First Time Living With Someone You’re Not Related To!
For most students, freshman year of college is their first opportunity to live away from home. Dorm living often seems like a right of passage, and for most, it is a fulfilling experience. However, it can sometimes be a source of unwanted stress or awkwardness if the roommates aren’t a great match. While your student doesn’t have to find their perfect match, it is helpful if they agree on some ground rules that may be important to your student.
My daughter had planned to live with one of her friends from high school up until about a month before the deadline date. (May 1st, but we recommend applying as soon as possible) Her friend had decided to attend another school and I was left with a panicked daughter. In the end, it all worked out, she found another roommate in an FAU Facebook group. While they weren’t a perfect match, they did learn to live together. My daughter and her roommate remain close today; they even sat together on their graduation day. FAU strives to make students feel comfortable and enjoy their time while staying in the resident halls. They put on many events throughout the semester to get the students involved and meet others living in their buildings.
If your student doesn’t want to leave the matching completely up to chance (or the FAU computers), there are various websites they can use to find roommates such as roomsurf.com and Facebook. However, meeting a roommate in advance doesn’t always guarantee a perfect match. Teach your student how to be a good roommate before they leave home. Learning how to be respectful and courteous to others is a life skill they will need as a roommate and beyond.
Roommates and Problems
If problems arise between your student and their roommate, there are some things they can do to diffuse the situation. If it’s a simple issue such as coming in late at night (or early morning) or something more concerning like always having overnight guests, your student should have a conversation with their roommate. When your student first meets their roommate, they should try to set down some ground rules. My daughter is a night owl while her roommate was an early bird. The two girls made a point to make sure if one were up early or late, they would be courteous to the other and try to be as quiet as possible. These types of ground rules were essential to them having a smooth first year on campus. When your student lives in the dorm, the RA is a good resource if they can’t resolve their roommate issues on their own. A guide to living on campus at FAU.
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