Getting Off to a Good Start With Your Roommate

Recommendations of subjects to discuss with your roommate prior to moving in:

Personal Possessions

• What items can be shared?
• What items cannot be shared?
• Will groceries and other expenses be shared? How?

Security

• When will the room be locked?
• How will we know when to lock the door without locking one of us out?

Cleaning the Room

• How neat and clean do you like things to be?
• Who will vacuum/sweep, dust, clean the bathroom, take out trash?
• How often will tasks be done?

Study Time

• Can you study with noise, such as the TV or stereo?
• Can you study with visitors in the room?
• Do you usually study late into the night? How will this work when one person is in bed?
• Do you like to study with others while in the room? How can this be compromised?

Sleeping Arrangements

• When do you usually go to bed?
• What time do you wake up?
• What are you like in the mornings?
• Can you sleep with the light on or with noise such as the TV or stereo?
• What happens when somebody is sleeping through the alarm clock? How many times will you hit the snooze button before it annoys your roommate?

Phone Usage & Messages

• What is too late for the phone to ring or to make a call?
• Will you answer each others' phones?
• If so, how will messages be taken and delivered?
• How will you handle verbal "stop by's" and door board messages?

Communication

• How do you want to be confronted when there is a problem?
• If there is a problem, how will we deal with it?
• How will you deal with the fear of offending each other?