I'm having a hard time coming to the realization that I'm actually in the first full week of my senior year. Where has the time gone? I can still remember driving into the beautiful village of Ada for the first time, feeling excited and terrified all at the same time. Now I'm two semesters away from entering the "big girl" world, and I'm having those mixed feelings all over again. When I look back on my years as a Polar Bear, I can honestly say that I have been truly blessed. I have had so many opportunities that have taught me about myself and what I want to do with my life. Although school has always been the first priority, the people I have met have made my college experience worth while.
I have been extremely fortunate to have formed friendships with the people that are in my life today. My childhood friends and the friends I have made at ONU have had such an impact on my life. They have helped me to get through the stressful schedules, the break ups, the late nights, the tough days; I guess they've really just gotten me through the last four years of my life. Essentially, they are an extension of my family. This brings me to what I wanted to post about in the first place, roommates.
This year I was finally allowed to move off campus and live in a house with some of my best friends. I've lived in an apartment on campus before, so this is not my first experience living with more than one person. However, I've never lived with five other women. We live in a six bedroom house that is in fairly good condition, in terms of college houses. I really do believe that we have the perfect combination of people to live under one roof. We have all been friends for about four years now, and all but one of us has played on the basketball team at one point. Our personalities are very similar and we have such a good time together. We've only been in the house for a little over two weeks now, but we have already had so much fun. Everything has gone very smooth and each roommate does their part to take care of the house. I am so happy to be living with this group of girls, not only because they are my friends and I love them, but because they are also fantastic roommates. So I want to share some tips with you all on how to be the best roommate you can be.
My tips for being a good roommate:
1. Be considerate: This is pretty self explanatory. Treat your roommates the way you would like to be treated. If you treat them with respect, chances are they will reciprocate.
2. Don't be a slob: Pick up after yourself. Your roommate is not your mother, so do not expect others to wash your dishes or pick up after you. If you are a messy individual by habit, work on it. Your room is your space, so do what you want with it, but the rest of the house is a public domain. Be a good roommate and keep it clean.
3. Help out: One roommate should never be the only person who washes the dishes, takes out the trash, cleans the bathroom, makes dinner or does any other household chore.You all live under one roof, therefore you should all take turns completing tasks. This will help keep the peace among your roommates and will result in a happier house :)
4. Don't be afraid to speak up: It is inevitable that there will be times when you and your roommates don't get along. When this does happen, handle it like an adult. Do not talk behind one roommates back to another roommate; this will just cause more drama then you asked for. Confront the roommate you're having the conflict with and try your best to resolve it.
5. Ask first: Do not ever assume that you can take your roommates things. It is rude and you would be upset if someone did it to you. If you want to use something of theirs, ask first. There is nothing more annoying than another person using your things as if they were their own. Also, if you do use something of your roommates, put it back or return the item the way you found it.
6. Don't take over the fridge: This especially applies to those with more than two roommates. Remember that you are not the only person that needs a place to store their food. If you need more space, buy a mini fridge and keep it in your room. Your roommates will appreciate the fridge space.
7. Plan things to do together: Some days it seems like you only see your roommate for an hour. Try to plan specific things to do with them to ensure some quality "roomie time." My roommates and I have a TV show we watch together every week and I always look forward to that time.
8. Pay your rent/bills on time: This tip may not particularly be the most fun, but it is the most important. Pay your rent/bills because you have to and because you will have very unhappy roommates if you do not.
9. Know your roommates schedules: I have found that this kind of information is very helpful, especially when planning your meals. Eating with another person is so much better than eating by yourself. When you know your roommates schedules you can coordinate when you can do things together and my favorite, plan what time to make dinner for everyone.
10. Enjoy every minute: Ohio Northern University only allows students to live off campus their senior year. This means that you only get one year to live with a particular group of people. If you are like me, you chose to live with your very best friends from school. Do not take a single minute for granted! Have as much fun as you possibly can because you will probably never get the chance to live with all of those people together again.
Most of these tips are no-brainers, but if you choose to follow them, they make such a difference!
I look forward to all of the memories I will make with my roommates this year, and I hope that everyone is lucky enough to have at least one friend as amazing as all of mine.
Until next time,
Katie
