An ideal roommate doesn’t just fall from the sky and lands on your doorstep, no matter how much we wish for it to happen. Instead, an Ideal roomie is crafted and molded by mutual respect of one and another individual, at least in theory.
So before you get your hopes up of having all nighters in your pj’s to cooking a weekday potluck, or having weekly game night, know that not every roommate is going to be the Joey to your Chandler, instead, they might end up being the Sheldon to Your Leonard.Bazinga!
Your first year in the dorms are filled with doe-eyed anticipation from having your own space, to finally living on your own or close enough to it. Ehnt… Wrong, over the course of four years I lived in three different dorms. Through these trials and tribulations, I’ve witnessed three types of roommates, ranking from the Slob to all the “rounder”;
The Slob
In its natural habitat, it lays dormant but hides behind a prim and proper exterior, at least until they get comfortable. Be wary of this creature ahem… I mean your new roomie because they may have some tendencies of leaving their dirty dishes in the sink, days to months at a time (true story).
The slob’s messy behavior in some cases remains in their separate bedroom but, the rest of the apartment is fair game and leaving the dirty dishes are the least of your problems. The Slob may leave their clothes around the apartment, hog the washer and dryer if you live in a dorm (i.e. if you live IVA North or South). The Slob may eventually leave the kitchen counters dirty with their own mess and not bother to clean it up and never and I mean Never take out the trash, to the point it overflows and has bugs hovering over it.
But their trail of destruction doesn’t end there. The bathroom a place of heavenly relief gets tainted and not by your own secretions. The slob will most definitely not offer to clean up any portion of the dorm. Resulting in your mumbled curses of their downfall or passive aggression.
Not a fan of filth and germs? No problem, either layout a trap for them or sit ’em down and have “The Roommate agreement talk”.
Next, we have a roommate that puts the groundhog to shame but you wouldn’t even know it because it rarely shows its face let alone their shadow. Say hello to …
The Hermit
These subtle creatures are harmless but fall on two sides of the spectrum. From painfully shy to flat out anti social. However, please do make an effort to greet these creatures because it can be the worst of times or the best of times.
The shy Hermit, much like the Ground Hog, will either revert back into its hole if it’s too sunny or in this instance too crowded and overwhelmed by new people. These types of roomies are usually secluded into their room/ man cave. Give them some time and space and include them in activities, even if it’s going to grab something to eat, going to the gym or the Student Union. It’s all about baby steps for these shy creatures, they’ll warm up to you eventually
In contrast, the antisocial hermit may just bite the hand that feeds them but don’t take it personally. Last year I lived in a double bedroom, (i.e. IRT ) sharing a room with this creature of habit. I would enter the room greeting her often with polite pleasantries but only getting an obligated cold reply of a one syllable word, “hey”.
My efforts of trying to have a conversation with her failed numerous times. Resulting in me sharing a room with a basic stranger, whom never uttered a word voluntarily and thus we lived in silence. What she lacked in social cues she made up with sprinkled kindness. So for this antisocial hermit, just leave well enough alone, especially if they are not reciprocating
Lastly, this roommate may be the best one you come across, they get along with just about well everybody. So keep em’ close or at least on your radar. Greet your new roomie…
The All Rounder
This specific individual can adapt to any type of environment, (Darwin would be proud) and for you, this means you hit the jackpot of best roommate you could ever ask for!
These mythical creatures are a good blend of social, neat, polite and a whole lot of fun. Six months from now they might even become your new bestie. #FriendshipGoals #Bromance
Thanks to these All Rounder types, my dorm life’s been filled with movie nights, game nights and even barbecues. Talk to these people, they can show you a “whole new world” on campus or at the very least entertain you with their wild adventures (they may not compare to Odysseus but they get the job done).
The best part about these individuals is that they have the potential to be your on campus plug, to network with other people or organizations. So when you greet your new roommate for the first time, welcome them with a warm smile and open arms.
An ideal roommate is a rare breed thing to find. During my few years living in the dorms of Fau, I’ve come across the slob, the hermit, and the all-rounder. I’ve learned to adapt living among diverse students. So heed my advice; don’t leave the slob to its own devices, unless you want to live in a garbage compound! Make sure to dissect which type of hermit you’re living with and be cordial or leave well enough alone. Above all else, be welcoming and friendly. Who knows you might end up networking with the highly favorable all rounder or even better, make a new friend.