Setting Up Ground Rules
Here are some questions that students can ask each other to set up ground rules as roommates:
- Daily Routines
- What time do you usually wake up and go to bed?
- Do you have a specific morning or evening routine?
- Quiet Hours
- What hours do you prefer to have quiet time?
- Do you need complete silence for studying or sleeping at specific times?
- Cleaning Responsibilities
- How do you feel about sharing cleaning duties?
- Do you prefer a cleaning schedule or a flexible approach?
- Visitors
- How often do you expect to have guests over?
- Are there any rules about having friends or partners over?
- Personal Space and Belongings
- How do you feel about sharing personal items like kitchen utensils, food, or toiletries?
- Are there any items that are off-limits?
- Rent and Bills
- How should we handle paying rent and utility bills?
- Are you comfortable with splitting costs evenly, or do you prefer another arrangement?
- Conflict Resolution
- How do you prefer to address conflicts or issues that arise?
- Do you have any strategies for resolving disagreements?
Example Rules
- Quiet time: 10 PM to 7 AM.
- No loud music/TV after 10 PM on weekdays.
- Be silent in common areas during exams.
- Weekly cleaning schedule for common areas.
- Inform roommates about guests.
- Clean and return shared items right after using them.
- Split rent and bills equally.
- Have monthly meetings for issues.
