Living with Roommates 

Living with roommates in college is a key part of the Texas Tech University experience. This article will break down everything you need to know about having roommates in college from how to choose who to live with, creating a roommate contract, and even proper roommate etiquette. Many students when they come to college, it’s their first time ever having roommates and living away from home. We can help smooth the transition process for your new TTU apartment so you can focus on your classes, involvement on campus, and even social life.

How to Find Roommates

You will want to fill your two-, three-, or four-bedroom apartment in Lubbock with people that you trust. There are many ways to find roommates for your college apartment to consider. First, you can try contacting friends from your hometown. This is the most familiar option because you already know your roommate personally. Keep in mind though those best friends don’t always make the best roommates. People who are very close prior to living together tend to get in more conflicts because they are so comfortable with each other. If you are an out of state student or don’t know anyone who you want to live with, you can use social media to find a roommate. Texas Tech has Facebook groups and Instagram pages dedicated to students finding their roommates online. All it takes is a quick post about your lifestyle and interests then a few photos and you are good to go. You can then start chatting with people who you are interested in living with and set up a few video calls. A final way to find a roommate is to utilize roommate matching services. Some apartment communities will set you up with people to live with that have similar preferences as you to avoid arguments. You will fill out a questionnaire with relevant information including bedtimes, social life, class schedule, etc. to get a match. Who knows, maybe you’ll even meet a new friend!living with roommates

Roommate Contracts

Creating a written roommate agreement should be done right after moving in. This agreement outlines the expectations and responsibilities for all the roommates for the year. You can refer to the roommate contract when disagreements between roommates come up. It should make it much easier to resolve by having common issue already covered in the contract. Students should also plan to review and update the roommate contract a few times a year to remind everyone what they can do better and make changes as needed. Some important issues to put in a contract are dividing chores, noise levels, having over guests, borrowing personal items, and how to pay rent to name a few. Remember each roommate contract will look different for everyone depending on your apartments needs. You can find free templates online so that you have an idea of where to start and customize it as needed from there. Once the roommate contract is finalized, print it out and every person in the apartment can read it, ask any question, and sign it to show their agreement.

Being a Good Roommate

Learning the best ways to be a good roommate is the easiest way to avoid conflict to begin with at all. These tips may be simple, but they are important for college students to remember especially since they have only lived with their parents their whole life. Living on your own with roommates comes with much more responsibility than you’re used to. Some small things you can do around the apartment to be a good roommate: take clothes out of the machines when doing laundry, remove the trash when its full, switch out the toilet paper when you finish it, don’t borrow personal items without asking first, clean up any mess that you make, be respectful with inviting over guests, and listen to other complaints. If you follow all of these tips, you will be in a perfect starting position to have a great year in your Texas Tech apartment free of roommate drama!

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