Roommates

Learning to live with other people, to acknowledge and respect each other's differences and allow one another the space to grow, are some of the most valuable parts of the residence experience. To ensure a successful living agreement, you must take an active role in learning to live with someone, specifically in resolving differences. Read below for tips on how to communicate and effectively resolve differences.

Roommate Agreement

Roommate agreements outline standards of behaviours that each roommate agrees to live by in order to fulfill a successful roommate relationship. This is a valuable tool to help you and your roommate discuss some common differences and accommodate everyone's needs and interests. This is a mandatory item to complete as noted in the Residence Contract. 

Why it's important: Discussing how roommates will communicate with one another when problems arise is important as it will help guide the conversations and make the solutions come easier. When filling out your roommate agreement, discuss how each person prefers receiving feedback, for example do you prefer a text or an in-person conversation. Are you the kind of person who likes to solve problems in the moment or do you need some time to think about the feedback you've received.

Setting these expectations early will support having difficult conversations which is important in everyday life not just in residence. Being able to use residence as a practice ground for difficult conversations and working with people you may not see eye to eye with on every topic will translate into your life outside of school and in the work world.

Roommate Change Process

It's natural for conflicts to arise throughout the year when you're living with someone new. As part of our Residence Curriculum, we hope to teach students valuable skills in facilitating difficult conversations and giving and receiving feedback. Our goal is that students can have a conversation with their roommates/suitemates when concerns arise and can discuss behaviours and expectations that are desired moving forward. 

If challenges continue after roommates/suitemates have tried to work out their issues on their own, there is the option for a room change. We see learning to live with someone new and working through difficult situations or conversations as an essential skill that can be developed in residence. That belief has led us to developing our Room Change Process that has four steps that must be completed before a room change can be made and is considered a last resort:

  1. 1.   Complete your Roommate Agreement on myHousing portal 

  1. 2.   Engage in a Roommate mediation meeting with a Residence Don 

  1. 3.   Complete a seminar to learn skills for engaging in difficult conversations 

  1. 4.   Complete the Room Change Reflection assignment and meet with a Residence Life Coordinator  

Note: Room changes require one or both people to leave their friends and floor community. We are unable to guarantee a room within the same community if you request a room change. The Residence Life Coordinator may force one or both roommates to move in exceptional circumstances. 

Living Together Guide

Communication is key to a successful relationship between you and your roommate, but some topics may be hard to discuss. Below are tips and responsibilities you need to consider to be a good roommate:

Positive Communication

Sharing a room is just like any other relationship; it requires openness, flexibility and respect to be effective. It's important to communicate openly with your roommate right from the start. It is paramount that you communicate in person with your roommate to properly express your thoughts and feelings. Choose a time that is best for both you and your roommate to work through some of the issues.

Tip: Focus exclusively on how their behaviour is impacting you, not their character or what they have done "wrong".

Sleep Patterns

You have the responsibility to allow your roommate to sleep without disturbances from noise, guests or other disruptions. Requirements differ from person to person. You should discuss an appropriate sleep schedule with your roommate.

Tip: Ask what they need to sleep well; including light and noise volume.

Studying

Individuals study in different ways; different levels of noise, locations, times of day. It is the responsibility of each roommate to ensure they are maintaining an environment in their room that is conducive to learning by not causing any undue interferences or distractions. Check with your roommate to ensure that you get the most out of your time in residence.

Tip: Post copies of your class schedules and talk about when you prefer to study (between classes, only at night, etc.).

Temperature

Temperature settings not only impact comfort level, but also are useful in terms of sustainability efforts. Talk with your roommate about an ideal temperature for your room. This should include when and for how long the window can be open.

Tip: Talk about how you should approach changing the temperature.

Cleanliness

In residence, you are required to maintain at least a minimum standard of cleanliness for health and safety. However, individual standards and expectations can vary. You should build cleanliness expectations early in the year that includes garbage, recycling, and overall mess. Shared suites may also consider discussing kitchen cleanliness including how you would like to keep dishes clean.

Tip: Develop a schedule for how often areas of your room should get cleaned together. 

Property and Belongings

Different people have different ideas on how they like their belongings to be used or shared. Speak with your roommates to determine boundaries regarding personal property to avoid unexpected surprises or doubt.

Tip: Discuss what you are able to borrow, when permission is necessary and what is completely off limits.

Social Etiquette

You all have family and friends back home that you would like to stay in touch with. Whether it's a phone call back home or an interaction over Skype or Zoom, be mindful of when you’re having those conversations, how loud you are, and who else is in the room. You might also just need some space and time to be alone.

Tip: Be understanding, and think about how your social needs differ from that of your roommate.

Guests

Residence is a great place to meet new friends! Discuss with your roommate when you are comfortable having guests in your room and for how long they can stay. You may want to consider overnight guests, how many people can be in the room, and how much notice you would like before a guest arrives.

Tip: Before making plans, make sure you are aware of the guest policy in residence by reviewing the Residence Contract and log in to myHouisng portal to register them.

Safety and Security

If you are in your room, keeping your door open can create an inviting and friendly environment. But safety is a shared responsibility. Discuss with your roommate how you will communicate when you will be locking the door, and how to remind each other to lock the door.

Tip: Talk to your roommate and agree that you will bring your keys when leaving the room for any reason (even if going to the washroom or lounge) so that in case your roommate leaves, they can lock the door.