A roommate is like a snowflake...no two are the same

You may be starting a new year with a new roommate...maybe you’ve never had a roommate before, or maybe you’ve had some awful roommates before. But either way, you have to be prepared to face one of the very specific types of roommates. Here’s your official guide.

1. The partier

This is the one who goes out AT LEAST 4 nights out of the week. They have hookups at all the cool places to go, and they’re on every “guest list.” If you’re a party animal too, then the two of you will dominate campus (safely plz), and if you’re NOT a party animal, you’ll have to make sure that the pre-games don’t happen in your room! On the other hand, though, you’ll probably get some decent alone time while they’re out on the town.

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2. The Monica Geller

This roommate is very dedicated to having a clean, tidy space. They may sometimes seem strict about it if you’re not the cleanest person around, but you may get the benefit of them doing a majority of the housework if they like things done a certain way. Make sure to keep your things in order to the best of your ability, and don’t take it personally when you come home to find them touching your stuff to clean your desk for you.

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3. The BFF

Most people will come across the roommate who wants to be their best friend. If you like this person and want to be friends as well, great; but if you’re not too keen on them you may have to make an effort to keep them at arm’s length. Remember that you don’t HAVE to be best friends with your roommate (although you DO have to be nice to them) if you don’t want to. That said, being BFFs with your roommate can be the best!

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4. The coexister

The opposite roommate to The BFF is The Coexister. This is a roommate who doesn’t feel the need to be friends; they have their own friends, do their own thing, and simply come home to sleep. Hopefully they’re friendly to you- if they’re not, you have a right to say something- but they won’t be quite as buddy-buddy with you.

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5. The stage 4 clinger

Some people have a tendency of using their roommate as a social crutch, especially during the first years of college. Perhaps you have your own group of besties, and your roommate tries to come along to every hang out sesh. Perhaps your roommate is constantly saying that you don’t spend enough time together, even though YOU think you spend MORE than enough time together. Remember, you deserve to have your own life, and you don’t HAVE to be BFFs with your roommate.

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6. The moody one

Some roommates can come off as brooding or cranky, which can make your living situation less-than-ideal. Sometimes they may snap at you unintentionally, but you should remember that it’s their own problem and they shouldn’t be taking it out on you. You have every right to speak up if you feel like your roommate is unnecessarily moody and it’s taking an emotional toll on you. Perhaps before confronting them, you could ask them if everything is ok, and see if they need to vent in order to improve their mood. But, again, don’t make it your own problem!

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7. The messy one

The enemy of The Monica Geller: we have the Joey Tribbiani. This roommate moves at the speed of light and leaves a bit of a mess in their wake. They like to store their things in plain sight so they “don’t lose it,” but you’re not quite sure how their things “don’t get lost.” If the mess bugs you, make sure to honest with your roommate- it’s your space too!

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8. The one who’s never there

A very bittersweet roommate is the one who you never see. On one hand, you get the space to yourself most of the time, but on the other hand, you might sometimes get a little lonely (depending on what kind of roommate YOU are). They’re probably involved in lots of things, or often have to stay in the library/studio/lab until the wee hours of the morning. Embrace the time alone, and get your own squad to hang with when your roomie isn’t around!

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9. The one who’s ALWAYS THERE

One scenario that can get really old really fast is the roommate who has nothing to do and nowhere to be, so they’re ALWAYS home. This can be great if you ever need to find them in a crisis, but sometimes when you stop home and you need a quick cry, or some quiet time, or a nap, you want to be left alone. If you have one of these roommates, it’s probably time to find a quiet place for yourself on campus.

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10. The one who pumps you up

This is the roommate who helps you prep for interviews and class presentations, gets you to go out on a Thursday, lets you cry on their shoulder, and reminds you what a BADASS you are when you’ve forgotten. Everyone needs at least one of these roommates during college, because let’s be honest- you’re not always feeling 100%. Don’t forget they this roommate may also need some pumping-up every now and then!

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11. The princess

Almost everyone I know has had at least one roommate in their life who has a bit of room for improvement in the “living on their own” department. This is a roommate who has probably been a little bit...shall we say.... “sheltered” growing up, and may not yet understand how to do the simple things like restocking the toilet paper, replacing a burnt-out lightbulb, or even doing their own laundry. Think season 1 Rachel Green. They’re not hopeless...they just need some help with adulting.

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12. The bookworm

It’s nice to have a roommate who likes to curl up with a book and keep to themselves every now and then, especially if you’re the same way. If you’re on the louder side of the spectrum (no judgment-- on a scale of 1-to-foghorn I’m about a 9), you’ll probably have to take their preferences into consideration and be mindful of your noise level. But also, if they’re ALWAYS on your case, maybe some noise cancelling headphones would make a nice birthday gift for them.

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13. The personal concert

Some roommates are more musically inclined than others, and some roommates like to have late-night jam sessions EVERY DAY. If you go to a music school, maybe this is something you can expect, and if you’re a part of the “band” then this is a roomie match made in heaven! However, if you’re not into it, you can gently let them know that there are lotssssss of other places on campus they can strum their guitar at 3am.

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14. The sidekick

This is the roommate who is your partner in crime, and who can often help to keep you in line when you’re feeling a little bit scatterbrained. You and your roomie act as each others’ personal assistants at times, because, let’s face it: we all need some help keeping our heads on straight at times.

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15. The social butterfly

In some cases, your room will turn into the gathering spot...the “Monica’s apartment” of your dorm. Hopefully the people that your roomie brings over are your friends too- or at least people you can TOLERATE- otherwise you may want to go hang out with some other friends (and also feel free to tell your roommate that sometimes you’d like 2-person bedroom to stay that way).

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