5 Types of Roommates and How to Deal with Them

College is a rollercoaster ride that packs in classroom lessons, life lessons, and ‘how to stay away from home’ lessons. Along with all these, it also teaches you lessons on how to deal with people.

In an age where intolerance is largely growing, it is essential to understand acceptance and respect differences. You’re not always going to be surrounded by people you like. And college is the best opportunity to learn how to accommodate different people, starting with learning how to adjust with your roommates! They can make the transition from home to college easy or challenging.

Here are 5 different types of roommates and how to deal with them:

1. The Omnipresent

This roommate is the clingy type who will not only find a way to tag along with you wherever you go but will also manage to make her presence dramatically felt.

Solution: It’s possible that your roommate takes a while to come out of his/her comfort zone in the presence of others and finds comfort in tagging along with you. Try giving them their time, and ask for some personal space every now and then.

2. The OCD-fella

Living with this roommate can really teach you that sometimes people have their own way of doing things. This roommate will have everything in his room organized, structured, probably color-coordinated, and his/her midnight snacks might even be arranged alphabetically. Consider his/her area as a ‘touch-me-not’ zone.

Solution: Compromise! Respect your roommate’s space and he/she will return the same. If you’re not much of a neat-geek yourself, you can even pick up a few organizing tips from your roommate and be a little more disciplined than you already are.

3. The 24×7 party maniac

Remember the kind of people your teachers and parents warned you about? It’s very likely that they ended up being your roommate. Now, there’s nothing wrong with letting off some steam every now and then. But find the balance.

Solution: Learn to say “No” when you have to. There’s nothing wrong with valuing your priorities and as long as you respect other people’s preferences, they will give you the same in return.

4. The Mess-master

Dirty dishes, clothes everywhere and an utter mess all over the floor – it’s a no-brainer that you’ve got a messy roommate in this case.

Solution: Be assertive in this case, but keep yourself from being aggressive. Have a healthy conversation with your roommates, who might not even realize that his/her habits are bothering you.

5. The invisible one

It’s possible that you feel like you ended up with no roommate at all because this one is almost never there.

Solution: This is great for those of you who love your personal space. But for those of you who were expecting a confidante and partner in crime as your roommates, this isn’t your last draw. Get out there and mingle, and you’ll definitely gain some lifelong buddies.

Monika Bakshi

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