Dorm advisor provides etiquette tips

By Charlene Chang 

Reporter 

For many students, living in the dorms is either desirable or inevitable. To make things easier for all, there are basics to becoming a good roommate as well as a housemate. According to Crowder dorm advisor, Lori Kelley, the most important skills to being a great roommate are to “communicate” and “set boundaries.” 

Communication and boundaries are easily set for students who already have a developed relationship with their roommate. As for roommates who are complete strangers to each other, it is more difficult to adjust. In a situation like this, roommates should start with the basics: having respect for each other. 

Putting herself in the shoes of a dorm student, Kelley explained, “I just want somebody to be mutually respectful and show me the same respect I show them. The most common issue among roommates and housemates is that people are not respecting other people’s space.” 

Some great ways dorm students can be considerate roommates are by, “not having a lot of people over all the time or if the other person is studying or sleeping, to just be respectful of that,” suggests Kelley. 

Jacqueline Peralta, current dorm student, believes that, “having a good relationship with your roommate makes it easier to be comfortable and makes the college life experience more enjoyable.” She suggests looking for, “someone clean, respectful, and fun to be around,” when searching for the perfect roommate. 

Everyone plays a part in their house, and doing one’s part is essential to guarantee everyone a satisfactory experience living in the dorms.