What are some tips/advice to prevent roommate woes during the year?

avoid them as much as possible.

I recommend communication and inclusion in everyday chores and activities.
Roommates all have to live in the same space and if they stop associating with each other, the entire household is doomed.

As for the small room for same rent, that sucks, but it’s a short term situation.

Focus on your studies. Perhaps it will not be as bad as you fear. You are so lovable and so logical, they won’t be able to resist you!

When you say you can’t get out, sis you sign a lease for a year? Or, if worse came to worse, could you change after a quarter?

Make up your mind that you are a majority of one. They will not often agree with your standards. Ask yourself if (this particular issue) is a make or break deal. If not, forget it. If one roommate does not/cannot pay his share of the rent, can you make other arrangements? i.e he will do other tasks instead.

Be pleasant every time you see them and hold up your end of the bargain, but keep an eye on your stuff. Also, learn which battles are really worth fighting and let the others slide.

i wouldnt avoid them, i would just kinda do my own thing, not get involed with their lives or their on goings. dont be rude and ignor them be kind and curtious but keep to yourself mostly…

try to make friends with them. if you can help it, don’t just be roommates with no friendship connection, because that’s going to lessen their likelihood to consider you when they do/plan things. i mean, don’t push yourself into their business, but try to hide your worries that they’re going to be troublesome, and be as friendly as you can. choose your battles.

I would address issues in a friendly, non-confrontational way before they become a source of annoyance.

If you have the smallest room, I would assume that they found the house and are adding you to the arrangement through Craig’s List? If this is the case, and you have the same amount of rent, I would expect the two of them to provide the furniture for the common areas. Whoever provides the couch, kitchen table, pots, pans, etc, should get some sort of compensation on rent for having their things used by all. This is only fair.

I would try to get as many of the groundrules as possible established in advance and posted if you can; i.e., a cleaning schedule for the common areas, food sharing or not, quiet times if that’s important to you. Then if someone is not doing their share you can point to the agreement. Other than that, I would be friendly but not try to make them a big part of yur social life and make your room as cozy a nest for you as you can.

make sure to stand your ground, and speak up if something is bothering you!

Be completely self sufficient, and don’t be passive aggressive. I wouldn’t try to make friends with them, but I wouldn’t avoid them at all costs either. If you and your friend had a roommate you didn’t care about, but you weren’t inclined to torment them, you’d just hope for someone who is polite and friendly, but doesn’t try to be friends with you.

Especially with girl roommates (excuse the generalization) there is a strong need to feel belonging, and to defend against exclusion and attacks on pride. I might say, “play your own game.” There will still be spikes when they are unpleasant, but you’ll make it through the year fine.

Just focus on the things you’re there to do. Don’t just study, but learn stuff. Find friendships and activities out of the house. If the roommates suck, it will be oppressive, but you have the rest of your life to live in your own home. Make stories.

If they really suck, post again, and we’ll help you with vengeance.

@drhellno When you’ve been here awhile, you will know that our @PnL is the furthest thing from passive aggressive so not to worry there.

1.You need to sit down together and make a list of ground rules.
2. Make a million copies of the list.
3. Wallpaper your house with the copies.
4. Invest in multiple forms of stress relief.
5. Invest in earplugs. (preferably the same kind used by the guys who direct airplanes)
6. Put a double lock on your bedroom door (roommates love to borrow shit, it always starts out little, then before you know it half your stuff is missing)
7. Stand up for yourself, if you don’t like something, speak up, because if don’t you will start to resent them. (no one likes to live in an angry house)

Okay so not all of those were serious, but you get the idea….
; )

have an active social life… being out of the house often helps a ton.

Hmm.

Don’t be a recluse. I’d advise that you hang out in the common areas occasionally and be friendly. It’s easy to ignore the needs of (or abuse) the roommate that you never see.

Do NOT
I repeat DO NOT
Give any corndogs to your roommate