6 Awesome Favors You Can Do for Your Roommate

By Alyssa Laffitte on June 3, 2017

Having a roommate is an adjustment for a lot of students, especially during freshman year. You hear many roommate horror stories, but you also hear about roommates who become best friends.

Your roommate doesn’t have to become your best friend, but you should still try to be nice and to respect each other. One way to build a good relationship with your roommate is doing small favors for them. Here are some of the best favors/surprises you can do for your roommate.

Image via RealisticShots.com

1. Bring food to share

Who doesn’t love it when someone brings them food? Especially a stressed out college student who probably didn’t have time to pick some up or to make some? For this reason, bringing your roommate food is a great surprise/favor you can do for them. You can bring snacks, baked goods, or even an entire meal.

When you choose what food to bring her, be sure to keep in mind any allergies or intolerances. It makes life easier for your roommate and it shows you care.

2. Remember special days

It may seem weird, but it’s a great idea to write down dates that are important to the people in your life (including your roommate). For example, ask her when her birthday is so you can get her a little gift or a small cake. You can also make sure she feels special on her day because it might be especially tough to be away from family on her birthday. Wish her good luck if you know she has an exam. If you have some time to spare, help her study for it. Doing something special, even something small, on a special day will mean a lot to your roommate.

3. Respect her quiet/personal time and property

One of the best things you can do for your roommate is to respect her, especially her quiet time and her property. Anyone who has ever had a roommate will tell you it’s important to communicate your needs when it comes to your property and quiet time, especially toward the beginning of the semester. The University of Missouri created an awesome “list of questions to ask your roommate” to help you communicate your needs to each other.

Once you know her needs, respect them. If she told you she had an exam at 8 a.m., then please do not watch TV without headphones at 4 a.m. Similarly, don’t borrow something if you know she doesn’t want you to borrow her stuff. Yes, even if she has let you borrow something in the past, it’s always better to ask if you want to borrow it again. Trust me, your roommate will greatly appreciate some quiet time and that her property is left untouched.

4. Respect your shared space

Just like the previous point, it’s important to respect your shared space. Make sure your side of the room is neat (meaning, do things like make your bed and hide the pile of clothes you have lying around) and do your part in cleaning up the common area. Try to be even neater than you would be if the place was your own. Because honestly, if I had my own place, I might not make my bed one day or let the clothes pile up too high. But for my roommate’s sake, I try to be extra neat.

Another way to respect your shared space is to let her know of any guests you’ve invited to the room. I’m sure your roommate would not appreciate walking into the room expecting peace and quiet, only to find a bunch of people in her space. At the very least, send her a text to let her know that people will be coming over.

After all, you guys will be sharing the space. So for both of your sakes, please respect it.

5. Take an interest in her life and get to know her

People love it when others take an interest in their lives and try to get to know them. If you’re still just getting to know her, ask her about the things she likes. Does she have a poster hanging on her side of the room? Ask about it! Does she have pictures of her friends, family members, or pets? Ask about them, too! People are always happy to talk about their favorite things, so asking her about them is a great way to get to know her. You may find you have something in common!

6. Be there during tough times

Everyone goes through difficult times in life. If you learn your roommate is going through a tough time, be there for her and be gracious to her. If she needs someone to talk to, make time for her. Be extra patient with her during times like these.

College life is much easier with a happy roommate. Maintain a good relationship with your roommate by occasionally doing these small favors.

 

What small favors do you do for your roommate?

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