Living with friends in college sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, for the most part, it is. Every night is a sleepover, you never have to go far to find a shoulder to cry on, and you’re constantly making fun plans and laughing lots. But, anyone would be crazy to say there are times when living with your friends comes with some sticky situations too… like how to deal with confrontation and annoying situations. Some find it harder to be straight up about issues with friends because they do not want to ruin their solid friendship, but here are a couple helpful tips on how to confront a roommate and still be besties after.
#1: Don’t let your frustration brew.
If something is bothering you, don’t hold on to your frustration for days passive-aggressively waiting for your roomie to sense your annoyance! You need to talk things out, and for most things, the sooner the better. If you know you’re having a bad day and that might contribute to your anger, step away from the situation to calm yourself down again, and then approach your roomie comfortably soon after. Holding in frustration will only ever do more harm than good.
#2: Don’t talk to your other roommates before the person you need to confront.
Bringing all your other roommates into the argument won’t make the issue go away. In fact, it will only escalate the emotional situation by making the last friend feel attacked and ganged up on. Confront problems only with the person who the problem is with, or do it with all your roommates at the same time. Talking to all your roommates at different times will only confuse your message and make your friends feel like you are talking behind their backs.