunities to do things together and ask your roommate if they would be interested in taking part in that activity with you. If you know they are interested in a certain tv show, event, etc., try to engage with them around that interest,” Dr. Dworsky claimed.
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