How To: Form a Family With Your Freshmen Roomies

So you asked for three roommates and instead got one? Or maybe you asked for one and got six? You said that you wanted to sleep at 3 a.m., but instead got paired with a bunch of kids who go to sleep at 8 p.m.? Every night? The rooming situation for freshmen isn’t always ideal, but sometimes, there are ways to make the best of it!

Here are seven ways to form a fam with your freshmen roomies:

Talk to them. Every. Single. Day.

“Good morning,” “Good night,” “How are you?” And at the bare minimum: acknowledge their existence with a “hi.”

Share Your Food... Or Head to the Berg Together

Nothing is nicer than free food. Period. Note: they have to know you’re sharing food before you start eating all their peanut butter while they’re in class.

Show Some Love

Go to their events – their games, their performances, their study breaks – and show your support. They may not say it, but they’ll love it… and when they’re too stressed by their CS50: Introduction to Computer Science psets and Gov 20: Foundations of Comparative Politics readings (potentially because they haven’t done them in five weeks like this writer), bring them brain break snacks or Jefe’s (or Felipe’s, I guess).

Do the Chores Together (Yes, The Chores)

Fold the laundry, broom the floors, chase that rat out of the dorm, and hang the tapestry that fell three weeks ago back up. While you’re at it, make a cleaning chart for that en-suite bathroom & never give each other the stare down when the trash fills up again.

Game Nights, Movie Nights, Football Games, Picnics

Whether it’s in your fancy basement (lookin at you, Thayer) or somewhere you have to take the T to get to, plan an event that can become a fond memory for you guys to reminisce about during finals.

If You’re Not Besties By This Point – Set Your Limits & Be Patient.

Remember to agree on the non-negotiables: visitors at night, drinking, pineapple on pizza… Struggling to break it to them that you don’t really like country music at three a.m. on the speakers? Leave a sticky note, send them a text, or just tell them casually!

Did all of these things and still no luck? They just suck? Suck it up buttercup, there’s two more months till winter break. It’s time to stock up on those ear plugs, white noise machines, and sleep masks.