Living With a College Roommate
Freshmen generally share rooms with other incoming students, so it’s always a good idea to find out as soon as possible who that other person might be. For most high school students beginning college, it is a severe culture shock to go from a home with plenty of space to a tiny room that is shared with someone they’ve just met.
Avoiding a Bad Situation
Many new college students lose the desire for higher education based on less than happy experiences with roommates and living in cramped quarters. From a parent’s standpoint, making the situation appear as positive as possible is a help, but meeting the person who will be sharing the living accommodations early is also beneficial.
If it is possible, the new students should meet each other somewhere besides their room when they are moving in. They will probably make a better friendship if they don’t see each other for the first time under the stress that comes with moving into a dorm room.
An arranged meeting between the two or talking on the phone can better help them understand what resources they can share since the room won’t accommodate all the items they are used to having at home. School will begin much more smoothly if the roommates aren’t spending so much of the early time trying to decide how to perform basic functions.
College Roommates – Budgeting Through Sharing
One of the toughest challenges for college freshmen is controlling their budget because many of them have no experience with it. If roommates share some of the expenses with each other, and can do so amiably and fairly, both can save some money.
Many times young people go through four years of college with the same friends, and that can begin with the freshman roommate. If the relationship works out, both gain a friend and someone to confide in during some trying times that ultimately come with higher education.
When a parent leaves their child at college, they don’t want to be concerned with how he or she will cope with the new person sharing a room with them. A little pre-planning can make a big difference in how that experience turns out.
