By now you’re entering dorm life, and that means living with perfect strangers. While you may be one of the lucky few to get lucky enough to have the best-lifelong-friend-you-could-ever-ask-for as a college roommate, you might also find yourself sharing a room with some interesting personalities.
Here are a few of the most common roommate types, along with tips on how to cope:
1. The Professional
Profile: This roommate is serious about, well, everything. Dorm life does not equal “party time” to this roommate: It’s a necessary evil required by college policies or financial limitations, but it isn’t about to be enjoyable. This person probably isn’t interested in discussing last night’s game, or anything else, for that matter—at least with you. While “The Professional” may have a social life, you’re certainly not invited to be part of it. If you entered dorm life with the hopes of bonding with a roomie, you’ll probably be disappointed when this one doesn’t really care to know your name.
Coping Tip: Don’t force anything. If your roommate would prefer to remain aloof to you, just go with it. A kindness or greeting here and there are fine, but you’ll need to be content to take your hopes of bonding with a roommate back in your pocket, at least until next year.
2. The Leech
Profile: This roommate is about as divergent from “The Professional” as possible. Even if you were hoping to make friends with your college roommates, this person will have you wishing for the opposite extreme. Like an annoying kid brother or sister, “The Leech” seems to feel obliged to become your shadow, in a sense, as if without being together one of you would suffer endlessly. And that one is probably your roommate: Whether it’s loneliness, insecurity, or simply adoration that prompts the leechiness (yes, I just made up that word), this person seems to have acquired a need to be around you, Every. Single. Moment.
Coping Tip: Breathe. Take a break. Once you’re no longer tempted to ring your clingy roommate’s neck, try to be grateful for the major compliment this person is paying you. Then, if you really need more space, carefully choose the words you use to let “The Leech” know that you’re really glad you’re roommates, but you don’t want to limit your perspectives or social circles. Something like that. Good luck!
3. The Normal Person
Profile: This roommate may or may not be bestie material, but the good news is, this person appears to be perfectly normal. Until you met this person, perhaps you weren’t sure “normal” even looked like, but now you know. Attaining the perfect balance of friendliness and privacy, this roommate is a dream. Not too messy, but not too much of a perfectionist to be bothered by your sometimes less-than-pristine part of the room, you really couldn’t ask for a better roomie.
Coping Tip: Wake up! You’re dreaming, and you might have overslept. Hurry, or you’ll be late for class!
Continue reading:
