subject: Off Campus Student Housing Strategies For Avoiding Roommate Conflicts [print this page] Are you a university student who is thinking about living off campus during the upcoming school year? Have you decided yet on the kind of off campus student housing arrangement you'd prefer-one that would also match your budget? Living off campus whilst studying at a college or university offers many advantages, including the ability in the future and go as a person please. However, if you're like most students, you probably lack the financial resources to live completely by yourself, especially if you're taking a full load of courses. But this doesn't mean that living off campus is actually impossible either. One of the numerous potential off campus student housing options is to share an apartment or flat with a number of roommates. This allows you to share the costs associated with residing in an apartment, including things like lease, utilities, cable and internet entry. However, regardless of the cost savings, and despite how you and your roommate relate to one another initially, there are bound to become some conflicts on the way that you may not really anticipate. These are a natural a part of sharing a residence; however, many of them could be mitigated or avoided by carrying out a few simple tips.
Off Campus Student Housing: Tips for Avoiding Flatmate Conflicts
So you finally chose a condo, met two roommates (state, Jeff and Manuel) who were willing to share the expense and you moved within. Initially, things were great and the three of you had been getting along famously. However, after about the third month you start to notice a sour odor emanating from Jeff's room that's rapidly taking over the actual apartment. You've pleaded with him on several occasions to clean his clothes and meals, but still the odor lingers and the combination of soiled socks with the strong smell of rotting meat start to make you rethink the whole roommate arrangement. On top of this particular, despite your constant memory joggers, Manuel is now five days late with his share of the lease, and the cable television, a bill he had promised to pay for, has now been turn off.
Naturally, this scenario is make believe, but conflicts like these are very real and extremely common when two or more people share. And while not all conflicts can be completely avoided, there are many ways to allay or avoid all of them. Below we have listed just a couple tips that will help make your apartment-sharing experience a little less stressful.
Address conflicts early. Many roommates, when sharing off campus student housing, fail to address conflicts because they arise. Instead, they let them fester, which only builds more and more resentment between the two parties and what could have ultimately been a minor conflict turns into World War II. This is a common, yet huge mistake. Experts suggest roommates be upfront with one another and try to solve conflicts early, before they become too big to manage. Discuss financial arrangements before moving in. When entering into the roommate agreement the question of who'll pay for what and when should be decided just before making any residential commitment. Put this in writing so there is no confusion down the street. Show courtesy. The oldest-and still the best-tip when sharing off campus student housing will be courteous to and mindful of each other. Behavior such as hogging the television, computer or other items in the common areas of the apartment is only going to cause conflict, so always act in a manner like you would like to be treated and behave in ways that's positive and thoughtful.
Conflicts are a natural a part of life and are particularly prevalent in roommate circumstances, but by keeping the actual lines of communication open and demonstrating courtesy at all costs many of these conflicts could be minimized or eliminated altogether.
