8. How quiet and respectful of each other are we going to be when one of us is sleeping or studying?

Talk to one another about:

What do you do for fun.

Where you are from.

How you grew up.

What your favorite things are.

What your major is.

What your career goals are.

What some of your likes and dislikes are.

What things you each can do to make living environment great for both of you.

Rules for good discussion:

Focus on behavior- not your roommate.

"Own" your feelings. No one can make you feel something- you choose to feel that way.

Try and listen to your roommate's perspective. Let him/her speak without interruption.

Make sure you understand what is being said. Never assume anything.

Remember that this is not a win lose situation. The goal is to find some kind of compromise with which you can all live. Try to be as objective and rational as possible.

If emotions are running too high, take a break and talk again later.

Try to get to heart of problem right away. Don't waste time on little details of concern.

Try to remain calm.

dan the roommate man

You will also want to perform a background check on their criminal history. This process is about forty dollars, which may seem like a lot of money, but not when that's all you have to pay to protect yourself from danger. A friend of mine did not to perform a criminal history check on their new roommate. They moved in, and things were going beautifully. One night, my friend came home to an apartment full of dirty laundry, old newspapers and police officers. His "wonderful" roommate had been busted for possession of marijuana. Even though he was not directly involved, and didn't even know his roommate had marijuana in apartment, both he and his roommate were evicted. If my friend had done a criminal history check on his new roommate, he would've discovered that he had been convicted before for possession two different times. Suddenly forty dollars for report doesn't seem so steep, does it?

Although roommate locator services are convenient, easy and usually free, you need to be careful when deciding on which one to sign up with. Avoid giving out too much information, and once you find a good candidate for your new roommate, make sure they have a good history. You should take all precautions to insure your safety.

dan the roommate man