What are the secrets to getting what you want and still having a good relationship with your roommates?

Junior zoology major Alison Minerovic has seen it all when it comes to housing.

She lived in the dorms, currently lives in an apartment and will be moving into a house with 14 girls in a few weeks.

“I lived with four girls, and there was only one bathroom. It took a lot of planning, like who was going to get up earlier and who was going to be late to class,” Minerovic said.

Planning helps solve problems with roommates before it escalates.

If issues over who takes out the trash, does the dishes, watches television or cleans the common area arise, make a plan so everything is fair, and everyone is happy.

Minerovic was the messy roommate.

“I told my roommates that the first day and let them know that if it was a problem to let me know,” she said.

Everyone has bad habits and letting your roommates be aware of it beforehand is helpful.

First, it will lessen their shock when it happens.

Second, it will make them feel better about confronting you since you are already aware of your fault.

Briana Hazlett, freshman educational interpreting major, has expectations for moving into the dorms.

“If you have a problem with a roommate, be polite,” Hazlett said. “Don’t be harsh when you are just getting to know someone.”

Hazlett does not expect a room to be completely spotless but clean most of the time. She prefers a 24-hour timeframe that dirty dishes should be left in the sink.

Part of living with others is compromise and sacrifice. One cannot always get what he or she wants.

Picking battles is a great way for roommates to choose what is important to fight over. On one hand a battle is being lost, but on the other hand he or she wins the one that matters more.

Communication is a large part of student living.

“We encourage students to sit down and talk about it before coming to the office,” said Amanda Adkins, leasing consultant for Campus Pointe Apartments.

One problem students have is using each other’s things.

Adkins suggests students buy their own dishes, clothes and food.

“Also divide the shelves and fridge up evenly so everything is fair,” she said.

–Rachel Hagenbaugh[email protected].