{"105631":{"#nid":"105631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Guide to Rooming: Dos and Don\u00e2\u0080\u0099ts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMoving into a dorm can be both exciting and challenging. For many, it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s the first time they\u00e2\u0080\u0099ve shared a room with another person. It\u00e2\u0080\u0099s important for students to learn how to interact well with others, namely their roommates. It may be easy to figure out how to \u00e2\u0080\u009cdeal\u00e2\u0080\u009d with a roommate, but it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s also easy to mess things up with the person you\u00e2\u0080\u0099re living with for a semester or more. Other than interviewing potential roomies to see how they lead their lives, there\u00e2\u0080\u0099s no formula for finding the perfect roommate. As a student who both commuted and lived on campus with his best friend, I\u00e2\u0080\u0099ll tell you how things really are. There are a few things you need to know about yourself (and how you may be unintentionally creating drama) before you can become best friends with your first ever college roommate. Below are some guidelines to help your first roommate experience go smoothly.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERespect boundaries\u003C\/strong\u003E. Whether you\u00e2\u0080\u0099re rooming with your best friend or a complete stranger, it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s up to the two of you to learn each other\u00e2\u0080\u0099s boundaries and respect them. The concept is relatively straightforward: know your rules and what you expect of others, which should not greatly differ from what you expect of yourself. If you really do follow a policy of respect, you may end up helping each other out, which is important in a place like Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESave the drama for the stage\u003C\/strong\u003E. Even if it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s unintentional, you may be creating drama in your living situation. Choose your battles wisely and keep things simple.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETo thine own self be true\u003C\/strong\u003E. Know what you want to do for the upcoming semester or year. Learn which clubs you want to join by the end of your first semester, or know what club you want to create. Don\u00e2\u0080\u0099t waste time, because that can go a long way with friendships. Also, joining a similar club as your roommate might prove useful in creating a relationship between you two.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERealize when it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s not meant to be\u003C\/strong\u003E. Sometimes you just might not be meant for someone else. While this may sound like romantic matchmaking advice, it\u00e2\u0080\u0099s really about how to understand and deal with a situation. You and your roommate may be polar opposites: clean and messy, easy-going and obsessive, or even Republican and Democrat. Stereotypical rivalries aside, remember that you might not be best friends, but you can be fantastic roommates if you give each other space. It\u00e2\u0080\u0099s annoying to go through housing to find another roommate, who could turn out to be an even bigger jerk and less forgiving than the last.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBe realistic\u003C\/strong\u003E. Dealing with a roommate can be anything from a small chore to nothing less than a science. If by a stroke of luck you instantly get along with your roommate on a personal level, you should nonetheless stifle the expectation to find a best friend or soul mate out of GT Housing. What you can expect is someone who will help you when help is needed. It\u00e2\u0080\u0099s important to remember that respect is the key to any successful relationship, and if one year doesn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t work out, then respectfully declining to live with the same person afterward is an option. Though your roommate may share the same cramped room as you, he or she does not have to share your life or personal endeavors.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGo Greek (or maybe not...)\u003C\/strong\u003E Joining the same fraternity or sorority as your roommate can be a healthy start towards friendship. However, it can just as easily split the two of you apart. If you go Greek, be mindful of the fact that not everyone (i.e., your roommate) has the same priorities for their social life. Oppositely, if you remain independent while your roommate goes Greek, don\u00e2\u0080\u0099t judge them. Everyone deserves respect, for whatever they do, so don\u00e2\u0080\u0099t look down upon people for the way they choose to experience college. Respect is a crucial tool for a good year with a roommate at Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReconsider rooming with your friends\u003C\/strong\u003E. Ever heard of the saying \u00e2\u0080\u009cfamiliarity breeds contempt\u00e2\u0080\u009d? It\u00e2\u0080\u0099s not entirely uncommon for some roommates to go entire weeks without talking to one another despite sharing living quarters, and t hat gets pretty awkward. It\u00e2\u0080\u0099s easy to let yourself get cramped by a friend, or to push the other person\u00e2\u0080\u0099s boundaries too far.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA note to those rooming with their best friends: do not tread heavily in personal matters. You might be roommates, but you probably aren\u00e2\u0080\u0099t fully aware of what the other expects. Living with your best friend is not an automatic exemption from respecting them as a roommate. Besides, most people have never lived long-term with their best friends, so they are bound not to know the other\u00e2\u0080\u0099s most private habits.\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Rooming Dos and Don\u0027ts, an article developed by Hamza Hasan, assistant editor for the Technique.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Rooming can be rather simple if you follow some good advice."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2008-09-03 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:37","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1298","name":"Parent and Family Programs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"443","name":"Alina Staskevicius"},{"id":"3944","name":"parents"},{"id":"171179","name":"sophomore transition"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ERachael Pocklington\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EParents Program\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=rpocklington3\u0022\u003EContact Rachael Pocklington\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3920\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rachael.pocklington@vpss.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}