Getting to Know You..........10:00 p.m.: You've finished your schoolwork for
evening. You neatly stack your books on your desk, fold and put away clothing, shut off lights, slip into your neatly made bed, and drift off to sleep.
11:30 p.m.: You're jolted out of your peaceful dream by loud heavy metal and bright lights. Could it be morning already? No such luck. Rather, it seems your party-loving roommate has just arrived home from -- surprise, surprise -- a party (for sixth night in a row) and is just now starting her homework. You watch in amazement (and frustration) as she simultaneously powers up her computer, dances to music filling your small room, and discards her clothes and books on floor. "Hey!" she yells over music, noticing you for first time. "What's up?" she asks, seemingly unaware that you were fast asleep.
You flop back onto your bed, put your pillow over your head and groan. "How am I ever going to get through year?" you wonder.
Scenes like this are not unusual. Getting along with a roommate is a real concern, and one you may be facing for first time. If you're a bookworm who goes to bed early and your roomie is a party animal who just gets going at midnight, sharing same quarters may not be easy. But that doesn't mean two of you can't get along.
The Good News Perhaps most important lessons you'll learn in college are ones you learn outside classroom. Figuring out how to live with someone involves respecting differences, sharing, being courteous, accepting others for who they are, and much more. You'll find that sharing space builds character.
While most freshmen do miss privacy of their homes, they also find comfort in sharing company with others who are experiencing same issues -- difficult courses, living away from home, balancing school work and social life, and a whole lot more. In fact, while there are many alternatives for roommates who don't get along, most do stick it out, and solve their problems by talking it out.
