How Do I Make Sure I Get Along with a New Roommate?
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Whether you have grown up with a house full of siblings or have never before shared your close living quarters with anyone else, you may be anxious about moving into dorm housing and be fearful that you will not get along with a new roommate. While sharing a small dorm room with a roommate inevitably comes with plenty of difficulties, it is an excellent component to your college experience and will help you transition to the independence of adulthood. In fact, it is not so rare to hear about two randomly paired roommates coming from miles apart discovering they have many common interests and becoming friends for life. In order to put your best foot forward and increase your happiness in the first months of college, read on to find our top three most essential tips for getting along with your roommate.
1. Make a Good First Impression
Like it or not, humans are hard-wired to make immediate judgments about a person within the first few seconds of meeting them. Therefore, whatever impression you give of yourself when meeting up with your new roommate the first time is likely to stick with them for the long haul. In order to display yourself in a positive light, make sure you are as amiable, open-minded, and friendly as possible the first day, even if you are exhausted from the move in. Beyond making plenty of eye contact and using all of your manners, be sure you show a significant interest in getting to know more about your new roommate. If he or she likes you from the start, there will be a higher likelihood that your roommate will respect your needs.