What to do if you land a bad roommate

Roommates — most of us have them; many of us have problems with them. Sharing your personal space with other people can be difficult, especially while dealing with the stress of school. If you happen to be struggling with your current roommate(s), here are some tips to help you deal with the situation:

Talk to them

This may seem like an obvious solution, but it can be difficult to overstate the value of discussing your issues with the people who are angering you. Try not to be passive aggressive because it's likely that you won’t achieve anything useful that way. Instead, set aside some time to meet with your roommates and to discuss your issues. If you never explicitly state what's bothering you, then you never really give them a chance to fix the problem.

Define your space

Many of the issues that develop in roommate relationships seem to stem from issues with your personal space. You and your roommates should set boundaries, and if things get really bad, you can even create physical dividers that make you feel as though you have your own separate area within your communal living space.

Create a chore chart

While somewhat corny, chore charts can save relationships. It's really difficult to ensure that everyone pulls their weight in keeping common areas clean, especially when everyone has different ideas of what clean really is. Set a schedule for cleaning so that no one feels as though they are taking care of more than their fair share of the house work.

Remember that you’re not perfect

Perhaps you take hour-long showers, let your alarm ring incessantly in the morning or maybe your significant other has a tendency to show up unannounced. Chances are, your roommates have a few complaints about you as well. It can sometimes be difficult to coexist in the same space as others, even if we love them, but these annoyances are usually worth it in the long run, either by means of love, support or, especially, lower rent. 

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