The Smoothest Move-In

CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE WITH YOUR SOON-TO-BE ROOMMATE

By Grace Carballo ‘17

Moving in with someone is a big step in any relationship, so not matter how well you know your soon-to-be roommate, it’s perfectly natural to be a little nervous. Whether you met through mutual friends, knew each other in high school, found common ground in your generic posts in the USC Class of 2020 facebook group, or both opted for the “random roommate” in an admirable leap of faith, there’s no way you know what it will be like to live with them until you actually do. 

I was lucky enough to have an amazing experience with my roommate (we’re living together again senior year!) and you can, too!

The secret to the smoothest move-in and most pleasant experience living together isn’t really a secret at all, it’s just honest, direct communication. You’ll have to break down your metaphorical walls at some point and it might as well be before you live within the same literal walls (and sleep five feet apart). 

So, without further ado, here are 5 important topics to discuss with your future roommate before move-in day!

1) Meet Each Other (At Orientation?)

Orientation can be a great opportunity to get to know each other before you move in. My roommate and I, both from the Chicago area, planned to travel together to Los Angeles, and even though we were in different Orientation groups, we had the flight and several activities to get to know each other better than we had before or could ever hope to over Facebook or text.

If you can’t go to Orientation with your roommate because the dates don’t line up with your separate schedules or you live in different cities and will be attending the sessions closest to your home, set up a Skype call. Having a face-to-face conversation, even digitally, is a wonderful way to make move-in day a less intimidating experience.

2) Say What You Need to Say

As I said before, living with someone means getting to know someone really really well- the good and the bad. If you have any fears, habits, quirks, allergies, or tidbits of whatever sort that you feel might be important to share, you probably should. 

I.E. I have a really hard time working amongst clutter so if we could keep common spaces organized and our own spaces can of course be however we want them.

I.E. :

I talk in my sleep and I don’t want it to startle you. We can get a really loud fan for the room or earplugs so it doesn’t bother you.

I go out a lot and tend to eat any and all food I can find when I get home so if you could keep your snacks in your desk or closet, I won’t steal them in my weakest moments.

Having these conversations might seem awkward, but it makes everything better in the long run. My roommate and I were voted “Best Female Roommates on the 7th Floor” and you don’t get honors like that by suppressing your feelings or writing passive-aggressive notes.

3) Who Brings What?

Another important conversation to have is the logistics of your room. Before you make any grand plans regarding decor or what you’ll pack, check first what your dorm supplies- a desk, a closet, a bed, a chair, a bulletin board, a mini- fridge- or more? Do you have space for extra amenities like a futon, lamps, rugs a full-length mirror?  

After considering what you already have and how much space you have available, you can figure out together who brings what. Consider convenience- are you driving to campus or flying? If you both live out of state (or out of the country), you can reserve things at local stores in L.A. (Target, Container Store, etc.) and pick them up on Move-In Day. ~stay tuned for my Perfect Packing List post later this summer, I’ve got it down to a science~

4) Decoordination 

If this was unclear, decor and coordination combined created this title. 

Some of my floor-mates planned with their roommates coordinated bedding and accessories, others just bought exactly what they wanted and made it work. Figure out with your roommate if you want to match or coordinate or go rogue, but no matter what you decide, get something you like because you’ll probably use it for the next few years and bedding isn’t cheap.

I got blue and green bedding and my roommate got pink/red/orange and it looked amazing together, especially with the curtains her mom made for our room that tied it all together. My mom mailed her decorations for my birthday (September) and she surprised me with them as an addition to our lovely room.

Posters, photos, collages - make your room a home and it’s way more fun to live there. 

5) Class Schedule/ Sleep Habits

If you’re a morning person and love to go to bed early and your roommate is a social butterfly who pulls all-nighters to study or go out (or perhaps both), that doesn’t mean you can’t live well together.

Communicate beforehand what your class schedule looks like and your sleep/life habits and all will be well, I assure you.

I’ve lived with 5 other girls in the same room and was always the first to go to bed and the first to get up, but because we were all respectful of each other’s sleep and differences, it wasn’t an issue. I used a sleep mask so they could study at night and got noise-canceling headphones and listened to nature sounds (or Stress Relief on Spotify) and slept like a baby.

Reading lights also work for the night owls who like to study in bed. Communication and compromise are crucial and alliterations are awesome. 

So if you follow these five steps and really make an effort to get to know your roommate and open up to them, you’ll adjust to college and dorm life much more smoothly than you think.

And who knows? Your roommate just might become your best friend and confidant.

I hope you get as lucky as I did! 

Fight on,

Grace Carballo ‘17