College Recruiting Logo
    Home Library College-University Site Map

Create Account / Log In

 
 
 
  Interest Profiler Interest Profiler 
  College Search College Search 
  Student-Athlete Resume Resume 
  Express Interest Express Interest 
  Student Library Library 
 
 

Customer Service

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Web collegerecruiting.com


College Roommate Personality Clashes: How to Survive


Are you living with your total opposite? It's amazing how different two people sharing the same (tiny) room can be. Even the littlest things can drive you crazy after awhile! You eat Big Macs and chicken wings while your roommate swears by tofu and beans; you like Coldplay and your roommate cranks up Tim McGraw. You're East Coast; your roommate is West Coast. Whatever your differences (and there are bound to be a few), you need to figure out what you're willing to live with and what's fair to ask your roommate to change.

Your roommate may have an accent that grates on your nerves, but that's not something you can ask a person to change. It's also not fair to expect someone to change his entire personality to suit you. It would be great if we could snap our fingers, and BAM, instant personality makeover! Not gonna happen. So, you need to separate personality traits from irritating habits. You won't transform your roommate into your new best friend, but you can make things a lot more bearable. Here are a few ideas:

Talk. If something's bugging you, bring it up in a non-defensive way rather than assume your roommate can read your mind. Nothing can change unless you acknowledge it. It's possible that your roommate may not even be aware of the problem.

Focus on behavior, not personality. It's not reasonable to ask people to change who they are, but you can ask them to tone down how they express themselves, especially when it's invading your turf. So, you can't criticize someone for being "perky," but you can ask for someone not to talk so much while you're studying.

Stay flexible. It's not your job to fix anybody else, and it helps to recognize that no one is perfect. Be willing to look at your own behavior. Consider what you could do differently to help the situation instead of only blaming your roommate.

Start with one pet peeve. What can you absolutely not deal with? What do you find extremely irritating, but could live with if you had to? There are probably tons of things your roommate does that get on your nerves. But nothing kills a relationship faster than listing dozens of reasons why you don't like a person. Instead, both of you need to list your number one pet peeve and focus your energy on solving that first.

Consider the positives. Before you decide that life would be better with a roommate exactly like you, think of what you could gain by living with your opposite. We're often attracted to people who are different from us because they represent qualities we wish we possessed. If you're shy, maybe being around a more outgoing person will force you out of your shell. When one person's strength makes up for the other's weakness, being opposites is an advantage.

Susan Fee is a licensed counselor and author of the college survival guide, My Roommate Is Driving Me Crazy! Solve Conflicts, Set Boundaries, and Survive the College Roommate from Hell (Adams Media). More college survival tips are listed on her site, http://www.myroommateisdrivingmecrazy.com


MORE RESOURCES:

George A. Piendak
Baltimore Sun
George A. Piendak, the former Baltimore City budget director who was the longtime board chairman of a culinary arts school, ...

and more »


Long-Term Use of Osteoporosis Drugs Linked to Fractures
BusinessWeek
THURSDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term use of oral drugs prescribed to keep osteoporosis at bay may be associated with unusual ...

and more »


Lancaster Newspapers

High hopes for John A. Fry
Drexel University The Triangle Online
Our University has been without a permanent president for almost a year since the passing of Constantine "Taki" Papadakis in April 2009. ...
Fry elected Drexel's next president | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/11/2010Philadelphia Inquirer
Drexel board meets Wednesday to vote on presidentBizjournals.com
Drexel names Fry new presidentSacramento Business Journal
Lancaster Newspapers -KYW1060.com -KDKA
all 49 news articles »


On the Record / March 12, 2010
Buffalo News
Watts Architecture and Engineering, located in downtown Buffalo, named Duane Lacy a fire protection designer in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing ...



Fired up for fry-day: Local group pledges to go on fish fry tour over Lent
St. Cloud Times
ST. JOSEPH — Lent might be a time of sacrifice for some, but for one group it is about celebrating ...

and more »


Fourth year of math adds up to a good idea
NewsOK.com
Former Gov. Frank Keating couldn't convince lawmakers that Oklahoma's high school students needed four years of math. Neither could longtime state schools ...

and more »


Bowdoin Athletics

Bowdoin Skates at Oswego Saturday Night in NCAA Quarterfinals
Bowdoin Athletics
OSWEGO, NY - The Bowdoin College men's ice hockey team will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002 when they face-off with Oswego State ...



#19 Vermont Faces #11 New Hampshire in Hockey East Quarterfinals
Vermont Catamounts
The 19th-ranked University of Vermont men's hockey team (15-12-7; 9-11-7 HEA) visits No. 11 New Hampshire (16-11-7; 15-6-6 HEA) this weekend at the ...

and more »


Rain foils Friday contests in central Florida
Briton SportsNews
The Albion College baseball, softball, and men's and women's tennis teams were all foiled by the persistent rain in central Florida on Friday. ...



The Bronx Ink (blog)

Students Fight Proposed Campus Relocation
The Bronx Ink (blog)
The students of University Heights High School had a clear message for the Department of Education representative at ...

and more »

Google News