Picking a roommate can be a difficult process for many students, but some students have found ways to make the process easier.
Leroy Mathews, a junior graphic design major, said the No. 1 key to a successful roommate relationship is communication.
“You have to understand that we all come from different backgrounds and lifestyles,” Mathews said. “We live different lives, and when someone does something that might annoy another roommate, it’s not to piss them off, but sometimes it’s just how they like to live.”
Over the years, Mathews said he learned the best ways to communicate and avoid major conflicts.
“I think it’s best to talk to someone one-on-one if there is something that is bothering you,” Mathews said. “I mean, you don’t want to call that person out in front of others because it will just create tension and they will feel left out.”
Mathews said that there has to be boundaries, and those boundaries need to be respected.
“We respect each other’s stuff and ask if we want to borrow something,” Mathews said. “We learn from each other too. For example, one of the roommates was very clear on having the refrigerator clean. He liked any leftover food to be properly put away, like in bags. I realized I like it that way too.”
Recent graduate Madelaine Memmer said she learned about what she liked and did not like about roommates.
“It was like choosing a car, because it’s a smart choice to take them for a test drive,” Memmer said.
Like choosing a car, Memmer said one should know what they want and know what the deal breakers are.
During her four years at Cal State Long Beach, Memmer lived with 13 different people at five different homes.
Memmer said she and her first roommates started having disagreements that led to fighting. Some of the attacks included nasty letters, taking food, name-calling and outright “bad vibes.”
“Home just didn’t feel like home anymore,” Memmer said. “There was a lot of disrespect. It was like ‘Mean Girls.’ I knew I had to get out, and my dad helped me to get out of the lease early.”
Memmer said she learned some of the most important lessons from her roommate experience, and that after the first situation did not go well, she learned how to better choose a roommate.
“My roommates became some of my very best friends,” Picking a roommate can be a difficult process for many students, but some students have found ways to make the process easier.
Leroy Mathews, a junior graphic design major, said the No. 1 key to a successful roommate relationship is communication.
“You have to understand that we all come from different backgrounds and lifestyles,” Mathews said. “We live different lives, and when someone does something that might annoy another roommate, it’s not to piss them off, but sometimes it’s just how they like to live.”
Over the years, Mathews said he learned the best ways to communicate and avoid major conflicts.
“I think it’s best to talk to someone one-on-one if there is something that is bothering you,” Mathews said. “I mean, you don’t want to call that person out in front of others because it will just create tension and they will feel left out.”
Mathews said that there has to be boundaries, and those boundaries need to be respected.
“We respect each other’s stuff and ask if we want to borrow something,” Mathews said. “We learn from each other too. For example, one of the roommates was very clear on having the refrigerator clean. He liked any leftover food to be properly put away, like in bags. I realized I like it that way too.”
Recent graduate Madelaine Memmer said she learned about what she liked and did not like about roommates.
“It was like choosing a car, because it’s a smart choice to take them for a test drive,” Memmer said.
Like choosing a car, Memmer said one should know what they want and know what the deal breakers are.
During her four years at Cal State Long Beach, Memmer lived with 13 different people at five different homes.
Memmer said she and her first roommates started having disagreements that led to fighting. Some of the attacks included nasty letters, taking food, name-calling and outright “bad vibes.”
“Home just didn’t feel like home anymore,” Memmer said. “There was a lot of disrespect. It was like ‘Mean Girls.’ I knew I had to get out, and my dad helped me to get out of the lease early.”
Memmer said she learned some of the most important lessons from her roommate experience, and that after the first situation did not go well, she learned how to better choose a roommate.
“My roommates became some of my very best friends,” Memmer said. “This summer I’m going to be a bridesmaid in one of my old roommate’s weddings.”
Memmer said. “This summer I’m going to be a bridesmaid in one of my old roommate’s weddings.”