One of the most significant relationships you will develop on campus is the one with your roommate. Whether you know your roommate ahead of time or not, the development of this relationship is one of the keys in creating a positive environment to live and learn in the residence halls. We want you to have the best experience possible on campus, so here are a few tips which will help you cultivate your relationship with your roommate.
We highly encourage you to contact your roommate over the summer months. If you do not already know them, this is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and find out what you have in common.
This is also a great opportunity to find out what they plan to bring with them and for you to let your new roommate know what you plan to bring with you. This will help to avoid duplication and maximize space in your room. After all, do you really need two televisions, two refrigerators and two answering machines?
You may even want to discuss your study habits and activities you plan on participating
in during the year. The more you know now, the easier things will be in August when
you move into your room!
Sharing a small space in a residence hall can certainly help you develop some extremely valuable skills, such as communication, conflict management, and compromise.
First things first, when you arrive on campus, sit down with your roommate and discuss the topics listed below as well as any others you feel may be important. Begin by establishing a pattern of open communication and cooperation. Take time to find out about your backgrounds and lifestyles. Find things you have in common.
Visit with your roommate about issues such as:
Find out how your roommate feels about lending things to other people, such as clothes, money, stereos, cars, etc.
Discuss how you will handle visitors. If you have a roommate with friends who like to stay up late or socialize, you may be in a situation where a compromise will have to be negotiated.
Respect your roommate as an individual. Don't depend on him/her to satisfy all your emotional and social needs. Make other friends too.
Divide all cleaning responsibilities.
Remember how important it is to strive to keep the lines of communication open, so talk about everything, be tactful, and remember that your roommate is human too.
We encourage you, whether your roommate is a friend from home or someone you have just met, to take advantage of our Roommate Contract. This valuable tool can open discussion with your roommate and these types of discussions will help you understand each other. You can get one of these roommate contracts from your RA.
Attend as many Welcome Week activities together as possible. The Residence Hall Association, Student Activities Board, Student Government Association ,and the Office of Greek Life will be sponsoring over 10 fun filled days and nights of activities on the ATU campus. Take advantage of these activities and bring your roommate along.
We know you may have friends from home here at Tech that you want to spend time with as well, but don't forget that coming to college is a whole new opportunity to meet new friends, and your new roommate can be one of those!