I Have a Roommate, Now What? 5 TV Roommate Situations to Consider

By College Prowler on June 20, 2012

For many high school students accustomed to having their own bedrooms, coming to college
and having roommates or suitemates can be quite an adjustment. Suddenly, there’s someone
else in your space—all of the time!

However, having a roommate is a cool part of the college journey. While it can seem awkward
sometimes, whether or not your roommate becomes your best friend or just someone who lives
there, you will take away a lot of memorable experiences and life lessons.

Here are a few ways to deal with having a roommate through the eyes of 5 television shows:

1. Set boundaries

Not in a way where you look like an authoritarian, but identify your differences and similarities.
Are you a night showerer? An early riser? Let your roommate know a bit about your habits and
how you can adapt to each other.

Models for consideration: Chuck and Olive from “Pushing Daisies.” They both managed to get
along even though both were in love with the same man (they even developed a cool roommate
handshake).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp794OYlkl4

2. Be respectful

You wouldn’t want someone going through your things without asking, so why would you go
through their stuff? Just think about how you would want to be treated.

Models for consideration: Troy and Abed from “Community.” When Annie moved in, they ended
up relinquishing their room to her so they could keep their Dreamatorium (at first, they were
going to let her sleep in a blanket fort in the living room—they quickly realized they were being
jerks).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-kNyA6zE30

3. Compromise and be willing to change

Going along with being respectful, you have to be willing to be flexible. If you expect your
roommate to bend for you, you have to be able to reciprocate. If you like to listen to music while
you study and your roommate prefers silence, maybe you could head to a lounge with your iPod
while you hit the books.

Models for consideration: Sheldon and Leonard from “The Big Bang Theory.” Sheldon obviously
has some quirks on the show, including having to sit in a particular spot on the couch. But one
of the threads of BBT is the fact that Leonard and pals are trying to work with Sheldon’s quirks
and in turn teach him how to adjust to other people’s habits. . .and society in general.

Watch the clip from The Big Bang Theory

4. Don’t be naive

Sometimes, being in such close quarters is an opportunity to take advantage of others, so if
you notice your Easy Mac supply has been depleted (not by you) or that your favorite shirt you
haven’t worn all semester suddenly has a huge stain on it, you don’t want to point fingers, but you don’t want to ignore the “facts.”

Models for consideration: Alex from “Happy Endings.” This free-spirited clothing store owner
posted a flier looking for a roommate that said: “Come have fun with me!” It’s no wonder that her
future roommate had “fun” with their apartment by setting up webcams and making money off of
Alex’s privacy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awH4EuEfCy0

5. Don’t avoid the conflict

For some reason, humans often deal with conflict by employing the silent treatment tactic.
This can be a rather miserable situation when it comes to dealing with a roommate and is not
advised.

Models for consideration: June and Chloe from “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.” After
Chloe tries to scam June out of money, June reacts by selling all of Chloe’s possessions. Now,
we’re not suggesting revenge here, but June was reactive instead of just doing the whole silent
treatment thing. In the end, June earns Chloe’s respect because she stood up to her when so
many other roommates backed down.

Watch the clip

Every roommate situation is different, so some of these scenarios need not apply. However,
even if you have a roommate with which you get along swimmingly, at some point, you may
hit some obstacles. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be best friends with your
roommate; you just have to be able to respect each other and live harmoniously.

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