How to Get Along: 5 Ways to Bond with Your Roommate(s)
You live together, you should get along!
If you’ve known your roommates prior to living together, or you’ve already bonded over the same early morning class, congrats! Half the battle of college living is already over. If not, you just have some work to do.
If you want to know how to get along with your roommate, take note: All it takes is a few roommate bonding activities to make you both realize you have a secret passion for the same thing that nobody else loves.
Here are five activities to get you started (and they’re pretty hard to say no to!):
1. Take Out & TV
This is how I had my first hangout with my new roommates in New York. We ordered a pizza and wine and sat on the floor right after moving in because we had no furniture. It was the most perfectly cliched moment, but there’s a reason for that.
Does your roommate prefer to stay at home rather than go out? Tell them to pick a time that week to order in from the restaurant down the street you’ve been meaning to try. Relax in front of your TV or laptop and come to the realization that you have a mutual love of the same Netflix shows. You have the buffer of something on-screen to keep this from being a 20 questions-style dinner date.
If they love to go out? Well, keep reading.
2. Spa Date
Is your roommate super busy and you haven’t had the opportunity to chat? Ask them to free up a 30 minute to hour time block. Mani/pedis provide you with a public place to hangout where you both get something tangible out of the experience! You’re not committed to an entire evening together, but if you’r enjoying yourselves you can always go out together later and feel perfectly polished.
3. Local Hangout
Is there a casual bar/coffee shop on your campus? This is kind of like a first date idea – low stakes and enough people to watch in case things fizzle.
If you’re both new to the area this works particularly well because you’re hanging out under the guise of exploring the town. It’s easy to plan this spur of the moment when you’re both hanging out at home with nothing to do.
4. Throw a Party
This almost seems like it would be more awkward because you don’t know each other. But if you have a roommate who has expressed an interest in being social together, considering bringing up a housewarming party or joint gathering.
You can all invite your respective friends to mingle and hopefully have some laughs during the planning process. You’re likely to learn something about your new roomies from sources other than themselves, including those funny stories you’ve always wanted to know.
5. Find an Event
From newly-organized clubs to trivia nights, inviting your roommate to an event you haven’t been to can be a good way to bond over both being “new.” Never been to the night hours at the local museum? Extend an invitation to check it out together!
There’s something humbling about inviting someone to be just as lost or amazed as you are upon arrival, making your experience all the more worth talking about when you get home!
How do you get along with your roommates?
Want more? Once you guys are friends, see our list of roommate activities to do together. Roommates can sometimes become your lifelong friends, but even if they don’t, you can get along during the time you have together!
Do you have any tips on how to get along with your roommate? How have you bonded with roommates who you weren’t originally friends with? Share your tips and strategies in the comments!
Source: #Fashionblogger #fashiontrends